These Colors Are To Dye For

Remember “Blue Christmas”? If you’re like most of us, you’re going to have a blue Easter, too.

Blue is clearly the most popular color for dyeing Easter eggs, according to a nationwide survey for Heinz Vinegar. About one-third of the people polled picked blue as their favorite, followed by purple (17 percent) and pink (15 percent - including 26 percent of women, but only 4 percent of men).

Then there was the 1 percent who said they dye their eggs white. Eggshell white, no doubt.

Espresso yourself

On the local coffee bean beat, Uccello’s is producing private-label blends for Rosauers supermarkets under the Rosauers Premium Roast name.

The coffees include a breakfast blend, Colombian, decaf, vanilla nut, Irish creme, dark Italian roast, French roast and an espresso blend. They’re in the Rosauers stores at 1724 W. Francis, 2610 E. 29th, 9414 N. Division and 10920 E. Sprague; look for other locations later.

And Becky Templin and Simon Craven-Thompson, owners of Craven’s Coffee, are selling a special blend during April to benefit the Spokane Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Center, Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery and Children’s Home Society.

The full-flavored coffee, featuring Costa Rican beans, is dubbed “Benjamin’s Blend” after their 7-month-old son. It can be found at Encore Espresso & Bakery, Fitzbillies Bagels, Great Harvest Bread Co. (downtown and South Hill), Harry O’s Fresh Market and Tidyman’s stores.

Garlic bread?

There’s still time to get in on a pair of recipe contests with entry deadlines at the end of this month.

Black & Decker is seeking male cooks for its “Real Men Bake Bread” contest, with a grand prize of an allexpense paid trip to Paris and a breadmaking course at the famed Cordon Bleu cooking school. Six regional winners will be judged by an all-female panel in May. For rules and an entry blank, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Real Men Bake Bread Contest, P.O. Box 4320, Manhasset, N.Y. 11030-4320.

Then there’s the 18th annual Gilroy Garlic Festival Recipe Contest and Cook-Off on July 26-28 in Gilroy, Calif., (“Garlic Capital of the World”), with a $1,000 top prize. For rules, send a stamped, selfaddressed envelope to: Gilroy Garlic Festival Association, P.O. Box 2311, Gilroy, CA 95021-2311.

Rabbit appetites

Finally, this just in: This Easter, Americans will consume some 13.5 billion jellybeans and 55 million chocolate bunnies. (Well, 55 million chocolate bunny heads, anyway).

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Drawing

MEMO: We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: the Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5446; fax 459-5098.