That's olive oil, mate Olives may not be the first food to come to mind when thinking of New Zealand, but Mike Hanson means to correct that. Hanson, raised on a corn and soybean farm near Blue Earth, Minn., has lived in New Zealand for more than 30 years, raising grapes and olives. Now he's joined with other New Zealand boutique olive growers to produce a premium extra virgin olive oil called ilove. Turns out that the stony soil that makes such great wine also makes olive oil that has a distinctive, fresh, grassy taste with a slightly peppery finish. Hanson said he even uses it on sweet corn, despite his butter-basting upbringing. Hanson was eager to bring his ilove olive oil, available in Canada for the past two years, to his home state. It's available at Cooks of Crocus Hill in St. Paul and Edina, and at the Chefs' Gallery in Stillwater. Check out www.iloveolivenz.com.

Skillet in, skillet out If you're of the "buy one, ditch one" school of simplifying your life, Calphalon would like to help. As part of the rollout for its new line of nonstick cookware, Calphalon Unison, the company is offering a recycling service. It works like this: The eight- or 10-piece sets of Calphalon Unison come with a Calphalon ReNew shipping box. Fill the box with any old unwanted cookware (any brand or condition is accepted) and send it to Calphalon with the prepaid FedEx mailing label that is also included. Calphalon will then deliver the old cookware to a recycling center that will dispose of it properly. Calphalon then will send you two 100% recycled cotton shopping bags. Granted, you've already spent about $500 and $600, depending on the set chosen, but it's a nice gesture. To learn more, go to www.calphalon.com.

Save the date Iowa's Premier Wine & Food Expo comes to Hy-Vee Hall at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines on Nov. 13-14. Returning for what will be the second annual event is the Twin Cities' and Travel Channel's Andrew Zimmern, host of "Bizarre Foods." He'll be joined by Duff Goldman, host of "Ace of Cakes" on the Food Network. Tickets for the two-day event are $20 a day or $35 for both days online at dahlstickets.com, or charge by phone at 1-866-55-DAHLS. For more info, go to www.iowaeventscenter.com/wineandfood.

Save this date, too The ninth annual Restaurant Extravaganza to benefit St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital is Sept. 17 at the Depot in Minneapolis. This year's Fall Festival of Hope features open bar, live and silent auctions, music and fine cuisine from 20 of the Twin Cities' top restaurants. Tickets are $200 each (table of 10, $2,000). Proceeds go to the renowned pediatric treatment and research facility that receives patients from around the world. For more info, go to www.stjude.org/fall festivalofhope.

KIM ODE