I've been asked by a prominent cooking magazine to identify upcoming food trends. I've talked with chefs and other food professionals to get their ideas but I thought I'd throw the question out to any readers of this blog who have strong feelings about what's on the horizon in the home kitchen. It might be an ingredient, chipotle powder, or a preparation, arancini, say, or chimichurri sauce. Any food prognosticators out there, please feel free to make suggestions. Thanks.
UPDATE: Thank you all who took the time to comment. I'm grateful for your help!
RI Swampyankee
I think that hearty, meatless, dishes will be what the home cook will be looking for now that meat has become a fossil fuel.
FoodPuta
unpasteurized dairy products.
El Knifo
A Canadian newspaper reported recently about "chaat," or a kind of Indian and Pakistani street food that's getting the tapas/dim-sum treatment in some restaurants.
The snack foods are mostly served cold or at room temp and comprise tart and tangy flavors, yogurt sauces, chick peas, onions, and has been expanded i the west to include fried snacks like samosas and pakoras.
Hope you benefit from it!
Elayne Riggs
My prediction is rediscovery of cheap ingredients, with the coming world food shortages and the prices just going up and up.
Mia
cacao nibs!
Ben
I think the biggest trend is "here" food, that is locally grown, or "we made this". Home made Cacuterie, cheese, beer, produce, what could be better? It would be nice to go eat somewhere because they are "known" for something they make. Just like the old days, eh?
RB
Ingredients: Raw milk, fresh wasabi root, microgreens.
Food and cocktails: Anything with raw egg.
Bin
In terms of the home chef, I get the feeling that we're entering an age of the "pseudo-educated," that while people are becoming more and more aware of food issues concerning food, they're not necessarily getting the whole picture. As a result, I think people are starting to get carried away with specific aspects of "food health," such as converting everything they own to whole grain, or trashing their animal fats like the Devil itself, while losing their perspective. To be cliched, I would say that while people are becoming more educated, they're less able to see the forest for the trees. Though this may be more my paranoia than reality, I have a feeling it isn't so.
Marilyn
Hopefully, we can learn to adapt recipes for those of us who have food allergies. Having recently discovered that I am terribly allergic to my beloved chicken, and having a dear niece who is deathly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, I have been dismayed to learn that so few are truly aware of the dangers inherent in such innocuous foods.
Connor
Eco-friendly / locally-grown foods.
Quality Spanish ingredients--soon, I suspect that sherry vinegar and piquillo peppers will be staples in many home kitchens, much like balsamic and olive oil became mainstays ten years ago.
Whole grains, especially lesser known ones (e.g., quinoa, Kamut, farro)
Spices. Places like Penzeys are proliferating and introducing suburban folks to spices beyond the McCormick line.
dave
You might be suprised, but cooking with urine (dehydrated, of course) has become the latest thing in Singapore when I visited last month. It makes a special salt for fried foods, like fried shrimp. I think it might work with french fries, too. Weird, but true!
dcfullest
I predict that high fructose corn syrup is going to be the new enemy ala transfat. Sugar will be cool again.
I think a much larger segment of the population will start reading food labels and really caring about what their food is and where it comes from. Which leads to more people wanting to eat local, organic, non-processed food.
TheApostateChef
Sad to say, I truly believe the next big story regarding the food revolution will be on its demise.
Pendulums have a funny way of swinging both ways, and I suspect the latest iteration of the food revolution has reached its zenith already.
As was demonstrated in the late 80's, interest in cutting edge cuisine is directly related to a booming economy, and given the obvious direction of our current economy, I suspect future food writing will be along the lines of how to make Spam or government cheese more palatable.
Robert
my greatest fear is the whole allergies/intolerance thing will keep growing. I currently work in the natural foods industry and am constantly dealing with people who are being diagnosed with being gluten intolerant (far more than could be true). Doctors and nutritionists are just telling everyone they are gluten intolerant, some of them it is the basis of their practice. the problem is all of these people FREAK out about the whole thing, instead of edjucating themselves about what "ails" them, they just expect you to do it for them(as if you were their nutritionist). Many of them act like they are actually allergic and are going to die if they eat any gluten(and i think they really believe they will). True allergies are one thing but if people would just stop eating all of the processed, tasteless foods, I dont think they would have such a problem eating real foods. Just my theory.
Michelle
South American food, such as from Brazil, is gaining a lot of popularity in the city I live (and we are not known for being in a foodie region of the country), but the food some of these chefs are putting out is phenomenal. Also, one can't ignore the explosion of Farmer's Market's, which certainly has to have an impact on the way we cook. Also, I work for a major retail gourmet kitchen store, and one can't deny the impact of Japanese knives on the market. Just seven years ago, they were barely heard of. Now, customers feel like they are "out of style" if they don't have that new Japanese knife.
One more thing that comes to mind ... Beans! You would be surprised at how many people are happy to find good quality beans. And last but not least, dry rub's with coffee or espresso in them, are very popular.
robin
home grown out of your garden whether be a patio garden or plots like i have....canning your own foods. we put up a lot of food through out the spring/summer to be able during the winter to enjoy the fresh flavors. i live in the north goergia mountians..
vicky
I'm a cook at Wegmans..a semi-gourmet grocery store. I'm seeing customers paying more attention to how much of their food contains preservatives and additives.
More customers are becoming more aware of what is actually in their food. Customers are buying more organic produce, locally grown foods and more "health-foods" such as whole grain breads and non-processed foods.
luis
Well it depends, Worldwide I think the most popular food migth already be the stir fry.It's very healthy and uses very little oil.
It goes beautifully with meat, pork, seafood any kind of bread, protein, starch or pasta and/or even tofu.
Stir fry's go well with the million sauces and rubs out there on cookbooks and supermarket shelves.
But stir frying is not easy to master and do well. And it doesn't lend itself to fast food cooking because it requires a skilled cook, a super organized kitchen and constant supply of fresh ingredients. You can not stir fry any veg that has been frozen. Like salad stir fry must be consumed because it has zero shelf life.
In a "hot pockets" culture...stir frying may not be for everyone. Stir frying requires meticulous "misce en plaque" and a super organized kitchen.
slogger
DIY foods are getting more popular among people around here--everything from bread, bacon and sausage to pickles, vinegar, and even beverages like beer and infused liqueurs--all from locally sourced ingredients.
Jeff
Several threaders have already mentioned my predictions on what trends will emerge.
The end of corn syrup as the predominate cheap sweetener in processed foods because if its detrimental health effects and the rising cost and demand for corn as a transportation fuel.
The rise of what I'll term micro-gardening. Food shortages due to climate change and food inflation due to increasing transportation costs should create a resurgence in vegetable gardening.
The rise of India and China economically and a corresponding rise in interest in their cuisines.
Because of declining disposable income, food art books will lose popularity to those focused on technique, skill and simplicity.
Rafe
A trend that seems to be rising in the UK and that I think is coming to America is a growing prevalence of wild game and dishes reminiscent of wild game. I think we'll see a growing emphasis on hunting and preparing food that you've killed yourself.
luis
Slogger, Here is another thought along those lines... I don't know about your neck of the woods but around here there is the Whole Food Markets which dedicate 30-40% floor space to "restaurant" type food already cooked and ready to go. Folks just stop by and load up on the stuff. Other gourmaid shops and deli's do pretty much the same to a lesser extent. Even supermarket lines grow longer by the minute at the hot food to go counters. People want good food and they don't have time to prepare it at home.
Michael I think prepared food to go is the thing you are looking for. The new trend is to pick up a complete dinner on the way home.
Look even Starbucks has drive in windows for your coffee fix in the morning. Active professionals are big on buying food to go. Also slogger is right there are a lot of emerging "do it your self" salads and meals turning up all over the place. Meals you pop into the oven and cook, but these are not frozen just prepared season and all.
Ryan
I really feel like learning to cook the cheap cuts is coming back. People aren't driving less even though gas is outrageous. They are cutting costs elsewhere and food is taking a hit. Oxtails, short ribs, and other cheaper cuts are becoming more prominent. I think the economy is part of the influence. I also think chefs on TV like Gordon Ramsay and Tony Bourdain, who show the good parts about the "bad" cuts are a great influence. I also feel like the surge in culture to be sustainable/organic/earth friendly is leading people to more nose-to-tail eating. I know I'm loving the beef tendon I had Tuesday, and the "cabeza" taco from Saturday night.
Ryan
. . . I also feel like organics and natural foods is hugely popular. However, I feel its been that way. My question for you guys, Is it a national or international trend or is it San Francisco being San Francisco. I had a lot of trouble find good affordable organic produce on a recent trip to Nashville. Is organics a coming trend, or is it already here?
allan
Turbinado, agave nectar, and other natural and/or unrefined sweeteners.
Quinoa. Somebody else mentioned kamut and other grains with it, but I think quinoa has a versatility that those don't. I have yet to find anything that doesn't taste good with quinoa, and I think that versatility could really get it noticed.
Indian cuisine. It's one of the few major Asian cuisines that hasn't exploded in the US yet, and in the past year or so I've been seeing more and more non-Indian faces at my local Indian haunts. It even comes with its own version of fast food (the chaat another poster mentioned). And unfortunately, some of them have been Americanizing in unpleasant ways.
Sous vide. The botulism danger will probably keep it out of most home kitchens, but it seems to be a growing trend in restaurants. Seems like I've seen it several times on Iron Chef, too.
Game. A year ago if you'd asked me where to go for rabbit I wouldn't have been able to tell you. Now I could tell you at least a half-dozen restaurants, and at a couple of them most of the red meat on the menu is game of one sort or another.
Sarah
"Umami." I have seen it pop up in several places over the past few weeks. Bring on the savory taste of umami in my meat, cheese and soy sauce.
Shasta
Organic and locally-grown ingredients are becoming more and more popular with home cooks.
I also think crockpots on on their way back. People are getting more creative with them.
Cory
Ruhlman your a smart man, you read a lot, you should know history repeats itself... and when it comes to american cuisine its a matter of bastardising cuisines, think of cuisines that are not yet bastardised, middle-eastern... indian chutneys and napad chips, graham masala mixes...
professional kitchens.. korean black garlic will be the next up and coming thing
your welcome for doing your homework a beer will be payment enough...
Diana C.
I think a nut revival, more uses of the many varieties of nuts out in the kitchen.
Sharon
Strangely, the use of nutmeg in savory dishes seems to be becoming very popular. And many of these cooks are using way too much of it! A little nutmeg in a savory custard or traditionally in a bechamel sauce is great, but too much ruins it. I had 3 dishes in the last month alone served to me with too much nutmeg.
Doodad
I am going to go way out on a limb here with a prediction that I think is just beginning. As the boomers age, their influence still will shape all aspects of our culture for the next 15 years at least. I am seeing more "retro" foods and I believe the trend will continue as the aging populace wants to revisit childhood. Look at the market for vintage guitars and cars. Just my 0.02.
Zenpup
Smoked paprika, while it's been around quite a while in "foodie" circles, it's showing up in a lot of mass-market recipes.
