Tasty Recipes from Recipe Wizards

Note: For a nonalcoholic option, substitute 1 liter of lemon-lime soda and 1 quart bottle of white grape juice.

Mr. Tidbit has proclaimed many times, over the years, that he has decided to stop mentioning new products that differ from existing products only in having a new flavor. He has also frequently promised to stop mentioning new kinds of Oreo cookies. And then Nabisco introduces an even sillier new flavor of Oreo cookie, and Mr. Tidbit just can’t help himself.

This time it’s DQ Blizzard Creme Oreos. That’s right, it’s an Oreo cookie, with filling that is supposed to taste (and look) like a DQ Oreo Blizzard. That’s one of the Dairy Queen frozen treats consisting of soft-serve ice cream and bits of – Oreo cookies. Mr. Tidbit feels as if he has stepped into one of those pairs of fun-house mirrors that seem to repeat themselves off into infinity: Will DQ offer a DQ Oreo Blizzard Creme Blizzard in which the Oreo cookie bits are bits of DQ Blizzard Creme Oreos? Will Nabisco offer a DQ Oreo Blizzard Creme Blizzard Creme Oreo cookie in which the filling is supposed to resemble a Dairy Queen frozen treat consisting of soft-serve ice cream and bits of DQ Blizzard Creme Oreo cookies? Will DQ offer. …

(Slap!)

Thank you. Mr. Tidbit needed that. Would it surprise you to learn that – at the prices at one discount supermarket ($2.98 for the 18-ounce bag containing 45 regular Oreos, and $2.69 for the 10.5-ounce bag containing 20 DQ Blizzard Creme Oreos) – the fancy Oreos cost 54 percent more per ounce or 103 percent more per cookie? It shouldn’t.

NATURALLY

New in the refrigerated juice section from Dole, two flavors of Sensation Natural: watermelon and lemon-lime. Unlike the other Dole chilled-juice products, which are 100 percent juice, these are 10 percent juice. And even that 10 percent isn’t the named juice. Watermelon, for example, is water, sugar, and the concentrated juices of watermelon, apples and grapes.

Mr. Tidbit has proclaimed many times, over the years, that he has decided to stop mentioning new products that differ from existing products only in having a new flavor. He has also frequently promised to stop mentioning new kinds of Oreo cookies. And then Nabisco introduces an even sillier new flavor of Oreo cookie, and Mr. Tidbit just can’t help himself.

This time it’s DQ Blizzard Creme Oreos. That’s right, it’s an Oreo cookie, with filling that is supposed to taste (and look) like a DQ Oreo Blizzard. That’s one of the Dairy Queen frozen treats consisting of soft-serve ice cream and bits of – Oreo cookies. Mr. Tidbit feels as if he has stepped into one of those pairs of fun-house mirrors that seem to repeat themselves off into infinity: Will DQ offer a DQ Oreo Blizzard Creme Blizzard in which the Oreo cookie bits are bits of DQ Blizzard Creme Oreos? Will Nabisco offer a DQ Oreo Blizzard Creme Blizzard Creme Oreo cookie in which the filling is supposed to resemble a Dairy Queen frozen treat consisting of soft-serve ice cream and bits of DQ Blizzard Creme Oreo cookies? Will DQ offer. …

(Slap!)

Thank you. Mr. Tidbit needed that. Would it surprise you to learn that – at the prices at one discount supermarket ($2.98 for the 18-ounce bag containing 45 regular Oreos, and $2.69 for the 10.5-ounce bag containing 20 DQ Blizzard Creme Oreos) – the fancy Oreos cost 54 percent more per ounce or 103 percent more per cookie? It shouldn’t.

NATURALLY

New in the refrigerated juice section from Dole, two flavors of Sensation Natural: watermelon and lemon-lime. Unlike the other Dole chilled-juice products, which are 100 percent juice, these are 10 percent juice. And even that 10 percent isn’t the named juice. Watermelon, for example, is water, sugar, and the concentrated juices of watermelon, apples and grapes.

