PB & Thai? A spicy take on a lunch box classic With a more adventurous palate, peanut butter lovers today are mixing it up with a classic spread, as Susan Spencer of "48 Hours" discovers: Start spreading the word: Peanut butter is suddenly HOT. But the menu offerings at Lee Zalben's Peanut Butter & Co., in New York City also comes spicy. "Now that has a kick," said Spencer of the Thai Sandwich. That really has a kick. How long is this gonna last? It's nothing like that bedraggled peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich you once crammed into your school lunch box. With a more adventurous palate, peanut butter lovers today are mixing it up with a classic spread. Zalben described one of his most popular sandwiches: "It's a spicy peanut butter. We combine our Heat Is On peanut butter with some grilled chicken and some pineapple jam, so it kind of makes, like, a satay sandwich. An American classic with a twist of Thai, one of 50 peanut butter-centric offerings at Zalben's restaurant. His mission: Get the lowly peanut out of its shell. "I think the American palate is evolving," he said. I think that as those cultural influences start to develop more in the U.S., we start to sort of do mash-ups with our food. Recipes from Peanut Butter & Co.: Zalben (who says he's loved peanut butter since he was a little kid) claims some 3,000 customers sample his nutty combinations every week, like the Elvis (presumably for non-dieters): "So we've got peanut butter, bananas, bacon, and we're gonna add a little bit of honey, just to go over the top and add a little bit of extra sweetness." And then he GRILLS it! "That does make you wanna burst into song," said Spencer. Supposedly, the average kid will eat 1,500 PB & J sandwiches before graduating high school. Peanut butter is an $800 million a year juggernaut in the U.S. What could possibly slow it down? "Arachibutyrophobia," said Zalben. That is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth. A fear worth getting over, Zalben says -- to open your mind, and mouth, to yummy new versions of an old friend.