Also, not food, but I sell kitchenware, and large numbers of customers are coming in for cast iron or clad cookware so they can discard their non-stick pans.
Harlan
I think, that at least for the higher-end home cook, better control over temperature may be a trend. Infrared thermometers have become much cheaper. You can buy controllers for rice cookers that let you do quick-and-dirty sous vide. Digital oven controls have trickled down to even cheap apartment kitchens. As someone else mentioned, slow cookers are seeing a resurgence.
tgraypots
Local, whole foods. More community gardens. Increase in number of folks cooking at home, and cooking well at home, and demise (somewhat) of dining out.
Susquehanna
@Michelle: Agreed that South American food might be the approaching new wave. I hope Peruvian finally arrives.
Folks over at Serious Eats forsee the rise of the sardine. Sardines are all wild-caught, their "family" includes multiple species of fish and they are mightly low on the food chain, i.e. very little or no mercury. And they're damned tasty.
ciacontra
I see a move toward more house-made cured, fermented and preserved foods. People taking raw ingredients like milk and meat trimmings, and making wonderful things out of them like homemade cheeses and salami. This serves people who want to know exactly what went into their bacon, brie, beer, etc. People can be organic as they want to be, as local as they can be, and also still creative. At this level of patience and involvement, it does become less 'cooking' and more of a hobby as well, but the results are delicious. People are always impressed by the added "I made that" when you hand them a great sausage, slice of cheese or a pint, so there's a sense of pride in your accomplishment that I think is stronger than when you've just cooked a meal.
BTW: 'Charcuterie' is amazing, I just had some homemade maple bacon with breakfast. Outstanding!
Kirk
Butter
Sugar (Death to HFCS)
Wild Game, especially game birds
Homemade, everything from bacon to butter to bread to ketchup
Flaime
In the near term, home gardening. The economic downturn (which will get worse as consumers get more pessimistic) will push people to find ways to reduce their food budgets, which will lead everyone who has the available means to try gardening (I don't know how many will be successful). In the long term, a return to peasant food, the food of our grandparents. One, because the grandchildren in Generation Y seem unnaturally obsessed with heritage and two, because the economic outlook for the average American isn't going to improve much over the next few years...and American attitudes often put food at the bottom of the rung. Peasant food is cheap and filling (it may or may not be tasty depending on who is making it).
Shannon
I find I'm tossing away the legacy of processed foods and ingredients handed down by my parents and returning to making meals and treats for my family from scratch using simple and wholesome ingredients.
Eating La Choy, Stove Top stuffing, Swanson's TV dinners as a child and into adulthood, my body is screaming at me to stop feeding it that crap. And lo and behold, it's just as convenient to make a fresh meal as it is to nuke a processed dinner in the microwave.
Simple simple simple.....
kitchengeeking
I've seen more pictures of poached eggs in the food blogosphere in the last few months than recent memory. cookeatfret and ironstef are prime (gorgeous, tasty looking) examples of those photos. properly poaching an egg, just mmmm.
Natalie Sztern
the united states is a huge population made up of many ethnic foods so when u ask for the next tradition in food is meant "in New York or Chicago" or is meant in Arkansas and Kansas?
Sarah
Ditto the local/homegrown comments, both for quality and affordability reasons. Next year when we've settled into our new house, we will be putting in our first vegetable garden, and we're looking at putting in "ornamentals" in our front yard that also produce fruit, like berry bushes and possibly a fruit tree or two. We're also trying to eat vegetarian 1-2 nights a week, for reasons of both health and economics. Beans and rice with some herbs and a nice salad is a cheap and tasty way to eat (and takes next to no prep time if you soak the beans the night before and use the slow cooker), even when you score the ingredients at Whole Foods or the local organic co-op. I've also been looking for recipes for homemade sauces, but I haven't actually tried whipping any up (yet).
Todd
Lard - especially the real stuff (no hydrogenated) As "EVOO" is now part of the general vernacular, lard will soon follow as more people turn back to retro cooking like pies and confit.
chadzilla
I am going to push for new cooking techniques to make it into the home kitchen... specifically, sous-vide cooking. With foodsavors and cheap ziploc vacuum devices making their way into every home, it's only inevitable. Consider a machine like the PID from Fresh Meals Solutions http://freshmealssolutions.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=15&Itemid=26.
It can easily and affordably allow any home cook to explore the wonderful world of sous vide cuisine.
I mean, if thousands of people shelled out a couple of hundred dollars each for a trendy kitchen item such as the tajine (so much that you see them in every kitchen store now), then why not spend a couple hundred on something much more versatile and innovative?
My SVM should arrive in the mail any day now.
hollerhither
Quite a few restaurants have closed lately in my neck of the woods. People seem to be returning to home cooking and tightening their belts, so to speak.
So ditto those who say local/home-grown, cheap cuts. CSA or the return of the "victory garden." Slow-cooker utilization for stuff like dried beans. Frugal -- minimizing waste. Focus on efficiency and prep. Re-purposing leftovers in new dishes.
I wonder, though, if there won't be even more of a split between those who do the above, and those who, like others have said, rely more and more on takeout of "complete meals."
I would be interested to see (yet have no evidence of) a backlash against excessive food packaging, just as we've seen the rise in objections to plastic water bottles. One of the downsides to even high-quality takeout, as much as I love it when I'm too tired to contemplate cooking.
mirinblue
The Locavore movement is growing and will continue..eating only ingredients procured from a 100 mile radius of your home.
As fuels begin to price transportation out of the market, any trucked or shipped goods will become rather pricey. As we stretch our budgets, I think more will turn to local foods, whether they be home grown gardens, farmers markets or local purveyors.
Also less sodium and corn syrups and trans fats..which is not an issue as you begin to prepare locally grown foods in the home kitchen.
Anything prepared simply and beautifully.
Bob delGrosso
Food that does not offend anybody.
The Yummy Mummy Cooks Gourmet
So many good predictions, but I agree with Ben on this one. I think home cooks are coming around to what they can actually make at home – cheese, charcuterie, etc. Case in point, I'm learning how to make hot dogs (Thanks to a recipe from "Art of the Pig", which he got from a course at CIA)...If you'd ask me 2 months ago if I would make my own hot dogs, I would've told you you were crazy, but here I am, up to my elbows in ground beef. It happened because we made a connection here as commenters and that connection inspired me to up my game.
I think there is a lot more daring and adventure in home kitchens these days (think Bill Buford slaughtering a pig in his NYC kitchen) and it has a lot to do with how close we are to professional kitchens and chefs, opinion-makers and other food writers. Years ago, I would have had to meet an author at a book signing and maybe shoot a quick question at him as he was running out the door. Now, we know where professionals buy their food and we buy there too. We know where to go to learn about techniques and equipment and chefs can be in our living rooms and kitchens whenever we want them. If we need to know how to cook something, we can go on-line and find any number of experts to give us the steps. And food blogging is crucial to this – it puts everyone in close contact, sharing concepts and that gives people good ideas and a whole lotta inspiration they can take back to their kitchens.
So, yeah, I think a new trend will be home cooks upping their game and trying to make foods we used to leave to the professionals.
Just my two cents...
Kim
Maria
I'm hoping for more meat CSAs.
And the rise of interesting street food. Getting lots of coverage in the travel sections of food magazines these days and it seems like a good trend in a poor economy.
GG Mora
I'm deeply offended by delGrosso's comment.
Kidding aside, I'm with the crowd that sees do-it-yourself, local, homegrown, simple food & foodways taking hold. A lot of it may be fashion right now, but I do believe our world is on the cusp of changing in ways we can only begin to imagine, and being largely responsible for one's own food will become a necessity. People who've lost touch with where their food comes from – who rely on packaged, prepared and take-out foods, who wouldn't begin to know what to do with a whole fresh unpeeled carrot, who couldn't bake a loaf of bread to save their lives – those folks will find themselves screwed and scrambling (and hungry).
For now, I'm fashionably learning to make my own butter, yogurt, cheese, sausage, etc, and already have a big trendy garden in the yard, and I'm so cool, I can and preserve all kinds of stuff. And we're building a stone root cellar this summer and planting a bunch of fruit trees.
milo
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned grass-fed beef.
Products made without corn. I've been scouring labels and avoiding it wherever possible. HFCS is a big one, but there are many other corn based ingredients plus beef raised mainly on corn. (yes, I recently finished Omnivore's Dilemma)
I agree that people will be more concerned about sourcing - not just organic foods, but more from farmers markets and finding local farmers and buying direct from them. I have to say, it's awesome eating food when you have met the farmer and even visited the farm in person.
I agree about the nose to tail thing as well, although for many people it won't be about eating offal, but expanding from just chicken breasts and the other couple expensive boneless cuts from each animal to include the cheaper cuts as well.
Tapas style small plate dining applied to other nationalities and styles of food. I'd love to see tasting menus and price fixe become more widespread.
To be honest, I can't think of any cuisines or ingredients that seem on the verge of becoming trendy - I think people's biggest priority will be getting (and making) better versions of the things they're eating already.
rockandroller
I think there is an increase on finding ways to obtain food from local sources as often as possible and in terms of home cooks, a focus on returning to "whole" foods instead of processed food, sugar substitutes, a return to butter instead of margarine. With the increased cost of food I think that we are going "retro" as home cooks and are looking for ways to stretch the dollar, by buying less expensive or formerly "questionable" cuts of meat, being open to eating parts that we might not have before for no other reason than they cost less. I think home cooks are starting to learn that a whole chicken is tastier and cheaper than buying boneless/skinless breasts and they want to figure out how to obtain it from as local a source as possible and cook it themselves.
Lee Ashwood
I agree with the person who said "lard".
It's a throwback to my grandmama who kept that little jug with strainer on the stove or counter and used the bacon drippings for everything from green beans and potatoes, to grease the cornbread pan, to make fast gravy. It was "gross" when I was 16 and trying to get away from everything country and old. Now that there's a war on, a dollar doesn't buy squat and I'm trying to keep up with feeding a family of 6, that lard pot is looking more and more reasonable. Seems I've turned into my Granny and it's actually looking very chic and tasty.
I also think that consumers are looking at their dollars very very closely now and restaurant dollars VS home cooked food dollars is going to be an interesting battle to watch.
I know which has won here at our home front.
vicky
luis...If I may quote you...
"I don't know about your neck of the woods but around here there is the Whole Food Markets which dedicate 30-40% floor space to "restaurant" type food already cooked and ready to go...People want good food and they don't have time to prepare it at home.
Michael I think prepared food to go is the thing you are looking for. The new trend is to pick up a complete dinner on the way home....Active professionals are big on buying food to go....Meals you pop into the oven and cook, but these are not frozen just prepared seasoned and all."
Posted by: luis | April 08, 2008 at 01:16 AM
This is exactly what I do as a cook at Wegmans. We cook complete entrees..you choose the meat, then the sides. We serve them hot or we have cold food you heat up at home. Customers are looking for "Gourmet-Takeout."
