There's kind of an amazing thread going on over at Chowhound right now, about "strange pairings that taste uncommonly good." 2 1/2 months and over 300 comments later, people are still logging on to talk about their love for Fig Newtons with Guinness (yeah!) and peanut butter and maple syrup sandwiches to dip into chili (maybe, no).
It's fun reading, and there are definitely things that sound awesome: sardine and avocado sandwiches, mashed-up chocolate donuts in a bowl with buttermilk, slices of avocado with evaporated milk and brown sugar.
There are things that sound interesting: Dr. Pepper jacked up with a shot of espresso, chocolate covered pretzels with watermelon.
There are things that reveal a lot about the poster: Doritos with white rice and sriracha hot sauce (needs to get back on the campus cafeteria meal plan); Poached local lake trout with baked beans, strawberries, wheatgrass, blue cheese dressing, and jalapeno (been reading too many stupid restaurant menus); strawberry jam and cream cheese on wheat bread (um…this qualifies as "strange" to you?).
And then there is no use for which peanut butter has not been employed: peanut butter with mayo, peanut butter with mayo and onion, peanut butter and mayo, lettuce, and bacon, peanut butter with olives, with tuna salad, with bologna and pickles. Who knew about such peanut butter fanaticism? I'm calling Homeland Security the minute someone posts about peanut butter and C-4.
So, in the spirit of these goings-on, here's my absolute favorite food and drink pairing ever: ripe, sloppy peaches and lukewarm Coca-Cola. You take a bite of the peach, slurp it down, and then grab a swig of the Coke. Magically, the peach's flavor comes back to life all over again, only a little sweeter, a little rounder, and the Coke's bubbles perfume your entire mouth with it.
You know how it's almost always a good idea to match a wine and food from the same region together? Coca-Cola is based in Atlanta and Georgia is the Peach State, so there might be something to it.
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