what you should know

This paste of ground up ground nuts is the foundation of brown bag lunches around the world. But it also has many culinary uses outside of the classic PB&J.

The most basic version of peanut butter is easy to make at home: roast the nuts and pulverize them with a touch of oil. To make something resembling the processed version you buy at the grocery store, you'll need to add a variety of stabilizers and sweeteners.

millions of jars on the wall You'd be hard pressed to find an American kitchen without a jar of peanut butter. The average American eats three pounds of the sticky stuff a year. (Arachibutyrophobia is a fear of it sticking to the roof of your mouth.)

not so nutty As George Washington Carver knew, the peanut is not actually a nut. Taxonomically, it's a pea and falls into the legume category, which also includes lentils and beans.

go nuts March is National Peanut Month. Tomorrow, March 28, is also national "Something On A Stick" Day. Sounds like a great time for some peanut-glazed skewers.

what you need

To learn more about the past of this little pea, try Andrew F. Smith's Peanut: The Illustrious History of the Goober Pea.

If your peanut butter needs melting for a sauce or soup, try this 2 1/2-quart saucepan from Calphalon.

If you are really serious about your PB&J construction, you might want to try a serious spreader like this one from OXO.

what you do

The citrusy spark of lemon juice and the bite of minced ginger cut through the sweeter flavors of the peanut butter in these peanut udon noodles.

We love the combination of a creamy peanut dressing with this crunchy kohlrabi, carrot and chive salad.

The hearty beans and zesty lime keep the peanut taste subtle in a African bean and sweet potato soup from Karina's Kitchen.

featured recipe This week's winner of the Root Source Challenge used some of her precious imported peanut butter stash to make Peruvian Peanut Potatoes. Congratulations to Gretchen of Canela & Comino!