Badger
As a home cook myself, I have to echo those who've mentioned sustainability, economy and a DIY aesthetic as the next big things, at least for home cooks. I do think there are a lot more people starting to do charcuterie, home-brewing, pickling/curing/brining than ever before, mostly so they can have control over the ingredients and the process, as another commenter mentioned.
And as others have also mentioned, home gardening and edible landscaping are the next logical steps (for those who have the time/space) after CSAs and farmer's markets. I think, as an extension of that, we're going to see more truly seasonal eating -- no more fresh tomatoes in December, unless you've got a hothouse, or know someone who does.
As far as sous-vide making the jump to home kitchens, what you're more likely to see are DIY attempts at creating that, rather than a bunch of home cooks flocking to their local restaurant supply for the real deal. I'll leave it to the food safety experts to decide whether or not that's a good idea.
PMike
Local foods, definitely- with a focus on produce. Whether from farmers markets or home grown, more people are looking closer to home. The high cost of fuel is helping to make this more economically prudent as well by closing the price gap somewhat.
This naturally leads to eating things on a more seasonal basis, and towards heirloom veggies.
Jeff D
I agree with the comments about both cheaper and more seasonal products.
My wife and I are cooking a lot more with pork and beef roasts that will last a long time and are cheaper than other cuts. I've also made a point of saving bones for stock so that we can make very flavorful soups.
We've also joined a Community Supported Agriculture program, as it allows us to fix our weekly cost of produce at about $25 and we get guaranteed knowledge of where our food is coming from.
luis
At home I am getting away from frozen veggies, canned sauces, canned food in general and anything that can potentially linger in the kitchen for longer than it should. As far as cooking, I want to shop and cook all in the same day including making my own sauces. Oils and grains and pastas anything that can stand a long shelf life is ok to have around. I can shop for the week for ingredients such as veggies, dairy etc...
But the whole point of cooking at home is to make the freshest best sauces and meats and veggies I can enjoy.
For this I have to super organize my kitchen and define my cuisine and plan my menus exactly right.
But this is NOT a national trend.
The new trend is Folks are buying gourmaid food done this way from their specialty stores such as whole foods, Norman bro's and many others. Face it after a long day's work you don't have time for charcuterie or any recipe that has a long list of steps and ingredients. Nobody does. And many of you recognize the economy and the state of most home budgets... This is why I think stir fry will grow in popularity. It fits with the organic garden grown close to home theme. It is healthy and if you master it you can cook it relativelly very quickly.
Camusman
Easy-to-prepare meals will continue to skyrocket, but more and more consumers will look for healthier versions, free of additives and environmentally correct.
ntsc The Art of the Pig
When I make a sausage or preserve something in some fashion, I know exactly what is in it.
That is becoming more and more important to me.
The other side is economics, come fall I will be able to go to the local farm stand and buy a bushel of not quite good enough vegetables, mostly tomatoes for $12/bu. That turns into a lot of vegetable juice, and it will keep for at least two years. I've no idea what V-8 costs as we haven't bought it in years.
Saturday I'll be buying two whole pork loins and two whole bellies. The loins will become roasts and chops, the bellies will become bacon and similar. I've what started as an 18 lb fresh ham hanging in my basement. Temperature is up to 55 F in the cure box, and I'm hoping it goes no higher. It will hang as long as possible, or until I need it. I've about 15 lbs of various dry cured sausage in small vacum bagged put ups in the freezer. I don't buy hot dogs, Sunday I grilled homemade bratwurst.
More and more of the DIY in terms of preservaion and fabrication. More and more explorationn of the less common (cheaper) ingrediants.
Paula
Canning! It goes with the whole local/seasonal thing but it cold-climate friendly. Plus it's a lot easier than people think.
Kate in the NW
Well...there's another side to all this. I see a lot of comments touting the coming rise of local foods, nose-to-tail, home gardens/canning, etc...and while that's certainly what my family does, I think you're going to get a very skewed picture from this sample of answers. I mean - who reads this blog? Not the half-a-gazillion folks who eat at Applebee's or out of the Safeway Deli container. And it's their dollars, not ours, that determine what gets grown en masse.
I think foodies will always be foodies, and always have been - that's my crowd. I'm lucky. If (when) the economy takes a downturn, we'll get more creative, and maybe get some converts as "regular people" are forced out of the prepared-foods market and into their markets/kitchens.
But here's the flip side - in a bad economy, people will also be driven to work more and will have less time to shop and prepare meals. At the same time, they will also be forced to pinch pennies, which means buying whatever is CHEAP - cheap groceries, cheap "restaurants", cheap everything - so I fear that there will be a proliferation of SYSCO freezer-to-fryolator meals being produced and consumed, and that HFCS and scary meats will actually start nudging out the good stuff again. The grocery stores will carry what the market dictates.
Folks who are already exhausted by working 2 jobs to pay rent (or who have no job at all) won't have the $$ to swing by Whole Foods on the way home, or the time to garden/can/cruise the Farmer's Market/figure out how to cook.
Cheap and Easy might make for a good social life, but not so much with the cuisine.
On the other hand, I'll be happy to offer cheap rent at my house to any unemployed talented chefs! 😉
milo
Kate, I agree that the Applebees crowd will keep eating at Applebees.
But the question here is what are potential upcoming food trends?
I'd argue that the foodies (the kind of people who read these blogs) are the ones participating in whatever trends will happen. We're not getting the Applebees opinion put forth here, but those people don't really participate in food trends anyway, do they? At least not at a rate that will catch anyone by surprise. For the most part, people who want their food fast and cheap are mostly eating the same things they ate five or ten years ago - fast food, frozen/canned food, prefab food, salty and sugary food. There has been a slight shift toward food that at least seems healthier (apples and salads as sides at Mickey D's), but overall people mostly eat the same unless some fad like Atkins catches on.
I think it would be interesting to have a discussion about potential upcoming food trends at the lowest common denominator, but I assume Michael is looking for the trends food geeks see coming.
Andrew
I'd say sous vide is on the horizon as a pretty popular food preparation technique. You can already buy fairly cheap controllers for crock pots/rice cookers. I can't imagine that it would cost more than $15-20 to add that circuitry to the crock pot, plus another $2 to put a cheap circulation in it and you have device that can be used as a standard crock pot or for sous vide.
The other thing that I think is coming is induction. We seem to be striving for energy efficiency in all other things in our life, it only makes sense that we do it here as well. I advice everyone who asks me about cookware to only buy induction capable stuff. I think with in 10 years, you might not be able to buy any other kind of electric cook top.
Catherine
Wild game. Because in this economy, it's back to the land. Being a big game hunter myself, I'm hearing huge increase in applications for hunting permits/tags....Game and Fish sites "food necessity"!
marko
For middle America, it's local, local, and more local. I've never seen so many minivans promoting local agriculture, which of course is a great thing, even if they put the sticker on as part of a fad. Some fads stick.
Home brewing. Cast iron skillets. Smoked paprika. Anchovies as a spice. Topping everything with one whole locally hatched egg, e.g. pizza, salads, sandwiches, stirfry, etc. And also the return of butter, which I believe Saveur recently addressed.
In big cities, people are probably buying the tools and trying to make foamed pesto, floating balloons of crystalized sherbert, and other such WD-50 concoctions for their poor, poor houseguests. Not that there's anything wrong with WD-50, of course.
Sean Kelly
There is a great new product out there, I am not what is in it, but it is high in protein and delicious.
And affordable, too!
Ask you grocer for Soylent Green.
Remember that name: Soylent Green.
Connor
To expand on my previous post, I think the use of "exotic" spices, and more specifically, spice mixtures, is an upcoming food trend. Don't know how many times lately I've read about dukkah. Vadouvan is being used with vegetables and seafood dishes at several Napa restaurants -- e.g., Frank Bruni wrote about it in his review of Ubuntu. As several people have noted already, as more and more folks get interested in cooking ethnic food at home, they will start experimenting with new spices and spice blends.
Culinary Sherpa #2
I think everyone above has listed some great ideas as to what is on the horizon in the home kitchen.
Here's my 2 cents:
I own a Personal Chef operation, perform cooking classes and co-write a food column for the Tampa Tribune.
Indian cuisine is certainly making its way into the home kitchen. Tikka Masala can now be found in its little pre-made jar in every Tampa grocery store.
Asian food is very, very popular. My friend owns the very popular Steamy Kitchen blog. She’s bombarded with home-cooks (of all nationalities) attempting to cook Asian cuisine for the first time, in their homes.
Tribune readers continue to request quick meal recipes, nothing new.
Brazilian ridizios are making their way into the home dinner party circuit. (Great, a bunch of novice drunk home-cooks with long metal, meat skewers.)
Butter has also made a resurgence now that home-cooks figured out margarine is worse for them.
The biggest has to be what is affordable. People are forgoing the “never eat processed foods” b/c they are watching the bottom line. Generic brands are seeing a lot of growth.
Sarah
I truly think the direction of the modern family kitchen is moving towards local, seasonal and easy cooking. My grandmother was a great cook—albeit a simple one. She walked to the produce market and butcher almost every day—she bought what was fresh and reasonably priced for her family of six. I see most of my friends who like to cook doing similar things. They have fresh milk delivered, boxes of local organic vegetables (when in season) dropped at their doorstep and are making more braised meats with fresh vegetables from the farmer’s market. When you braise a pork shoulder or roast a fresh whole chicken--throw in some fresh herbs and make some buttered fresh veggies-- there truly is nothing better. It is simpe and really delicious! As crazy as it sounds, stepping away from over processed foods and making a good home cooked “ traditional” meal is really on the on the upswing. Maybe it should have never left us in the first place.
Jess
Heirloom veggies. Particularly dried heirloom beans.
eat4fun
I agree that people will want local products especially with all these scares about food stuff from China and South of the Border.
Also, convenience is still a major factor for many Americans. If companies can package full dishes that are perceived healthy and inexpensive, such as the frozen pastas complete with little sauce cubes, that would be a big hit.
In terms of cuisines, Pho seems to be working its way towards middle American from both coasts. I don't know about Indian food. Living in the SF Bay Area, Indian cuisine is popular but not really taken the area by storm. I don't see it working towards middle America anytime soon.
Dick Black
I see a return to home cooking in a big way. Entertaining in ones home via the dinner party will become more popular especially amongst white folk.
People will try and apply the 100 mile rule when buying food. Soon, if not happening now, you will see values attached to products. 10 points for products sourced 0-25 miles, 7 points for goods sourced 25-50 miles etc....
I also see Americans eating more local shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico or farmed in the US. I think it will come to light that much of the shrimp that is labelled Product of Thailand or Malaysia is actually malachite green laden Chinese shrimp that has been transshipped to circumvent the FDA ban.
Dot
I'm a little surprised Bone marrow is not on all the menus.....
I hope some day the next trend in the US will be meat pies like the ones in the UK. There is a cookbook called "PIE" by Angela Boggiano that has some amazing looking dishes in it.
Brad
Beer. Cooking with beer, beer bars, beer pairing dinners, restaurants with good beer lists.
Jason D
The trend me and my wife are moving towards is for natural foods. We live down in Dayton, OH and I think we have access to everything we would want between Dorothy Lane Market and the 2nd Street Market.
