ATLANTA (Feb. 15) - A salmonella outbreak that has slowly grown to nearly 300 cases in 39 states since August has been linked to tainted peanut butter, federal health officials said Wednesday.
It is believed to be the first salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter in U.S. history, said officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The company will cease production until the exact cause of contamination can be identified and eliminated. Meanwhile, ConAgra advised consumers to destroy any Peter Pan and Great Value brand peanut butter beginning with product code 2111.
My husband tends to buy Jiff, but I occasionally buy Peter Pan. I ran to our cabinet to see what was there, and lo and behold, there was an almost-emply LARGE jar of Peter Pan, with a product code beginning with 2111...!!!
I threw the last bit of it away, and then wondered why no one got sick. The only thing that I can think of is that I must have purchased this jar specifically to use in my Peanut Butter Soup, so any tainted portion was steralized when the peanut butter was heated.
Or, maybe we just got lucky, and didn't get a bad batch!
__________________
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
1 medium onion, chopped 2 ribs of celery, chopped 1/4 cup butter 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 2 quarts chicken broth 1 cup smooth peanut butter (I add much more than this) 2 cups cream (I use half-and-half) peanuts, chopped (optional) (I also add a dash or two of cayenne pepper. Not much. Just to give it a subtle little kick.)
Saute onion and celery in butter until soft, but not brown. Stir in flour until well blended. Add chicken broth, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil. Cool slightly, and puree. Add peanut butter, and allow it to melt in pureed mixture. Keep hot on low heat.
A few minutes before serving, add half-and-half. Be sure that soup is hot all the way through, but DO NOT bring it to a boil. Keep on low heat.
Stir well, and serve in cups. Top with chopped peanuts, if desired.
(Also good ice cold.)
I ALWAYS serve this about an hour before our Thanksgiving meal, when people are beginning to get a bit hungry, but it isn't quite yet time for dinner. My grown nephews insisted that I give their wives the recipe, and it's now part of their own holiday tradition.
My own kids love it, and it doesn't have to reserved for Thanksgiving. It's a nice winter soup!
__________________
"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"
(Dumbledore to Harry Potter)
