While some people love the sugary taste and smooth texture of candy corn, others hate the kernel-shaped candy invented in the 19th century. Its waxy texture comes from carnauba wax and a fondant-marshmallow hybrid called mellowcreme, and its flavor is one of almost pure sugar, overwhelming and eventually desensitizing taste buds, and creating a dopamine rush. "Our polarized relationship with candy corn isn't just about taste -- it's about how our brains and tongues process texture, sugar and nostalgia," writes Leah Collins.

Can you imagine carving this monster of a pumpkin? British farmers set a new world record by growing a pumpkin weighing in at more than 2,819 pounds. In addition to holding the Guinness World Record for heaviest pumpkin, Ian and Stuart Paton, who are twin brothers, can also boast about the world's largest pumpkin by circumference at 21 feet and 3.8 inches. There's a math problem in there somewhere about how many pumpkin pies that would make.

Restaurants across the US will serve free meals to kids and seniors as the government shutdown threatens to delay Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, potentially leaving 40 million Americans without food assistance. Chicken Salad Chick, Tony & Alba's Pizza and several others have announced initiatives to provide free meals until benefits are restored. In the San Francisco Bay Area, several restaurants are providing free meals to children whose families rely on SNAP benefits, including Tony & Alba's in San Jose, Monster Pho in Oakland and Al Pastor Papi in San Francisco. DoorDash also said it will deliver 1 million meals for free to SNAP recipients during the month.

Chocolate chips originated in 1939 when Ruth Wakefield, owner of the Toll House restaurant, added chopped chocolate to cookie dough and found the pieces held their shape. She published the recipe for Toll House Chocolate Crunch cookies, which was later acquired by Nestlé, leading to the production of chocolate chips with added stabilizers in the 1940s. Over time, chocolate chips have evolved into various forms, with different chocolate mass content and stabilizers to ensure they keep their shape during baking.

Several New York City eateries are marking the impending retirement of the MetroCard with themed menu specials. Alidoro is serving the La Tessera sandwich, inspired by the iconic card that has been a fixture for the city's subway and bus riders since 1994, Stretch Pizza has teamed with chef Wylie Dufresne to offer a limited-edition Metro Pizza, Golden Krust is giving away free Jamaican coco bread with patty purchases, Gong cha has created the M Tea A Drink with a blue milk foam MTA logo and Zabar's is selling MetroCard-shaped cookies.

Candy corn, a divisive Halloween treat, becomes the star ingredient in 15 inventive recipes that extend its enjoyment beyond the holiday. These recipes, including Halloween Chex Mix, Candy Corn Coladas and Ghost Marshmallow Brownies, highlight candy corn's versatility in a variety of desserts and snacks. Delish

These classic candy apples have a crunchy shell flavored with cinnamon extract. You can use food coloring paste or liquid to dye the coating red, or leave it out for a more natural glossy finish. CIA Foodies

Michael Twitty's new cookbook, "Recipes from the American South," features Virginia fried apples, a breakfast dish inspired by Edna Lewis. Twitty suggests using a mix of apple varieties and kitchen pepper, a spice blend from Colonial and antebellum eras, to enhance the flavor. The recipe uses clarified butter or bacon fat, apples, sugar, and optional cinnamon. Garden & Gun