We bought our first 1/2 gallon of Raw Milk last Saturday and we can buy locally grown, grass-fed, pasture raised veal, beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and dairy regularly.
kfchico
Fresh and local produce and herbs. We are lucky to have farmers markets four times a week here in Chico and they are becoming community events. Great way to spend an afternoon or evening with friends and family buying fresh stuff that benefits home cooks and producers. Also, micro brews...can't beat Sierra Nevada (also here in Chico).
MoneyMoy
Two spices appear to be making the leap to mainstream- Pimenton and Grains of Paradise.
Christine in the 'Nati
I echo the frequent "fresh and local" comments. I'm not sure what else I can say about it, other than that it's all the rage, and probably not about to die out. In fact, I'm in the process of looking to buy a house (thankfully with no house to sell holding me back) and one of my #1 criteria is a backyard suitable for a garden. Can't get more local than that!
I also agree with the "do it yourself" trend in foods. I got "Charcuterie" (sorry if the spelling's bad!) for Christmas, and can't wait to have a bit of time to dig into making my own bacon and sausage--especially italian sausage!
One thing I'm happy to see a bit more frequently now is the use of herbs (beyond mint) in mixed drinks. I really never got into beer or wine (though I've tried), so I'm always excited when restaurants take their cocktail craftsmanship seriously and up the ante. Basil seems to be popular, and can take a ho-hum drink to another level. In general, I'd say I'm a fan of fusing savory and sweet in new or unexpected ways, so this is a trend I hope to see broaden in the near future.
Alyce Smythee
Farm-raised elk.
ErikaK
Local food & a return to cooking and eating as a family. I think the "cheap cuts" mentality is already here, restaurants are full of short ribs, flatiron steak, lamb shanks -- so much so that I have seen the price actually come up on these cuts in stores. Oxtails & marrow bones are actually sitting there in the supermarket for the eating - buy them instead of the boneless skinless tasteless, people! Meat on the bone instead of processed within an inch of its flavor.
I also think that another new trend will be advocating small ethnic markets to the mainstream - although after a trip to the local mercado for carne ranchera, I can't see middle America buying a 3 foot long piece of fried pork skin^^
KO
I live in a sparsley populated area and what I'm seeing here is interest in locally grown, raised food, and using the whole animal, as in offal.
Skawt
What I'd really like to see are good prepackaged stocks. Stock shouldn't have salt in it. I'm annoyed that I have to hunt around to find the lowest amount of sodium in the various offerings, when there shouldn't be any. I would also like to see actual beef stock, since the only ones I've seen are actually beef FLAVORED, and not made the normal way (see Ruhlman's Elements of Cooking for stock prep).
This doesn't mean I don't make my own stock. But I tend to use a lot of stock, and I just don't have the time, storage space or the bones to continually make stock. I save the good stuff I make for the special dinners.
Aaron
These are interesting times in the food world. I think we're seeing the end of the mega-restaurant. I think more and more chefs are getting tired of being nothing more than the guy with the clipboard. So I think we're going to see smaller more European style restaurants. Good, simple food, no more than 40 seats, and really nice ingredients, and a twist -- maybe housemade sausages, breads, or beer -- and affordable prices. I think too there is going to be a return to cooking at home.
Jonathan Castner
I think that there will be two trends: one for foodies and one for everyone else.
Foodies will really start to get into the cuisine of southeast asia and the pacific rim.
Everyone else will start to cook. They will not be trying to do the things that we bother with but they will bring back the home cooked meal centering on revamped American classics and then branch out into the country cooking of France, Italy and Mexico. They will want to save money and not be running around as much.
ACDAV
Sambal
CG
Some things I've noticed:
* Cooking the hole-animal: ryan mentions this above with the 'cheaper cuts' comment. How many oven/range ads have you seen that involve cooking a whole fish (head-on).
* Crock pots, lots of crock pots cooking low & slow: American comfort foods as well as imported spicy treats.
* Hell, even fondue pots have been broken out without a hint of irony or sarcasm.
* Garden-sourced: we're lucky enough to have a garden. We're lucky enough to organize a regular garden-trade with our neighbors. http://fruit.greacen.com. Everyone in our group is an enthusiastic locavore.
* Home-roasted coffee. I've heard of a few people repurposing their popcorn poppers & backyard gas stoves to create the perfect roast.
Claudia
I think the trend towards eating like a locavore will continue, as well as supporting small, artisal farms. I think pork belly will still rule - and at least two restuarants devoted to just pigs' trotters have taken off - and bacon? Bacon is ALWAYS in.
http://profumoprofondo.com/2008/02/27/kecap-manis-br…-mirin-risottokecap-manis-braised-and-glazed-pork-belly-over-sake-mirin-risotto
Tags
Cancer.
With all the fast-foods like McDonalds and Yum Foods, chains like Applebee's and Outback, processed hydrogenated and HFCS foods in the supermarkets, the big trend is toward fighting cancer, as well as heart disease.
Cancer first, because it's more frightening.
Unfortunately, corporate food producers are allowed to get away with claiming benefits of ingredients that contain antioxidants and nutrients - before they concentrate and pasteurize them.
With any luck, that will start to change next January.
Clare
Stews and other braised dishes. It seems non-cooks are just starting to discover the wonders of braising, and the concept fits perfectly in our current economy. People will be looking for ways to stretch a dollar and what better way than slow cooking a cheap cut of meat, some inexpensive veg and coming out with something worthy of a five-star restaurant?
Db Sweeney
I think it's going to be Street Food. With the proliferance of travel shows (Bourdain, Zimmern, and the like) and the constant highlights of them walking through the street and picking up a (insert protein here) sandwich or (another protein) on a stick, I think it's a trend that's going to continue to grow here in the U.S.
We just had a cart open here in the Twin Cities.....IN DECEMBER. You have to love food and cooking to sit outside and cook for people in sub-zero temperatures no?
Catherine Mayhew
The beef industry has to have its panties in a wad over the astronomical price of beef. Grocery stores are actually selling 1/2-inch thick T-bones. Home cooks are going to discover or rediscover economic cuts such as flat iron, skirt, and flank and learn how to cook them medium rare and sliced against the grain.
Hank
I'm thinking that elements of molecular gastronony (or whatever you want to call it), will creep into the kitchen somehow. Not exactly sure how, though...
I also think nose-to-tail will become a little more popular, and there is already evidence of this in that oxtails are running more than $5 a pound in some places now; I used to buy them for less than a dollar not too long ago.
Dixon L. Creasey, Jr.
Well, since we have dried urine used as a salt, and kopi luwak is so hip, I guess the next logical step is raiding the crops of pelicans for sashimi...
(Oh, poo. I forgot about cormorants.)
Or, perhaps, since bull penis has been wicked popular on the AB and AZ shows, the next new trend will be "sizzlin' pizzle", or "dick on a stick". I'm sure there will be some stiff competition, marketing it.
Just sayin'...
Johnaka
Along with Local will be a greater understanding that local does not necessarily mean better for the environment. Lamb shipped from New Zealand can actually leave less of a footprint than that raised locally. (See http://ajswordstochewby.blogspot.com/2008/04/locavore-and-bigger-picture.html)
Idea about local/seasonal, our dangerous food system (meat and Chinese imports) and the lousy economy will have more people turning to a Depression DIY resourcefulness. With these influences and younger generations willing to embrace immigrant and ethnic roots (Hello Barak!), we will see another return to "comfort food" but of the generation of our grandparents and great grandparents, and not the "comfort food" we saw in the late 80s after the last recession of mac and cheese, meatloaf, and other yummies of baby boomers.It will be cabbage rolls, braised cheap cuts of meats, quality stews of home grown vegetables (Sunday Suppers at Lucques and Zuni Café Cookbook having been getting their workout in my home the past year).
Molecular gastronomy is fun to watch and eat, and even more fun to describe to awed coworkers, but if it is dependent on a chemical that I can't pronounce, well, I'll take duck confit any day. Sous vide will have applications, but the chemical tricks will have limited influence on the general public, no matter who wins on Top Chef.
I disagree with TheApostateChef (April 07, 2008 at 11:35 PM). Yes the economy tanked then, and we saw a few casualties. But since then, things have only gotten bigger and brighter, e.g., the ghastly baroque, super-faddy Cooks Magazine reincarnated as the more focused, standard-bearing Cooks Illustrated. New magazines, shows, classes, and eateries have appeared that were unimaginable 15 years ago. Like the NBA, which is having a demise, we have our overhyped stars, but unlike the NBA, food will always have a place in our culture, lives, and memories.
Lisa
I think that budget foods and vegetarian main dishes, featuring cheaper staples (like beans and rice) will see growth as food prices soar.
Indian food is definitely something that is up and coming, but much of it needs a modern American interpretation to succeed. I know a lot of people who think of Indian food as a bunch of runny sauces with unidentifiable 'things' in it.
Right now, I see a lot of Indian restaurants in my area (Phoenix) serving a lot of canned and frozen items and not really having a skilled chef in the kitchen. -Giving the entire cuisine a bad name.
I think the situation is a lot like where we were at with Chinese food in the 1950s.
Backyard gardening is certainly on my mind a lot recently, as well as several of my friends. I am re-doing my back yard to start growing my own veg. The compost tumbler went out back last month.
I also predict a rise in entertaining at home, eating and drinking, rather than going out. -Including cocktail parties featuring more juice and herb based concoctions.
Zach
Local and DIY foods.
eat4fun
What's up with oxtails being so dang expensive, over $4/lb!
I ended up making short ribs for half the cost.
Iain
Beans. Dried beans. Dried heirloom beans.
Mike
I think the newest trend will be the migration away from learning from TV cooks to learning from actual, serious chefs. The TV cook culture reached an absurd high with people learning from the likes of Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee. I think we'll see people start to lean more on serious chefs or cooks to learn refined techniques and about the use of better ingredients.
Eugenia
Just two words. Vitamin D. It's the new health scare -- Vitamin D deficiency. Increasing Vitamin D can (supposedly) help with Big American Health Issues like diabetes 2 and high cholesterol. According to our dietitian, testing for this deficiency has increased tenfold recently, and elderly people and children are at risk, so it's the perfect breeding ground for alarm, especially with the Vitamin-taking, older-growing, grandchildren-having, wealthy Baby Boomers. So I predict a trend of Vitamin D-rich foods, such as sockeye salmon, enriched milk and eggs (local, of course), oily fish, etc. And limited sun exposure without sunscreen to suck up Vitamin D into your skin -- a picnic luncheon, maybe?
Yummy blog; thank you.
HarryK
As said, prices of gas (transportation) and food going up at home there is going to be more ...
Slow-cooking and braising of cheaper, tougher (and tastier) cuts. Rices which keep varying (notice the increase in variety by Goya and Ricearoni) will continue. More people growing vegetables in their back yards.
Dinner out will be at the local diner and pub food that a fine restaurant. Watch pub food continue to increase and vary in selection and quality. That is, you can now get bacon-wrapped shrimp and many of my local pubs in Philly. A far cry from the greasy burger of yore.
