remembering the lunch break

and reviving the peanut butter sandwich.

Remember lunch breaks? That brief period midday when you’d escape from your desk or workstation to gab with a co-worker, run an errand or simply relish in a few minutes alone, free from immediate expectations. You might have grabbed something near the office, ate leftovers in the shade or scarfed down a sandwich in your car. Or were you at your desk checking in with the news or your personal life? Trying to eek out another ounce of productivity before your next meeting?

And now? If you’re in the quarter of the US workforce still at home, your lunch break probably looks different than it did in two years ago. Maybe you’re sneaking in a workout or household chores. Preparing midday meals or helping your children with remote school.

With an increasing number of studies showing productivity doesn’t suffer as much as managers previously expected in remote work, you’re probably still at your desk with a sandwich or salad.

I discovered one of my favorite weekday sandwiches while on a camping road trip through Baja in 2008. A British travel companion was lamenting the limits Americans put on the possibility of the peanut butter sandwich. I was then presented with a peanut butter and cheddar cheese sandwich. I was shook. The CBJ at Chicago’s Hopleaf later validated the combo for me. I’ve campaigned for this sandwich in many a break room since.

Once you suspend the emotional link many of us have between peanut butter and sweetness, you’ll remember that savory peanut dishes abound. Recall Thai peanut sauce? Mexican chili-lime peanuts? West African peanut stew? Lance’s Toast Chee crackers? Ants on a log?

Think of all the old things newly revived this past year. Home cooking. The phone call. A personal relationship with your delivery person. Why not a new way with the old peanut butter sandwich?

Key Team Members

Uncomplicated bread. Anything not too sweet with a simple texture that won’t get in the way of the broader characters at play. I especially like potato bread.

Unsweetened peanut butter. This is a non-negotiable. Chunky varieties work particularly well to provide some added texture.

Hot or earthy spice blend(s). Sprinkle a pinch or two of spice directly onto the peanut butter. I’m partial to hot smoked paprika, but don’t limit yourself. Try savory cinnamon combinations like berbere and ras el hanout, Korean or Syrian chili flakes, or Creole or Mexican chili blends.

Sweet paprika or zaatar provide a milder view. If you must have jelly, make it pepper.

Razor sharp cheddar cheese. Add some astringency and maximize your umami crystals by a factor of awesome with something aged over 9 months. Look for blocks labeled Vermont, New York or extra sharp.

Crunchy produce. Get the sweetness, hydration and crunch you keep thinking this sandwich needs from shredded carrots or thinly sliced sour apples. Celery also works well, but combine it with a spice blend including cinnamon at your own risk.

Implementation

It’s a sandwich? Stack. Spread. Sprinkle. Spread. Sprinkle. Stack. Enjoy.