WINE

It’s an abundance of riches: The annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition gives its 60 or so judges a chance to sample wines from all over the country, with 4,913 wine entries from 23 states. And it gives us a chance to tell our readers about some really nice wines.

SWEEPSTAKES PICKS

Dry Sparkling Wine: Nonvintage J Vineyards Brut Rose, Russian River Valley, Calif.: active bubbles, red apple flavors; $35.

White Wine: 2008 Keuka Springs Vineyard Gewurztraminer, Finger Lakes, N.Y.; crisp, dry lychee flavors; $20.

Pink Wine: 2008 Bray Vineyards Barbera Rosato, Shenandoah Valley, Calif.: intense, sweet-tart strawberry flavors; $17.

Red Wine: 2007 Graton Ridge Cellars Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Paul Family Vineyard, Calif.: intense black cherry aromas and flavors; $40.

Dessert Wine: 2008 Watermill Winery Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, Walla Walla Valley, Washington; medium sweet, intense lychee aromas and flavors; $14.

Here are some of my favorites among the gold medal winners:

SAUVIGNON BLANC

($14-$20)

2008 Robert Hall Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles; intense feline aroma, French Sancerre style; $14.

2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, Calif.: intense lemon-lime aromas and flavors, crisp; $16.

2008 Navarro Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Cuvee 128, Mendocino, Calif.: sweet, spicy grapefruit flavors; $18.

2008 Hess Collection Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Allomi Vineyard, Napa Valley, Calif.: sweet cut-grass aromas, lemon flavors; $18.

2008 Brassfield Estate Sauvignon Blanc, High Serenity Ranch, High Valley, Calif.: dry, tart-pineapple aromas and flavors; $16.

RHONE (all prices)

2007 Sarah’s Vineyard Carignane, Santa Clara Valley, Calif.: black cherry and sweet chocolate flavors, very rich; $30.

2008 Black Sheep Vintners Cinsault, California; sweet red plum flavors; $20.

2007 Kenneth Volk Vineyards Mourvedre, Lime Kiln: intense black plum and bitter chocolate flavors; $36.

PINOT NOIR ($20-$25)

2008 Willowbrook Cellars Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Calif.: black cherries and sweet chocolate; $24.

2008 Rodney Strong Vineyards Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Calif.: tart black cherries and bitter chocolate; $20.

2007 Carmel Road Winery Pinot Noir, Monterey County, Calif.: sweet black cherries and milk chocolate; $20.

CHARDONNAY ($8-$10)

2008 McManis Family Vineyard Chardonnay, River Junction, Calif.; tart lemon-lime aromas and flavors; $10.

2008 Round Hill Chardonnay, California: intense tart pineapple aromas and flavors, tart finish; $8.

(Contact Fred Tasker: ftasker(AT)MiamiHerald.com)

Now that the eggnog has settled into your thighs and your belly is bulging with stuffing, the time is ripe for the annual pledge to eat more healthfully in the coming year – but this time, you’re sticking with it.

Sarah Krieger, a personal chef and dietitian in Tampa, Fla., and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, offered five easy resolutions for healthful eating in 2010.

1. Make it a habit to buy fruits and vegetables every time you go to the grocery store. Variety is important: If you typically eat apples and green salads, work in some citrus, bananas and grapes. Fresh is best, but canned and frozen also work as long as they don’t contain added salt and sugar.

2. Cook at home more often. When you eat out, typically the portions are larger and you can’t control the ingredients. Keep your simplest and most frequently used cookbooks near your grocery shopping list for easy access.

3. Lower your salt intake. Everyone should consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, and people with heart disease and other risk factors should get less than 1,500 milligrams. Check nutrition labels. Some foods, such as breakfast cereals, are surprisingly sodium-heavy.

4. Eat something with protein and fiber within an hour of waking up in the morning to help jump-start your metabolism. Try a hard-cooked egg and a glass of milk, grab an apple or granola bar on your way out the door. Krieger’s favorite: a banana with peanut butter.

5. Experiment with natural flavor boosters so that you don’t depend so much on packaged foods. Grow fresh herbs on your window sill and add them to tomato sauce. Try lemon, lime and orange zest in soups, salads and marinades.