John Jezl
Diversity.
Diversity in ingredients. Diversity in techniques.
The internet has virtually exploded (pun intended) with culinary information. /Anyone/ with a computer and internet access can learn to make amazing food. We have access to ingredients and tools previously only available to restaurants.
Lard? Sure! Sous vide? That, too! Urine salt... ugh... yeah, why not. (well, not for me) charcuterie, wild game, cheap cuts, local/organic/whole foods, exotic ingredients, chinese, indian, middle eastern, south american, africa... BRING! IT! ON!
Diana C said... "more uses of the many varieties of nuts out in the kitchen"... aren't there enough "nuts" in the kitchen already???? I know I'm one. 🙂
John
Bruce F
How about growing heirloom vegetables on city rooftops?
big guy
I second smoked paprika, game and (I'm hoping) old school preserved/fermented foods, canning, etc.... ('Charcuterie' was inspirational.)
I think American food has been trending away from the process of making a given ethnic food into something more recognizable to the public...like the treatment Chinese, Mexian & Italian food received, and leaving a culture's food unmolested. Just look at the 'newer' cuisines like Vietnamese & Thai and how little they've been altered to suit American taste.
Ted
Goat, mutton, game and other "full flavored" meats.
Home consumers buying whole or larger cuts of meat from small, local farms.
big guy
Oh the locavore thing - it is going to get bigger but is super snobby (like self-important vegetarianism or veganism is), unrealistic & favors Californians & Texans who live close to or in year-round growing conditions.
America has enough eating disorders already - we don't need another guilt trip about eating a meal. And in my experience local does not equal cheaper in most cases and when given the choice, most folks will go with the cheaper.
I live between the desert & the high mountains and the only localy grown stuff (in appreciable amounts) outside of a backyard garden is corn, beef, a few types of fruit, and maybe some marijuana. USDA rules & economics of scale hamper small-scale/local slaughter of animals and distribution of milk, eggs, etc...
Funky, flavorful cuts of meat have been overpriced for years as well. I stopped eating flank, short ribs & tri-tip when they started costing over $6 a pound - like 10 years ago. Even soup bones have been too expensive (like $3-$4 a pound) for a loooong time. Tough, bland chunks of round is what's cheap. Paradoxically, I can often buy boneless ribeye for cheaper than the so called cheap cuts.
Kristen
Eating locally is definitely the trend around here - grass-fed beef, pork, and chicken from the local ranch, shopping at the farmers markets or participating in a CSA. Restaurants have already picked up on this and often highlight their local suppliers in the menu.
As far as up and coming trends, I think bacon in dessert and other sweets will take off.
newby
Back to the Future. As a chef in the Adirondacks, I find it shameful that I can never reply yes to the question of whether a food was fished or hunted locally. People are desperate for the authentic foods of every area they visit, not regional preparations of what SYSCO sells in every town and city. Hopefully, the NYS health department will start allowing those of us here in a state full of fish, deer, rabbits, squirrels, etc. to start using these readily available, and very sustainable food sources. The danger of them forcing us to use human produced and farmed foods is becoming more prevalent (mad cow, supposed wheat shortages, etc.) and relevant to our future. I would hope that we can overcome the short sighted policy mistakes implemented after WWII, to boost the profits of seed, beef, and national/international food companies, and go back to the farming and feeding systems of a hundred years ago or more. Every chef, home cook, food eater in this country needs to voice their opinion before the NEXT farm bill gets cookie cuttered like this most recent one.
Ben Engelsberg
As a number of folks have said, local food will be popularized, in places with a good variety of local foods... and we'll see large sellers marketting foods to take advantage.
I think that we'll also see upswings in the following:
Hobbiest farming: Whether it's raising a couple of heirloom chickens for their eggs, rabbits for their meat, or just a return to having a small herb and vegetable garden, I think that food enthusiasts will compete to show their skill and saavy in raising or growing their own ingredients.
Offal: Organ meat will make a comeback. I forsee a dramatic rise in popularity for beef heart, for instance, as well as possibly tongue and other offal. I don't expect that the offal that's always been with us, like livers and tripes, will see much action, though.
Foraging: I think this is the big one. I think that economy and the locavore movement are going to collide in a big rise in hobby foraging for foodstuffs. This is a tremedously fun hobby, with a great deal of potential prestige for successful gourmet foragers. It also brings home some of the elements of hunting, but for folks who like neither guns nor blood (and probably for those who do).
ASZ
Real Food! I feel a strong sense of humans taking back control of where their food comes from....the neighbors garden, the small dairy farm, responsibly raised pigs, cows and lambs, bread with less than 7 ingredients......man, can you feel the revolution coming? If you own stock in the big artificial food producers....sell, sell, sell!
S. Woody
The market where I work is finishing up a remodeling job, and one of the big "improvements" has been the increase in space given to pre-prepared foods ready for taking home. I'm not a fan myself, but the management of the chain obviously is. The question is, will the customers try to doctor these premade concoctions, or settle for what they've been given?
And I can only hope the predictions of high fructose corn sweeteners hitting the skids proves true.
Schwarz
Forage.
For the new hunter/gatherer: wild foods and game of all sorts. Though they have been around since before cultivation and domestication, it is the ultimate in locavorism.
That, and tradition preservation methods.
robin
ok, like about 100 food blogs ago i mentioned home canning...anyone get it?
Flasky Jameson
Braising! Learning to use a French oven, making amazing dishes with "cheap" ingredients, has completely changed our approach to cooking and layering of flavors. Simplicity rules.
Wait. PORK rules.
Either way.
Read your labels and boycott HFCS.
Thanks.
luis
A new trend might be the emerging cuisine specific grocery stores. There are scores of these internet based grocery stores dedicated to providing us cuisine specific ingredients.
We all know that the supermarkets provide half a dozen ingredients from a hundred cuisines and you never can find everything you really need to do an authentic dish of any cuisine. So the internet is the grocery of last resort. The place you will find that dry chile pepper or that special spice etc.
Matt
personal chef in home cooking, and teaching mothers and familys how to cook and eat together
HappyHoarfrost
Spring houses, root cellars, larders ~ “putting up” cans.
Smokehouses, butter churns.
Pressure Cooking.
Meatloaf.
Venison.
Shortening, pies on kitchen sills.
Coffee cans of bacon grease stowed under the sink.
Trading melons with your neighbor.
Turning into your Depression-era grandmother…
Kitchengeeking: oh, say it’s true! Poached eggs!
shaun
I say always be on the look out for the new "nationality" trend. Like chefs doing predominately spanish food, or peruvian or scandanavian or whatever. I noticed a lot of chefs doing indian and middle eastern cuisine these days. who knows whats next.
Kurt
Interesting that the comments have been almost entirely about the economics of food, whereas the original question had nothing to do with that at all.
Eilish
My vote goes to the local and seasonal food movement. It plays on many levels. It is healthy, economical and environmentally friendly. Also, it gives people a cultural and historical authenticity at their table that I think more and more people are coming to desire. This mays seem like junk psychology, but I think it plays with the foodies I know.
John Bowers
1.Let's take a moment to address the fact that Absinthe is finally legal in the United States of America. That is... of course... if the level of thujone contained within each batch meets the standards considered “safe” by the powers that be. Whatever your experiences may be with thujone.. Absinthe has quite the flavor. Anise, fennel, etc... cooks should be excited to know that they can pick up a bottle of absinthe in most large cities which could easily be used to make a sexy reduction or add a hint of goodness to a dish that would normally fall prey to something like Pernod. I'm not saying that Pernod is a bad thing.. .only that it's fun to play with new things.
Urban Frontier Wife
Community Supported Agriculture is my favorite source of food. Related to this is farmers markets, locally grown ingredients and homegrown vegetables.
It's getting rare to find popular recipes that are strictly from seasonal ingredients -- a seasonal ingredient gets paired with another off-season ingredient. For some unique parts of the country, it's feasible to get both summer and winter vegetables all year round from locally grown sources. For most others, the best one can hope for is early and late season crossovers.
I hope that preserved vegetables and fruits (pickling, canning, drying or even freezing) will make a comeback. There is an incredible variety in those treatments that can yield some incredible results. My best source of information on these to date has been from older gardeners in my community garden. When these people can no longer garden, the sharing of that knowledge is also gone.
Clove
After reading through these comments, there seems to be a common thread:
Slow Food!
USA
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.html
International
http://www.slowfood.com/
This movement is migrating into (home) kitchens all over the world.
The spirit of the movement is scattered in these posted comments.
Joe
Kimchee is the new Wasabi!
BBald
umami
S. Woody
This isn't really food, but a shopping-related development:
There's been a real increase at the market where I work where customers are bringing in their own bags, for bagging their purchases.
A year ago, I hardly saw any customers bringing in their own bags. Now, it's not that uncommon. The biggest complaint is "I keep forgetting to bring the bags in with me, they're either in the car or back at home." I just laugh with them and say that it's just a habit that takes time to get into, and a good one.
But think about what this means: if customers are bringing in their own bags, that means they are going green and thinking about the environment, even a little bit more. And if they're going to take the time to change their habits, even this little bit, maybe they'll also be receptive to thinking more about the foods they're eating, along with the bags they're putting them in.
Those new cases I mentioned in an earlier post, where all the pre-prepared foods are on display? They're located right next to the produce department. It's almost like the company running the store is suggesting to the customers "Here's an easy entree, now help yourself to some fresh veggies!"
The change that is coming isn't an ingredient - it's a thought process, an awareness. And, sure, some of the customers aren't going to be bothered, they've got too much else cluttering their minds to think about food when they're in a supermarket. But I'm seeing plenty of other customers who are starting to think more about what they are doing, and what they are eating.
The question is, will the markets be able to keep up with this change?
Sara
I agree with a lot of people here -- butter and sugar will make a comeback (thank GOD), and locally-grown and locally-raised food will become increasingly popular.
As a younger person (still kinda in the "fresh out of college" set), I think another trend we're going to see a lot of, and which builds on some of the trends mentioned above, is cooking communally. As the economy slows down and kids like me can't get the jobs they want, and we find ourselves paying higher rent and higher food prices, I think we'll see a resurgance of classic peasant foods cooked and eaten in large quantities with many other people -- basically, the same way people used to do 100 years ago. And even people like me, who live without microwaves (damn you, efficiency aparmtnet!), will be able to pop the leftover cassoulet, macaroni and cheese, or giant pot of soup on the stove or in the oven for easy reheating for lunch and dinner days later.
I, for one, am looking forward to that.
Sara
And to add a quick addendum to my comment -- I think the biggest trend we're about to see is people COOKING again. Not just one or two nice dinners a month, but on a regular basis. Young people, old people, single people, couples, families, the whole shebang. As the economy goes down, we're all going to go back to the kitchen.
I feel a little bad for the restaurants out there...
Kiersten
I think that high-end, gourmet (aka expensive) ingredients are on their way out, simply because we can't afford them anymore. I think more people will try to come up with exciting ways to cook cheaper cuts of meat and cut back on things like truffles. I think people will cook with more fresh produce and whole grains. Cooking with "natural" foods and ingredients is also popular these days, particularly in the food-blogging world.
