Inside Sonoma

Brussels sprouts, perhaps even broccoli – but who’d suspect Peanuts creator Charles Schulz would hate coconut?

If you’ve been a really longtime follower of the Peanuts strip, really long time, say since February 24, 1951, you’d probably have caught the coconut drift. In that strip, Lucy offered Charlie Brown a taste of her very special mud pie – sprinkled with coconut. Charlie Brown gives it a try and goes into a spasm of “This tastes awful!!” adding apologetically, “ I just don’t like coconut.”

You’ll learn this and more about Peanuts’ characters food preferences – and undoubtedly those of their creator – with a visit to the Upstairs Gallery at the Charles Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane in Santa Rosa, telephone 707 579-4452.

For example, you’ll find that Charlie Brown really disliked soggy cereal, hot dogs and angel food cake. Need a recipe for Seven Minute Frosting? Woodstock’s little bird friend, Harriet, chirps her recipe in a November 5, 1980 strip.

Featured in the exhibition are 20 Peanuts strips and copies of Peanuts cookbooks, along with an assortment of other Peanuts food-related ephemera that includes Schulz’ World War II-era drawings picturing him chowing down with his buddies.

The exhibition, titled Peanuts Cooks, will be on display until February 15 when May I Have This Dance? takes over the space, presumably providing a bit of inside information about how Schulz (speaking through his Peanuts characters) felt about kicking up his heels.

But back to the current exhibition. Should you wish to try your hand at a Peanut’s favorite recipe, perhaps you’d like to give this one a try:

Snoopy’s Peanut Butter Crunch Sandwich

1 slice whole wheat bread, spread with mayonnaise and peanut butter

3 strips crisp bacon

1 slice sweet pickle

Yum!!!