"Boiled peanuts are considered the caviar of the south." Wes Shannon. [All photographs: Herb Pilcher] A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending some time with Wes Shannon, a peanut farmer in Tifton, Georgia. My company Peanut Butter & Co. only uses peanuts grown in the United States, and we try to maintain a tight connection with these farmers. While I had met Shannon before, this was my first visit to his farm. He took a break from the harvest to talk to me about peanuts and peanut farming. He even let me drive the tractor and dig up some of the peanuts! How are peanuts grown? Well, we usually plant peanuts in mid-May. The soil is good... More

Butterfinger, Reese's (the cups and the pieces), Snickers, Oh Henry, Baby Ruth, Mr. Goodbar, Payday, Watchamacallit—so many Halloween candies involve peanuts or peanut butter. Here are some fun ways to eat them, not that there's anything wrong with the straight-from-the-wrapper approach. More

The inspiration for this recipe is the favorite after school snack of apple wedges with peanut butter. There's something about the cool, crisp, tart apples paired with the rich, creamy, salty-sweet taste of peanut butter. Why not multiply it by pie? More

[Flickr: Spy On Pea] Yesterday, our new nut columnist Lee Zalben wrote about Kung Pao chicken, exploring the use of nuts in this and so many other Chinese dishes. He casually mentioned the peanuts in his Kung Pao dish, which set off a mini debate. What about cashews? Or are peanuts more common? We tweeted and Facebooked the question, and the consensus seems to be with peanuts. "traditionally, only peanuts are used" (@kattebelletje) "Peanuts or no nuts. Never cashews." (@GarySoup) "peanuts for sure, says the girl who grew up in a Chinese restaurant" (@aliciac) Chinese cuisine mystery-solver Jenny 8. Lee directed us to this New York Times piece by Howard W. French from 2005. Apparently in south-central China, the... More

Note: Lee Zalben, a.k.a. "the Peanut Butter Guy" is the creator of the Peanut Butter & Co., a New York sandwich shop with a national line of nut butters. Every week he'll chime in with some nuttiness. This week, he questions the authenticity of Kung Pao chicken. [Flickr: Lewi Hirvela] They call me "The Peanut Butter Guy." Everyone just assumes I know everything there is to know about peanuts and peanut butter, even the most esoteric and tangential of facts. I was out with some friends the other night at a popular Chinese restaurant in Manhattan. Of course I ordered the Kung Pao chicken. In part, because wherever I go, everyone always expects me to order the dish on the... More

Phew. The American Peanut Council issued a big fat list of safe peanut products, including Peter Pan, Skippy, Jif, and all Reese's and Ben & Jerry's products. The salmonella outbreak that originated at a Georgia peanut factory has already been responsible for seven deaths and 500-plus sicknesses. [via Doobybrain]... More

And so does this potato. And this tomato. And this beer foam. But don't forget how it all started...with a peanut. [via Coldmud]... More