Erin
I see these food trends budding toward the mainstream:
-wines from Austria and maybe a bit more of a backlash against Pinot Noir since it's heyday after Sideways
-crème fraîche used more frequently and in new applications
Tags
While many folks might start buying cheaper ingredients, it's possible that sales of gourmet items will also go up.
Why? Because a lot of people "economize" by buying better food rather than traveling or doing other more expensive things.
Steamy Kitchen
Expanding make your own:
home roasting coffee beans ($10 popcorn popper, buy green beans from sweetmarias.com)
making own soymilk ($90 soymilk maker, buy organic soybeans from http://www.tosteds.com)
foolproof, easy, anywhere gardens - (like the Aerogarden...but maybe more practical and not-so-gucci like earthbox.com).
NOT buying as many cookbooks - get all your recipes and meal ideas from food blogs, websites.
Less packaging - come back of the bulk-bin buying
Nate
Good box wine.
It's becoming acceptable for "wine drinkers" with "distinguished palates' to drink wine out of a box. And for ready-to-drink wines there is literally no better, more economical, and even more environmentally friendly packaging. Saves freaking 40% on shipping over bottles.
I'm also going to have to agree with a couple of you and say quinoa. I still haven't been able to find a way it doesn't taste good.
I just posted an article about its massive comeback into the food scene.
Saffoula
I think the answer somewhat depends on how you define "trend" which can be: (1) a general movement or (2) a current style or preference, according to at least one dictionary.
I think food carts are becoming a trend. Here, in Seattle there are is a growing number of food carts/vans known for high quality "street food". Also, Vancouver, BC has an active hotdog cart scene. Check out Japadog on Burrard for 'dogs done up with traditional Japanese ingredients, like daikon, seaweed and specialty condiments, like misomayo. To die for!
Evan
More upscale ethnic food restaurants. High end Mexican, high end Indian, etc.
Assuming the FDA doesn't have a cow, I also think a lot of chefs are going to do start curing their own meats, salumi, etc.
valereee
Foraging. I think we're already seeing a major upswing in this, based on the number of folks blogging about it.
Alanna
1 - economics driving much higher proportion of food decisions
2 - replacing commercial food products with those easily made at home (salad dressing, pancakes, coleslaw, etc.)
3 - "packaged" recipes for quick and complete at-home meals (like Rachael Ray except without the calories, the expense and the dirty dishes)
The Urban Eater
HA! Eat4Fun, you should read this post from Mal Carne:
http://www.culinarysherpas.com/?p=79
He addresses the oxtail/ short rib issue. Very funny.
Turtle
I see a trend towards local food - CSAs, farmers markets, dyi gardens - and a greater interest in how food is produced, as well as in what ingredients are used in processed food.
Sarah Caron
I think local food - because ultimately food that doesn't need to travel as far will cost less and in this faltering economy, people are going to need to cut where they can. As a result, I think we could even see a rise in local food production in the next few years.
And chia seeds as an ingredient . . . I think they could be the next pomegranate.
Puppychao
I think there will be a trend toward regional comfort foods, such as chawanmushi, congee or arroz con pollo.
These dishes are simple and do not require any special ingredients, but still make an impression with the food lover.
Ms. Glaze
1. Gelées are making a comeback (why? Isn't' this 1970's?))
2. Micro greens / micro herbs/ edible flowers
3. "Lost" vegetables: turnips, parsnips, celeriac, black radish, watermelon radish, beets in all colors (yellow, red, rainbow), heirloom carrots in different colors (black, white, yellow, orange), licorice root
4. Game birds (grouse, pheasant, wild pigeon, duck)
5. Offal
6. Bone marrow
7. Cooking techniques (sous-vide, food chemicals like activa, etc)
Ms. Glaze
Michael, I read your request wrong! I thought you were asking for food trends in general, not specifically for the home chef. The list I gave above is what I'm seeing in restaurants right now. Sorry.
Bob delGrosso
I'll have to agree with those of you who have said that quinoa will become popular. And why shouldn't it?
Like eggs it contains a balanced set of amino acids, and it looks just familiar enough to disarm many of those who might be put off by it's difficult-to-pronounce name.
That it tastes like dirt and has the texture of beach sand that has gone through a blender with a jelly fish should do nothing to stand in the way of making quinoa just as popular in the homes of middle America as other formerly esoteric foods (for example Balut, and Lutefisk) have become.
Anne
First of all, I have to agree with Bob about the quinoa - especially about the taste and texture and total lack of appeal. It tastes like a mistake.
I predict that the trend will focus on locally grown and produced foods (meat and dairy and produce) as well as a decreased reliance on processed foods; more foods, and more complicated foods, will be made from from scratch. Things that sound fancy and foreign on the menu of expensive restaurants will become demystified and join the repertoire of home cooks everywhere. Most peoples' mothers will be able to casually whip up aioli and Béarnaise and chiffonade basil without blinking an eye.
Mike
All hotdog gourmet dining.
Bruce
As Paul Krugman said in the New York Times this week, "The era of cheap gas and cheap food are over."
People will be interested in how to get the biggest bang for their shrinking buck. For foodies, it will still be quality of ingredients and preparation. Jaded palettes are hard to please. Once you how good it can be, it's hard to go back. For the middle class with 2.6 kids, two jobs and two cars they can't afford to fill with gas, it will be about how to feed the family on less money without feeding them crap and without cooking for hours.
milo
Actually, I think gourmet sausages/hotdogs will be more of a trend. Here in Chicago, Hot Doug's has been doing huge business for a couple years now doing that with exotic dogs and duck fat fries. He used to do foie gras until the city outlawed it...
http://www.hotdougs.com/specials.htm
And just today, tried a new hotdog place where everything is organic, and the dogs are grass-fed beef. I'd love to see more places like these two...
http://www.drewseatery.com/
Chris
There are a ton of comments here so I will keep this short.
Sitting in Shea Stadium yesterday for the Mets' home opener looking at the gorgeous new stadium being built just beyond the outfield wall, I was struck by the thought that one of the only undiscovered territories in food-dom are Celebrity Chef driven restaurants in our sports stadiums and arenas. Can't you imagine Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in the Arizona Diamondbacks stadium, Emeril's in the New Orleans Superdome, Spago in Dodger Stadium, Alice Waters opening a garden restaurant at AT&T Park in San Francisco (all of the produce would be hydroponically grown in McCovey Cove) and, of course, Chef Michael Symon opening Lola at "The Jake" in Cleveland.
Don't tell Bourdain, me might lobby for a branch of Grey's Papaya in the new Yankee Stadium.
On second thought, that wouldn't be such a bad idea.
Kate in the NW
"Interesting that the comments have been almost entirely about the economics of food, whereas the original question had nothing to do with that at all." Posted by: Kurt
Yeah, but here's the thing - it's all well and good to talk about what we fortunate, rarified, probably upper-middle-class folk crave and see coming down the slide - and granted, foodies will always be foodies, but if/when the economy tanks I really fear for my beloved local farmer's market and the restaurants I adore, tended lovingly by brilliant, dedicated, non-celebrity chefs.
I can walk 5 blocks every Saturday and buy Mangalitsa pork; raw milk; pampered, humanely raised and grass-fed beef; free-range chickens; fresh eggs with unctuous, saffron-colored yolks, and a dizzying array of local, seasonal organic produce. But I or my husband should lose our job, or if 15% our neighbors have to default on their mortgages, very few of us will be buying that $12/lb. meat, much less the $25. (though I have to say - DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO BUY THE MANGALITSA - it's an orgasm wrapped in uncooked chicharron).
So it's all well and good to maintain one's foodie standards, but a lot of wonderful farmers and producers will simply go bankrupt and vanish if no one does something to teach folks to appreciate good food and cook for themselves. ALL of us will lose something if folks can't afford the time or money to really, critically shop and cook. And heaven knows farmers have to grow what the market will bear, excepting the few who can cater to the shrinking tiny sliver of haute-cuisine-munching uber-rich who can always afford the best.
I know I'm on a soapbox, but I'm really sad that so many people have apparently lost the wisdom of the ages (and the Moms) and resorted merely to using the drive-in or the deli container.
So I really hope the trend that someone mentioned with communal meals and/or cooking groups holds some truth. I want to KEEP my farmer's market, my Whole Foods, my restaurants. I hope we're not at the end of the Edible Rennaissance, because it gives me hope and I love it. I love foodies. But I also have to pay for college for my daughter, and I sympathize with folks who will get priced out of the Foodie Set in a down economy. We should all invest in bringing kitchen skills and diversity of palate to EVERYONE, not just the few of us who are lucky enough to catch a reservation at Bernadin.
So yes, the tastes of the Applebee's crowd affects ALL of us, because the aggregate of their meager dollars helps dictate what the Farm Bill says and what farmers can afford to grow. They have to feed their families too, and most run on a razor-thin margin. I'd like to see ALL of us eat well.
Maybe that's not what MR was asking, but there it is.
Sorry if I offended anybody.
TC
Well if Ted Turner is any sort of culinary prognosticator then "Soylent Green" will be a pantry staple in the coming years.
Jeremy
My job requires me to travel, so as a result I have to eat out for most meals. I *wish* a trend in this country would be that national chain restaurants would serve fresh, simple, healthful meals. Limited selections of good fresh simple meals. I usually end up going to a supermarket rather than to a restaurant while I travel, because where I travel, the choices are usually Chili's, Friday's, Applebee's, etc. How many more of these restaurants does this country need???
luis
Too many axes to grind here.... Interesting how we all choose different paths in our lives. More interesting is to follow everyone's path and watch it converge into one as it most definitelly must. The point of convergency is the issue. Like the end of the rainbow. Wouldn't it just be something awful for us to converge and find Bourdain chomping on some gnarwly bitter innard?????
This is my nightmare. Just what lies at the end of the road for us?
Elise
Hmm. Are you looking for general trends in home cooking, or trends in the home cooking of people who might subscribe to this magazine? I think there's potentially a big difference, depending on the magazine.
In general I would say anything that saves the home cook both time and money, especially time. Not surprising, given that most families have both parents working.
General Trends:
- 30 minute meals (will continue, working people with kids are too busy to spend much more time than that)
- 10 minute meals (Bittman's list of 101 things to make in 10 minutes or less was the one of the most emailed NYT articles ever)
- Reliance on nutritional information to make eating/cooking choices. People are demanding this info - calories, fat content, etc. - and I don't see that changing. Somehow we as a society have been brainwashed into thinking that we have to know the numbers before we can eat anything. How the heck did this happen?
- 9% fat, lean ground beef - wow, low fat and low carb (shoot me now)
- Pre-cut, pre-washed, ready to cook foods like spinach, lettuce, butternut squash (butternut squash is hard to cut, so I can see why this one might be popular)
- Industrial organic, like what you can get a Trader Joe's. Inexpensive organic. Sounds better for you. Might be.
- Everything vegan. Because we all want to be Skinny Bitches. (Do not get me going on this one.)
