The Dutch Oven PBJ Deconstruction Challenge

I’ve been hearing a lot more about “Deconstruction” of late.  I know that, as a foodie buzzword, it’s been around for a long time.  I want to explore it a bit, here at the black pot.

I had also talked to Andy over at Back Porch Gourmet, and he’s up for some challenges, too.  John, of mormonfoodie.com fame, is the one who initially told me about it and what it all means.  To clarify that, I wrote a squidoo lens about food deconstruction, here.

I’m going to set out some food deconstruction challenges.  Andy and I have already chatted a bit about this, but we want to make it open to everyone!  I've got ideas for three or four specific challenges, and I’d encourage any suggestions (just post a comment). For me, it’s going to be a chance to stretch myself as a chef, and really explore art and the nature of self-discovery and self-expression.  Here are the rules of the challenge:

• Start by planning well.  Contemplate the ingredients of the original dish.  Contemplate new ways of treating them, preparing them, combining them.
• Create a new dish using those ingredients.  You may choose to add ingredients.  You may choose to only use the original set.  It’s up to you.  Explore.  See how far you can get from the original dish, or see how you can remain true to its basic character. Learn.
• Blog about it.  Explain your approach and your thoughts.  Remember to interlink.

Here is the first challenge:

The classic child’s PBJ.

Basic ingredients:

• bread (flour, salt, yeast, water, honey)
• peanut butter (peanuts, salt, sugar, toxic chemicalz)
• grape jelly (grapes, pectin, sugar, more harsh chemicalz).

Shake it up!  See what comes out!  Share!

Future challenges may include the apple pie, a chocolate cake, and some sort of meat dish.

Mark has discovered a love of Dutch Oven Cooking. Mark also has other sites and blogs, including MarkHansenMusic.com and his MoBoy blog.