We recently had an eclectic group of travel agents and a marketing man stay with us at the Lodge. It was an interesting weekend for us because they were into food, wine, and fun—all of our favorite things. On Friday afternoon, we did a short pasta lesson with the travel agent from CA and the marketing man. Alex taught them the joys of handmade chestnut agnolotti, which were later featured as a course in their tasting menu in the dining room that evening. Earlier, the two had spent some time in the kitchen with me simply talking about food as we made arrangements for their upcoming lesson. We talked about recent food trends and about how things have changed since 9/11. Although they both loved good food and fine dining, the marketing man confessed to a secret weakness for fluffernutters (peanut butter and marshmallow creme sandwiches for those who don’t know). This sparked a lively discussion as the travel agent had her own very strong feelings about peanut butter and marshmallow creme, with perhaps some chocolate thrown in for good measure. I had never tasted Fluff or any of its variations, so I was fascinated by the strength of their debate. I quietly made arrangements to stock the pantry with Fluff—or, in this case, Jet Puffed Marshmallow Creme (the only thing available at my local markets)—for midnight cravings or other emergencies. At the end of dinner that evening, I let it slip that there was peanut butter and marshmallow creme in the kitchen. The pair of them lit up like Christmas trees but professed to be stuffed after their meal. About an hour later, one of our servers walked into the kitchen to see a volcano of marshmallow creme pouring from the container, the flow being staunched with napkins and fingers as the pair of them giggled like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. The server, giggling herself, retrieved napkins, peanut butter, and a Scharffen Berger chocolate bar for their somewhat messy indulgence. I think it was the highlight of their weekend! We sent them off the next morning with bagged lunches of fluffernutters (chocolate chips on hers) on white bread with the crusts cut off, fruit, cookies, and sodas. I felt like a co-conspirator in their return to childhood, and I must confess that as I cut their crusts, I indulged in my first taste of a fluffernutter just to see what all the fuss was about.
About the Author