- Slow Cooker cooking. Hey, it's just a low-temp braise. Crock pot cooking marketed with a less low-brow name. Convenient, inexpensive. All Clad has a gorgeous slow-cooker on the market right now.
- Ready, prepared foods at your grocery store, your grocer becomes a cafeteria.
- Mexican food. More than just salsa and guac.
- The use of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. No one knows how to cut up a whole chicken any more. Bones and skin are icky. (Again, shoot me now.)
- Basic cooking skills - people getting out on their own right now are having to teach themselves how to cook. Many of them had working parents to busy to cook or to teach them how.
Trends with people who care enough about food and cooking to buy a cooking magazine:
- Local, sustainable over industrialized organic
- Humanely raised pork, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, fish not on the watch list
- Farmers markets
- Cool vegetables like thai eggplant that you can pretty much only find at farmers markets
- Kabocha squash
- Quince (okay, so this is more of a wish than a trend)
- Pomegrantes - PomWonderful has done a great job marketing
- Omega-3
- Anti-oxidants
- Heirloom everything
- Yukon gold potatoes - they just taste better
- AeroGarden, grow your own herbs and vegetables
Trends within the foodie fringe:
- Raise your own chickens for eggs
- Butcher your own chickens for meat
- Game
- Start a food blog
Ulla
Eggs.
Really nice quality eggs with saffron colored yolks. I think I think this because my chickens are laying them like nuts at the moment, but with food prices so high, i can see a back to basics trend.
Ken Paris
It seems that more and more I see Pandan Leaves being used in "cutting edge" foods.
sara
I second the microgreens. They throw those things around like candy on iron chef.
also ancho chile, the real stuff, fresh ground.
and cocktails with fresh herbs (or herb infused simple syrups).
I have to say I disagree with the man who said meat would go by the wayside. Meat is in its heyday. Now you don't just care where the cow came from, you care about what it ate, whether it ran free. You are obsessed with the meat.
acorn fed pigs! Need I say more?
-sara
jonathon strand
Local, eco-sustainable, organic, even wild foods will be the pop-foods of '08 - '09 - '10. With more and more fear about the future of food and it's origins, people are waking up to the reality of sustainable agriculture being the only hope. Lots of chefs, like myself, are jumping on this organique band wagon. Its not just cool, its cool because its the right thing to do. Think about Batali and the other Food Network CDhefs that want to give back through good causes. What cause could be better than true susatainable, humaine food practices. What sounds better? Cloned or Kobe/Wagyu?
drfugawe
An increased emphisis and awareness on any culture that has already faced the necessity of creatively using its "throw-away" foods to feed an increasingly hungry public. This is obviously our future, and even our TV choices for "foodie" programs about the strange eating habits of other cultures is evidence we are next in line!
Avery Yale Kamila
Ethical eating is the big trend just beginning to hit. This will mean different things to different people -- for some grass-fed beef and homemade butter for others locally grown food and everything organic. The drive to eat sustainable food also is giving a boost to meat-free meals, with vegan cuisine garnering a growing following (and not just among vegetarians).
Sara
I think it's interesting -- a lot of the ethnic foods people are claiming will begin their heydey now are ethnic foods that regularly rely on ingrediants that are Cheap, Cheap, Cheap-ity Cheap Cheap CHEAP. I think Kate in the NW is 100% on target with her rant.
Money is tight, peeps. I love my farmer's market, but I know there will come a day (potentially soon) when either they will have to drop their prices, or I will have to start shopping at a supermarket again. Sigh. That'll be a sad day, as I predict the latter will happen before the former.
Nathalie
Botanical, City Park, and neighbourhood gardens being raided for eatible flowers 🙂
Francina Sanders
Sliders, and not just burgers. I've seen meatball, crab melt, mini brauts-and-kraut, and fried chicken sliders fly out the door.
luis
I think the new trend is folks will be brewing their own beer soon.....at home!
allie
I'm just not sure all the comments about ethical, organic, local, etc., eating is realistic for an overall food trend. even if the majority of the population is interested in those things, it doesn't mean they're willing to pay for them... heck, I'm a (sort of) foodie and I can't afford most of that stuff.
when I consider major food trends, I think of cuisines like thai and japanese that have really exploded in the last 5-10 years. even my little hometown in the middle of nowhere has thai and sushi restaurants now. so my guess for upcoming trends would be middle eastern food, south american, and maybe some of the less-explored asian cuisines like korean. I can totally see americans getting on board with korean barbeque, it's kind of like asian fajitas.
kristi
With the impending doom of the Castro Regime in Cuba, I'm thinking that we will begin to see more (legal) culture exchange. If/When the US ever releases restrictions on Americans travelling and spending money there, it's bound to be an instant ultra-cool vacation spot, and the local cuisine is going to become all the rage. I'm sure there are plenty of resort firms that are just giddy with anticipation of American tourism dollars flowing in.
Jose Cisneros
This may may only be a national thing having to do with
the changes that have been taking place in the loosening
up of the federal and state wine and liquor laws.
Michigan has cut the cost of a distiller's license from
10,000 to 150.00 and there is talk of opening the door even more.
So now the small distillers will join the small beer
brewers, wine makers, cheese makers, organic hog farmers
etc and we will all benefit.
The large distilleries will react to this and attempt to create products that emulate what the small distilleries do.
For want of another word I believe we are on the verge of become Balkanized in the best of all possible ways.
Pessimistic Diva
Our looming recession, high gas prices and the re-runs of Chefography on the Food Network is turning me into a pessimist so I foresee another mad cow breakout in the US.
I also suspect that tuna, salmon, swordfish, lobster and other fancy-schmancy fish and crustaceans in our oceans will deplete. And the current shortage of hops will take its toll on us.
Therefore I predict that Americans will start eating more lamb, buffalo or venison; the trend will also be to eat affordable fish such as mackerel, monkfish, perch; and our microbrews will become so expensive that we'll have to start drinking cheaper beer like Bud, Miller and, dare I say, Coors Light!
Jennifer
I agree with the many posts that touched on the economy and food prices. I also think that local cooking classes will be utilized to help home cooks work within a tight food budget. I foresee beans, cassoulet, grains, pastas, less meat and more veggies in general. Already in my community there are charitable organizations that help poor people shop wisely and cook healthier food with less money. This service will be needed by more and more of us.
Miss Needle
Not just a trend with the foodies, I predict a lot more cooking at home due to the economic downturn. While Applebee's is by no means an expensive restaurant, it is definitely cheaper to make the stuff at home. So I see a proliferation in cooking 101 -- eg. how to make a burger (believe me, there are a lot of people who just don't know), how to roast a chicken, how to make meatloaf, etc. An ex of mine told me he once wanted to go to cooking school so he can make diner food. Though he was extremely ambitious in his career, that didn't really carry through in the kitchen. But his idea of cooking was throwing a can of Campbell's condensed cream of chicken soup over a chicken breast. But I feel that's where the majority of the American population is at.
With the foodie circle (which really is a small subset of the entire American population but growing; anybody who says otherwise is living in his or her own little fantasy world), I agree with those who said local movement, sustainable farming practices, aniamals that are raised more humanely, molecular gastronomy, DIY, etc. But that's been going on for a while now. As much as the idea fascinates me, I don't think we're going to be seeing urine in our food anytime soon. Korean cuisine seems to be expanding beyond just Koreans and those with yellow fever. I think we'll see some Korean-fusion restaurants in the future. Because of people like David Chang (who brought kimchee puree to the forefront), I think we'll see a lot more Korean-influenced food on menus.
Justin Marx
I'm late in the game here, but here's my forecast:
-Heirloom anything
-Grass-fed, humane, sustainable anything
-Wild produce (nettles, ramps, sea beans, etc, etc.)
-Wild Mushrooms - real wild mushrooms, not what's marketed as "wild" in most restaurants and retailers.
That's at least, what I'm hoping for...and what I'm trying to develop my business to serve...making progress slowly: http://www.marxfoods.com
Claudia (cook eat FRET)
this has been on my mind
and finally i have one for you
preserved lemons
big deal these days
they're everywhere
and i love them so...
Chris
I didn't think my opinion would carry any weight because I am not an authority on anything, but when I saw one of my favorite cheeses in the local chain supermarket I knew I had to through in my two cents... Sheep's milk cheese... Not something most Americans are aware of. Like the surge of goats milk cheeses like feta a couple of years ago, I think sheep's cheeses are gonna be big. I just hope that American creameries don't do to my beloved Manchigo, what they have done to the average cheese offered to American palate.
Cheers
Dale Cruse
High end Greek goes mainstream.
Andy Little
a return to eating offal as a 'normal' thing in the home kitchen. The home cook will continue to explore the idea of 'looking back to look forward' as they get more and more in touch with where their food comes from. Tongue, heart, livers, tripe, marrow....all of these items are coming back.....Get ready for some great eating!!!!
Amanda
I agree with all the comments about the return of offal and other more "bargain" cuts to daily home cooking, at least among those who love to cook. I think we are also going to see a greater polarization between the people who simply love to cook and work to bring "slow food" magic to the table and those who rely on prepackaged, premade items so they can eat and get on with their lives. Sometimes, when reading comments on various food sites, it doesn't seem like there's a real middle ground between the two camps.
One trend I've noticed among the food oriented lately is the rise in use of bento style lunches in non-Japanese households. It seems to be very fashionable to send one to school with one's children.
zyllah
The father of a friend of mine used to say that we (South Asian people) will have truly arrived when our cuisine is as popular and normalized as Chinese food. Slowly but surely, a greater number of Indian restaurants have arisen, and endured with some lasting success. My non-foodie friends and acquaintances are less afraid of the unfamiliar spicing and the much-rumoured heat.
I'm Canadian, and so my perspective is a little different; and Ontario's Indian/South Asian population is I think proportionately larger than in many American states, but I think that Indian food is a slow-moving trend that may very well have its 'five minutes of fame' yet to come.
josh
izakayas in america
Vincent
Diana C said "nut revival"
Davis
I think we are on the verge of great nutritional/diet break throughs in this country. The medical/nutritionist/chef connection will improve the lives of many. My personal direction will to be to produce more food from home, not for savings, but to gain a greater understanding of food and the traditional processes in making, storing and preserving it.
Quick and convenient will continue to be the norm. I hope it will blend with variety and quality. I also think the gap between the feeders and the foodies will get even broader. Sometimes when I talk food with people they look at me like I need professional help. Speaking of quick I understand certain ovens can roast a chicken in under six minutes.
mike regan
I think you should examine kosher kitchens. The national economics support the idea of someone picking up the banner of kosher. Billions of dollars are spent every year buying kosher food.
For many, just their faith in the kosher process propels them. I would welcome you to spend time in our house preparing kosher food.
Chefregan@gmail.com
CarolinaGirl
Finishing salts.... anyone check out the hibiscus variety yet? mmmm.....
