Olive Oil Inflation Finally Hits Skids

Good news for all you olive oil lovers (Popeyes, perhaps?): While prices have risen dramatically since 1994 thanks to Mediterranean droughts, improved weather has resulted in a much better crop this year and retail costs should start coming down by late spring, reports The North American Olive Oil Association.

Meanwhile, according to an association survey, 56 percent of the people in the United States who don’t use olive oil say they don’t know how. Olive oil extra-virgins?

Contest call

More recipe contests with upcoming deadlines:

McCall’s/Sonoma Dried Tomato Contest - for original, quick-to-fix soup, salad, appetizer, main course, sandwich and side dish recipes using dried tomatoes. Grand prize: $5,000. Entries must be received by March 31; send to P.O. Box 5163, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10169. Complete rules appeared in the February issue of McCall’s.

Bays “Build a Better Benedict” Contest - for original eggs Benedict recipes using Bays English muffins. Grand prize: Cooking/wine vacation in France. Entries must be received by March 31 (with top label from Bays package); send to 225 W. Ohio St., Suite 600, Chicago, IL 60610. For information, call (800) 367-2297.

Kretschmer Wheat Germ “Healthy Eating Made Easy & Delicious” Contest - for original, low-fat muffin/biscuit/coffee cake/ other bread, cookie/other dessert and main dish recipes using at least 1/2 cup of wheat germ and no more than 12 ingredients (excluding water, salt and pepper). Grand prize: $5,000. Entries must be postmarked by April 1 (with Kretschmer proof of purchase); send to P.O. Box 530, Barrington, IL 60011. For complete rules, write to P.O. Box 543 at the same address.

Winners’ circle

Wondering whether anyone from around here ever actually wins one of these contests? Congratulations to Mary Benham of Spokane, who took first place (and a year’s supply of coffee) for her Cafe Custard Mexicana With Rum Sauce in the recent Roasters Select coffee recipe contest, and to Betty Jean Blackman of Spokane, one of five finalists who will compete in the Washington State Beef Cook-Off in Yakima on Saturday.

Hitting the sausage

If you’d rather just plain eat, the 44th Annual Uniontown Sausage Feed - an all-you-can-devour affair featuring homemade sausage, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls, pickles and pie - is Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Palouse farming town’s community building. Cost is $8 for adults, $4 for ages 6-12 and $1 for kids under 6.

, DataTimes