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I Ate The Bachelor's Controversial Favorite Snack & I Liked It

Photo: Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagic.
Welcome to Celebrity Chef, a column from Refinery29 where we embark on a culinary mission to find, make, and try recipes and food hacks from our favorite stars. No flavor combination is too wacky, no tip or trick too bold, and no questionable creation goes un-tasted.
You may know Nick Viall as this season's boyishly good looking star of ABC's The Bachelor. But he is much, much more than that. He's a humble Milwaukee native with a propensity for crying, thick turtlenecks, tight shorts (and tighter short-sleeved button downs), juice boxes, Chipotle, and hot coffee — even on the hottest of days. And of all the soulful quirks behind this 36-year-old bonafide bachelor, there is one in particular that touches me on a much deeper level: his favorite snack. Viall professed in an exclusive to US Weekly that his go-to nosh is none other than whole-wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced pickles. Please let that steep a little before forming a final opinion.
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If you find yourself in the camp of public outcry over this food combo confession (you'd be in good company with other members of the Refinery staff), that may be, in my humble opinion, because you either 1. Dislike pickles, 2. Are allergic to peanut butter, or 3. Don't support Viall as the Bachelor, and therefore don't support his snacking decisions. (Or maybe you're just not willing to open your mind — and your heart — to Viall's snacking prowess.) But I happen to love pickles, am not allergic to peanut butter, and wholeheartedly back NV in all his romantic endeavors (P.S. Nick, TY for liking my Instagram that one time). And as soon as this VIP food news broke, I knew that I simply HAD to try the strange-sounding snack — as soon as humanly possible.
Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Buxton.
So out I dashed to the nearest Duane Reade and purchased the only available bread and pickle options: Hostess Classic Wheat and Vlasic Kosher Dill Stackers (I felt in my heart that Nick and I probably agree that bread and butter pickles are utter bullshit). Once back in the office, I got to WORK. I already had a fresh jar of peanut butter stashed at my desk and there was a toaster waiting for me within the shared kitchen. I only received a few puzzled glances as I plated the dish, carefully spreading the nut butter with love and artfully arranging my near-yellow Vlasic slices. But I didn't care — I felt bold, I felt free, and most importantly, I felt hungry.
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Photo: Courtesy of Elizabeth Buxton.
The first bite? I would be lying to you if I didn't say it was magical. Because it was (then again, strange food combos are nothing new to me). The toast was toasty, the peanut butter creamy, and the pickles crunchy with a enlivening vinegary zest. I ate the whole damn thing as a welcomed mid-morning snack (my zeal and satisfied murmurs only mildly horrifying the rest of my team). And at the end of it all, I even inspired another coworker (and fellow pickle lover) to make herself one. And guess what? She loved it, too.
So to all you haters out there, whether of peanut butter, pickles, or this season's Bachelor, we won't be silenced by your snack-shade. And Nick, if you're reading this, I'd love to get together sometime over a candlelit peanut butter and pickle toast one-on-one (rose optional, but encouraged).

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