Clifford Replogle
I always get a certain amount of pleasure, if not down right joy, by reading through everyone’s comments on a good blog topic, which in cyclical fashion keeps kind of repeating the same thing over and over and can be divided into a number of columns of similarity. I know that is the point of a comment section for a blog, to blurt then discuss while adding maybe a new blurt to the discussion of the previous blurt, etc, etc. so that the author of the topic can sieve through this sand and retain the larger nuggets. Some of the nuggets that I got out of the previous posts are;
“Do It Yourself acronym (DIY), local, whole, sous vide, bad economy, Applebees, dried urine(WTF?), seasonal, sustainable, home grown, my favorite organic ( Organic, Organic, Organic— “He says his name is.Raaaaaaaaalphhhhhh” What a croc of crap that industry is. No chemicals, but soaps are OK, and I can pay three times normal market value) Indian cuisine (which is one of my presumptive winners of a prediction), wild game, and cocktails with fresh herbs –Now your talking!!
I also really like the “animals that are treated more humanely” column. So does veal taste better if you name it and give prayer for it?
I think these are all legitimate answers to the original question which was—What are the predictions on the horizon for the “home kitchen?.” But in a home kitchen wouldn’t that involve some kind of “Family Style Meal.” In restaurants this concept does work – big dishes of good homemade food served in proper course. As an owner and operator of a restaurant in an extremely small town in Santa Barbra wine country I am always striving for consistent, diverse yet simple, real, and uniquely Californian. What brings people into our place is my wife and I do it ourselves. Great steaks grilled over a redo oak fire, fresh local seafood, creativity, and audacity. Is this a trend? No –not where we come from. Local, that’s kind of a given isn’t it? Same with fresh ---- I mean DUH! Can I have my produce out of a can please?
Aren’t we all going to be drinking our meals soon enough considering the depressive direction the last 40 years of conservatism has brought to us? My meals will be the olives in my moonshine martini’s. But if I am forced to predict what trend I see as popular—I would have to say Flatbread Pizzas is a super hot item now to feed the uber posh wine aficionado’s that all look like they’re from Aspen kind of crowds. And again that whole thing and that organic (raaaaalph) thing and that local thing plays into the part that makes it successful.
I myself like the wild game – forager-hunter thing. I wouldn’t call it so much as a trend as it is human DNA. How long have humans been cooking meat over fire?? Give me a bison ribeye seasoned in a coriander, drycoffee, garlic and olive oil rub with a chimmy churry dip accompanied with miners lettuce salad with chanterelle mushrooms (I just go off the trail a bit in our local park to get that stuff) and some good garlic mashed potatoes. Finish with Santa Maria strawberry and rhubarb ice cream. Stick a fork in me …..I’m done!!
Mom and Pops Kick Ass!!
john
sriacha and fruit
or, in general, chilies and fruit.
you just wait...
Claudia
OOooo - I HOPE you're right about chilies and fruit, John. I think it can co-exist happily with pork belly (I hope so, at least!)
john
pork belly + chunked mango + sliced garlic + tamarind juice + long beans + thai basil + fish sauce + chilies to taste, sounds good to me right about now.
ive also had fun with chilies and raspberries.
Veronica
I think the next big thing on cooking will be southamerican food, especially Peruvian. People don't know too much about it, but little by little it's making it's way to the eyes of the world. A lot of renowned chefs are going to Peru to see what's cooking there, like Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert, Arzak, Andoni, you name it. So i suggest you all take a time and check it out, or if you can go there, you won't be disappointed.
brad
sous-vide will become exponentially more popular in the home kitchen in the next few years. I think the average enthusiast is ready to step up to the challenge and explore this incredibly diverse technique.
Coming to a Target near you,
Introducing!!! the new "imsersocirculitron"!!! by KitchenAid!!!
All kidding aside, it's coming and it's a good idea.
brad
Also, I forgot to mention something.
Here is what is on the "Dead and Dying List"
Anything molecularily gastronomic. There's one true practitioner in the world and we all know who he is. The rest jumped the bandwagon. I hope MG dies,(not in Roses of Course).
becket
Hands down the hottest new food trend...
GOVERNMENT CHEESE!!!
The official sponsor of "Recession 2008"!!!
Natty
I think a big upcoming trend is a rejection of the idea of "professional" in the world of home cooks and a new trend towards making foods that are best made in the home with techniques and equipment better suited to the home cook. Additionally, home cooks will take pride in growing their own herbs, tomatoes and other foods. Victory gardens in '08!
I agree with folks who have discussed cheap cuts of meat coming back in a big way and believe meats like venison and rabbit will begin to be available more (especially in areas where deer are overpopulated.) Curing your own bacon and making your own cheese may be on the horizon as well.
My hope is that HFCS will be vilified and chased out of the food world with pitchforks and torches.
pdkaizer
I know in my own home kitchen I am taking a more paired down approach to cooking and letting the natural flavors of the great (and often local homegrown) ingredients available come through and be the dominant flavor profile of a dish. No longer do I try to find the most complex recipe but am working towards simplicity.
Dana McCauley
Michael,
I write a quarterly ezine called Topline Trends and appear regularly on Canada AM and other television shows as a food trend expert.
I hope that you and any of your readers who are interested will stop by and read the latest issue and back issues. Subscription is free for anyone who wants to receive a quarterly notice when each newsletter goes live.
At the foodservice level I think you'll see more restaurants attempting portion control menus, more bold flavoured/umami driven menu items, and the wider spread use of dukkah and sumac on restaurant menus. Of course sustainability and onsite purified water will continue to gain momentum as well.
Chewy
The next trend? The Pizza Hut Pasta that's being advertised on your blog.
boob
I have three words:
Artisinal Processed Cheese
(patent pending!)
Chris66
-Heirloom beans
-More personal gardens, and more gardeners growing heirloom varieties
-Butter
-Lard
-Artisanal honeys and maple syrups
-Foraging
-Homemade preserves
-Homemade sausage
Chris66
-Heirloom beans
-More personal gardens, and more gardeners growing heirloom varieties
-Butter
-Lard
-Artisanal honeys and maple syrups
-Foraging
-Homemade preserves
-Homemade sausage
Katelyn
Korean and Japanese cuisine -- fermented foods, okonomiyaki (I've seen that on a number of food blogs lately), cabbage, edamame.
Heritage beans, yes, and PORK. Especially pork belly.
Joel Wittenmyer
I believe that some Americans are beginning to understand the difference between 'food' and something truly great that is prepared with love and attention to detail by someone that knows what they are doing. We are already seeing the return of classical french cuisine in New York. I hope that it will be a success and that Americans will learn to eat again. This, I believe, may be the next trend (If we are very lucky!)
another outspoken female
A move away from dairy and beef. Partially due to the ecological considerations but also people are on the verge of waking up and realising the calcium-dairy connection is a total con.
A move towards seeds, nuts, beans, home grown vegetables, backyard eggs.
Robyn
From Asia:
-seaweed (dressed as a salad) - already appearing in some US restos
-Philippine artisan vinegars made from coconut palm sap, sugar cane, and nipa palm sap
-small-batch palm sugars from Malaysia and Indonesia (darker, smokier, more complex than Thai)
-a wild variety of dried wild mushrooms from China's Yunnan province
Regional Asian cuisines: southern Thai, northern Thai, Yunnanese, Xinjiang, central Vietnamese (Hue)
The Gobbler
My predicted food trends
Old fashioned Tea-Room chic
Cold Duck or Barossa Pearl
The in-between sorbet
Nouvelle Cuisine
The Dinner Dance
Mongolian barbeque
Public school canteen food
Themed restaurants
D-list celebrity cookbooks
Prison food
Predicted Food related TV shows
Get me outta here, I’m an apprentice!
Survivor, Hobart café scene
Desperate Restaurateurs
Better Home Hill & Garde Manger
K.S.I. Hobart
Mise en place-ing with the stars
My workplace agreement Rules
Big Brasserie live: Double Booking
Everybody loves Rainbow Trout
Reality TV food related shows
‘Catch me if you can’
Kind of Survivor meets The Amazing Race meets Lord of the flies. A team of people are dropped on a dessert island without food. The only thing that they have truckloads of is booze, speed & a selection of violent Charles Bronson videos. Meanwhile as their hunger gnaws, a pink & chubby, white, middle aged man with a disposition for complaining is dropped onto the island with a secret map to a cave full of KFC. You can guess who the sponsors will be.
‘Celebrity market-gardener’
In this show notable food celebrities are plunged into the frightening & unfamiliar world of growing their own food. The idea is to get them out of their studios & demo kitchens & out into the unfamiliar world of where real actually food comes from. Highlights for viewers will include: Nigella tip toeing in heels through boggy marsh to collect samphire for weekend brunch
‘Cooking with the stars’
Like its cousin, Dancing with the stars, this show will pair a novice with a notable food personality & together they will try to cook a repertoire of dishes throughout the season. The predictable line up of judges will include the earnest one, the grizzled but fair veteran, the schmaltzy favourite & the nasty asshole.
‘Get me ‘outtta here I’m a celebrity chef!’
The hilarious escapades of Jamie, Gordon & Rick as they are each assigned, under cover of course to work in; a hospital, a prison kitchen & a school. Find out what the general public really think!
‘Kitchen swap’
The premise of this show is to take a wealthy food obsessed couple accustomed to first growth olive oils, Iberico ham & truffles & throw them into the roles of a family just surviving on the bread line. Watch enthralled as they negotiate the myriad of home brand products, seconds & remainders as they struggle to feed their family.
‘World’s funniest famines’
“We take twelve super obese, heavy users of fast food & drop them into a famine” Snarls the promo. “Watch amazed as they flounder, anguish & eventually succumb to the inevitable” Wow what will they dream up next!?
Seriously though, I think the last great frontier will be food from the home. We have been 'nesting' for the best part of a decade, insulating ourselves from the world with accoutrements, trappings & distractions.
More than ever, we will need to learn how to grow, preserve & cook our own food-It wont be a status symbol but a matter of survival.
peter
BBQ
Suz
Imported trends: Arepas and other street foods from South America, Asia, mid-East, etc., Greek yogurt
Coming back: eggs of all kinds in all ways; real sugar in boutique processed foods; unusual sugars.
Moving up: Mixology at home with homemade mixers & bitters, tonic water, fresh mix-ins
Movements: Locavore, CSAs, eating lower on the food chain (cows! methane! global warming!, preserving
Melanie
Simple recipes, "from scratch", with few ingredients.
miser
The return of the pressure cooker!
Same results as a slow cooker, but within 15 minutes. What's not to love? And safety features have made them idiot proof, no more explosions. (I can attest to that.)
This would make total sense--it makes cheaper cuts of meat magically tender and delicious within minutes. Can your slow cooker do that? Also, I would think energy-wise, isn't it preferable to make a lamb stew in 15 minutes in a pressure cooker rather than over 8 hours in a slow cooker?
Fala
I'm totally late for this but, I'd like to see more people go for "wild" foods that are harvested by those in the know who will not do damage to the enironment they've harvested from.
I think a lot more people will continue to eat seasonally and organically, however I hope that this trend encompasses eating locally. Eating organically only goes so far when you ship it from Chile to NYC...
I'm adding to the "home grown" trend, maybe more community gardens too...