Roberts: Praising almond butter

My mother was a great country cook. I never met a shrimp or a lobster during my childhood. She did not like the smell of seafood, and when we had fish, Dad cooked it on a grill outside.

Later, I married a country girl from north Alabama. We were married for 22 years, and she was also a great country cook. Made the best fried squash and baby back ribs I have ever eaten.

My sister is still a great country cook. Last week, she brought a big pot of turnip greens, rutabagas, smashed taters and cornbread to my house, and we dined in succulent splendor. She makes cube steak and gravy with biscuits — from scratch — that will make you slap grandma out the back door.

It’s a tribute to the women in my family that country cooking is still my favorite way to dine. I have picked up some rich boy’s tastes over the years — like crab legs. I do believe crabmeat is the sweetest meat in the world. And I sure do miss that deep-fried lobster they used to serve at the Narrow Bridge. Why in the world did we allow that fabulous restaurant to close? Remember their garlic bulbs, served up on tiny pieces of toast with a smearing of creamed cheese?

Imagine being culinarily spoiled by a mother, sister and wife and then being flung out into a single man’s life when you’re old, dumb as dirt and can only fix an overnight salad and a pot of chili. The salad is probably not good for me since it contains a whole jar of Miracle Whip, but I did perfect the chili because I have always loved mild chili and everyone who make it wants to burn down the barn and put the embers in it. My son in Dallas was runner-up in the Texas Chili Cookoff, but one bowl of his chili would put me into a dead run, and I’d clear two states in less than an hour.

The only good thing about being flung out into the single life is discovering the most perfect food in the world: almond butter. One day at Nutrition World on Lee Highway, I saw this machine that makes almond butter right before your eyes. You just turn on the switch, and it fills up your cup.

I did some research and discovered that almonds are the only alkaline nut. I had always loved peanut butter, but peanut butter never liked me. It gave me indigestion if I ate as much of it as I wanted. Our American diet is extremely acidic, especially fast foods. Now when I eat acidic foods, I chase them with a big spoonful of almond butter, and it balances it out.

Years ago I discovered carob-coated rice cakes, and I quickly found that almond butter was a perfect companion. I talked Nutrition World into keeping them in stock. At least one day a week for breakfast, I have a rice cake with almond butter generously applied thereon. It sticks to the ribs and never causes indigestion.

I discovered almond milk at Publix. With coffee for breakfast or almond milk at other times, my almond rice cakes help make the life of an old single dude deliciously bearable.

E-mail Dalton Roberts at DownhomeP@aol.com.