These days, chain restaurants are looking for any way to eke out a profit, from offering cheaper steaks to haggling with customers. But given the economic downturn, many are no longer expecting to fill tabletops at dinner — instead, they're counting on customers at the grocery store. Restaurants from Jamba Juice to California Pizza Kitchen and even Tony Roma's plan to introduce new licensed food products in the next year. Yesterday, Starbucks unveiled its new Super-Premium Ice Cream. The new line of ice cream, created in partnership with Unilever, is inspired by coffeehouse drinks with flavors like caramel macchiato and java chip.

Healthy drink chain Jamba Juice has been sorting through production and logistics on a ready-to-drink smoothie made by Nestle that will be carried in convenience stores in addition to supermarkets. Certain chains that already have licensed, branded items in grocery stores are looking to aggressively expand them. California Pizza Kitchen recently introduced flatbread sandwiches made in partnership with Kraft, and the company plans to expand its product line. Rib specialist Tony Roma's is also broadening its line of heat-and-serve meals beyond baby back ribs to include pulled pork, pot roast, and other items.

Since consumers are dining out less and eating in more, it makes perfect sense for restaurants to move in this direction, but if the past is any indicator, I've found licensed food products are usually nothing but a letdown. Do you feel the same way? Could you see this being the moneymaker for restaurant chains this year?

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If you're looking for a great way to learn more about wine, consider investing in a wine journal. My sister gave me this lovely leather-bound journal ($30) by Chronicle Books for Christmas. Part resource and part journal, this book is organized by varietal. There's a section for recording reds, whites, and other wines. With places to note the color, clarity, aroma, and flavor, it's incredibly easy to fill in and follow. There's also space to remember fabulous food and wine pairings, wines worth saving, and trips to wineries. The pages are filled with grape definitions, pronunciations, and helpful hints on how to taste. When making note of each wine, there is a spot to write where and when you taste a specific wine.

It will be fun to look back in a year or two and think about these memorable experiences. Does anyone else keep a wine journal?

After a rough year, Starbucks has tried to start off 2009 on the right foot. In addition to rolling out a new line of instant coffee, it also began offering "value pairings" that include two new breakfast sandwich options. Considering the history of the chain's breakfast sandwiches, I was eager to try them out.

The Artisan Breakfast Sandwiches, as they're called, come on square-shaped, ciabatta-style rolls. The ham contains three slices of very thin black forest ham, mild cheddar, and a Parmesan egg frittata, while the bacon includes four short slices of smoked bacon, gouda cheese, and the same Parmesan egg frittata. To see what I thought of them, read more

Sometimes even a sandwich lover needs a serious serving of vegetables, so the other night, I turned my nutrition attention to these yummy open-face ratatouille sandwiches, made with roasted eggplant and red pepper, among other hearty things.Initially, I made the sandwiches according to the recipe, and they were perfectly delicious with just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a dusting of herbs. But I thought they needed something to close up their open-facedness, so I also made a version with melted provolone, which I preferred. For more details and to get the recipe, read more

• The new Yankee Stadium will serve up sushi by Morimoto and specialties from Le Cirque. — New York Times
• A few creative ways to make the most of leftover wine. — Washington Post
• Learn how one pizza fanatic constructed a hand-built firebrick oven at home for $15. — Los Angeles Times
• Find out which store-bought grapefruit juice fared best. — San Francisco Chronicle
• Meet the "tween" salad: hearty, warm medleys that smooth the transition between Winter and Spring. — Chicago Tribune
• Do women reach for different food than men? — Boston Globe
• Lebanon's winemaking dates back to biblical times, but it's the region's modern wine that's garnering worldwide attention. — Wall Street Journal

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