Peanut Butter & Company

No peanut butter & jelly day would be complete without at least a mention of my cousin Lee's store (and peanut butter line), Peanut Butter & Co..

I don't have a very large family, but there are veins that, to me, at least, are undiscovered. For example, self-help book author Gary Zalben. Another example is Chiropractic Zone Healer Mike Zalben. And there's a photographer somewhere I've never met. The thing of it is, in case it isn't clear, that anyone with the last name Zalben is related to me. It was changed from Zabrowsky on the boat over from the old country (you know, Italy).

About six or so years ago, I was reading Time Out New York, and there was a review for a Peanut Butter restaurant, owned by Lee Zalben. I freaked out a little, as I do when I find famous relatives I didn't know I had. Then I met him a bunch of times, and he was cool, and we're like fourth or fifth cousins or something, so we could TOTALLY DO IT* and not be arrested.

Since then, I've eaten at PB&Co. innumerable times, mostly because its delicious. You wouldn't think that a peanut butter sandwich would be worth $5, but Lee makes REALLY good peanut butter.

In fact, its so good that the PB is now sold in grocery stores around the nation. In particular places like Whole Foods, but I've seen it in regular grocery stores as well. So check it out. In particular, the cinnamon raisin is delicious. And in fact, I'm going to have some for lunch right now.

Oh, and here's the worst picture of me ever taken. I found it while trying to find a picture of Lee.



*I seriously hope he never reads this blog post.