Peanut Butter Tomato Toast

By Athens-based illustrator and designer Nataliya Vitorovich

Welcome to the first Substack of Uno Magazine history! We’re committed to sharing recipes by you. In this newsletter we’ll send you recipes from our print magazine submitted by contributors all around the world. We are currently exploring our first theme ‘tomatoes’.

Today, we share the first-ever submission by Athens-based illustrator-designer Nataliya Vitorovich. Her recipe is as simple as peanut butter on toast. And frankly — that’s mostly what you’ll get, although with the glossy red cherry tomato bombs, heroic extra virgin olive oil, cut-through balsamic vinegar, and flaky salt shower, it’s become a simple beauty that transcends. Enjoy the recipe below plus our Uno Asks interview where Nataliya shares her first memory with the toast: “a late-night snacks in the kitchen after a BNO (Big Night Out).”

Uno Cooks: Peanut Butter Tomato Toast

Ingredients:

• Toasted bread (the good stuff, sourdough)

• Peanut butter (crunchy all the way)

• Cherry tomatoes

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Balsamic vinegar (not glaze)

• Good sprinkle of flakey salt

Method:

Get your bread, the good stuff, sourdough. Toast it to your desire.

Spread your peanut butter of choice (reaching all the edges).

Half your tomatoes and place on top.

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top.

Sprinkle flakey salt.

Et Viola!

Uno Asks: Nataliya Vitorovich

What is your creative practice? And how does food exist in it?

“As an illustrator and designer, food is a pretty common theme in my work. My style is very playful and colourful, and I often like to turn the subjects of my drawings into characters. I find that food and illustration/design go hand-in-hand because they are both about creativity and storytelling.”

Why do you think food sparks your creativity?

“For me, cooking is like a meditative practice; a way to unwind and slow down. I’ve been based in Athens for the past four years [originally from London], and one of my favourite things about living here is the fruit and veg market. The produce is seasonal and comes directly from the growers, with stalls overflowing with vibrant colour. I find this market so inspiring and such a contrast to the plastic-wrapped supermarket stuff I grew up with. It’s completely changed my relationship to food, and allowed me to feel more creative as I usually just buy whatever looks good, and figure out what I feel like making later.”

What do you remember about the first time you cooked this dish?

“My friend Will made it for me when we were living together. At first, I was seriously skeptical about the combo of peanut butter and tomatoes, but I was truly hooked from the first bite. I’ve always been a huuuge peanut butter fan (peanut butter on toast with a fried egg is another underrated combo). I’ve shared this dish with lots of friends over the years, and there’s always an initial hesitation but it never fails to win people over.”

When you eat this dish, what feelings ignite?

“It takes me back to living in a share house in my early twenties making late-night snacks in the kitchen after a BNO (Big Night Out).”

Share some tips for perfecting the dish:

“Don’t skimp on quality ingredients if possible! Good bread, quality PB (crunchy FTW), the best EVOO (always), flaky salt, and sweet cherry tomatoes.”

Finish the sentence: I eat this dish when...

“Tomatoes are in season.”

What are you thinking about today? Share some parting words of wisdom for the readers:

“That the best place to buy food is almost never the supermarket. For the best inspo and ingredients, go to your local Polski Sklep, Asian Supermarket, or Middle Eastern shops.”