Peanuts

While the company behind the peanut salmonella scare has been shut down, many people are still wondering who's really to blame for the ordeal. Was it the president of the Peanut Corporation of America, who knowingly sent contaminated goods to the stores? Or was it the government, who failed to detect that the production plants were in disgusting conditions?

According to a recent article by The New York Times, the guilty party could actually be the private inspectors who check and rate a plant's food safety level. An audit conducted by an inspector last March declared that the gross facility in Georgia had a food safety level of "superior." According to the FDA, however, the same plant had been plagued by salmonella for at least the past nine months. This isn't the first known case where a private inspector failed to properly monitor a food plant, the Times reports:

An examination of the largest food poisoning outbreaks in recent years — in products as varied as spinach, pet food, and a children’s snack, Veggie Booty — show that auditors failed to detect problems at plants whose contaminated products later sickened consumers.

Although I understand that food safety is an incredibly hard thing to oversee, I can't help but feel a little queasy about this news. I hope that after such a widespread contamination, changes are made to correct the system. How do you feel about the ordeal? Who do you blame for the outbreak?

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Still craving all things chocolate? You're in luck — the aphrodisiac takes on well with savory dishes like this recipe for cocoa-roasted turkey. For a Caribbean twist, rub leftover turkey thighs with a blend of cocoa and salt. The result is a crisp-skinned turkey imbued with a dark, roasted flavor. The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility: If you're feeling wary of peanuts these days, sub in chopped cashews or pine nuts. Want more fiber? Use brown rice instead of white rice. To make this dinner tonight, read more

Not surprisingly, the Virginia based Peanut Corp. of America filed for bankruptcy last Friday. The company, which has been accused of producing the salmonella tainted peanut products, filed Chapter 7 to liquidate their assets. Plants in Georgia and Texas were closed after the positive results for possible salmonella contamination were found. Inspectors discovered the Georgia plant in gross conditions: infested with roaches, mold, and leaks.

The president of the corporation, Stewart Parnell, has turned his back on the problem, and last week authorized the shipping of knowingly tainted products. Although he refuses to speak with investigators, food safety lawyers believe that the victims of the salmonella outbreak will be compensated.

It makes me sick to think that the president of a company could willingly send contaminated goods, but I'm glad to know the government has tracked down the source of the problem. What do you think of the news?

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During the holidays, I keep homemade brittle in pretty packages to ensure that unexpected guests don't leave empty handed. This year, I made two different types of brittle: a classic peanut brittle and a more exotic, spicy brittle with pine nuts. However, it's easy to make brittle with any nut, seed, spice, or dried fruit.
Making brittle can be a daunting task, but with a couple of helpful tips, the procedure is uncomplicated. A candy thermometer is essential. There's a limited amount of time between brittle and burned sugar disaster, so have all the nuts and other ingredients ready and waiting. When the amount of steam produced by the boiling water and sugar mixture lessens, you have reached the hard-crack stage. Most importantly, remember to be patient! Get started on this crunchy, sweet, and spicy gift when you read more

• A new study says watching racy TV can lead to more teens getting pregnant. — New York Daily News
• Fox has ordered up another season of the animated comedy American Dad. — Zap2It
• Quantum of Solace enjoyed a record opening weekend in Britain, earning 15.4 million pounds ($25 million) at the box office and surpassing the previous record of 14.9 million held by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. — Reuters
• Yet another Bachelorette romance apparently won't end in marriage. — In Touch
• Universal Pictures won a bidding battle for an Electronic Arts video game called Dante's Inferno. — Variety
• The Peanuts gang is coming back in webisodes — and two are free on iTunes! — USA Today
• Author and radio host Studs Terkel died Friday at age 96. — New York Times
• FX is developing a new police drama that could be a successor to The Shield. — Reuters

Photo courtesy of The CW

This week is all about quality over quantity: There aren't as many festivals on our radar, but all of them are can't-miss events. The Giant Omelette Celebration is sure to be an egg-cellent time. Now that we have yet another excuse to drink beer, let's enjoy some at the Great World Beer Fest. And a festival that's all about tamales? Who couldn't get behind that?!

Know of anything we've left out? Drop us a line in the comments below!

• Denver, CO: Denver International Wine Festival — Oct. 29-Nov. 1
• Terlingua, TX: International Championship Chili Cook-Off — Oct. 30-Nov. 1
• New York, NY: Great World Beer Fest — Oct. 31-Nov. 1
• Apalachicola, FL: Florida Seafood Festival — Oct. 31-Nov. 1

To see the rest, read more