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Try Out These Food Trends

Dec 12

Posted by admin in beverages, cooking, dining out, food universe, gluten-free, healthy eating, lifestyle, news, restaurants

The lists keep on rolling in as food trends are an easy exit discussion for 2011 and a hopeful wish into 2012.

A Mintel survey indicates we’ll be thinking more about “home” even at quick service and fast food restaurants. They anticipate this restaurant tier to start using more “comfort” words in menu descriptors. They also expect significant growth in this market space. “Homespun” goodness will pervade menus implying that careful preparation is at work in the kitchen regardless of the restaurant’s price point! Other prospective trends include:

–Regional foods will win over the menu as more restaurants work to bring in popular dishes from areas well-known for their specialties, such as Memphis Barbecue.

–Menus will have a section devoted to healthier dishes with lower-calorie foods. This concept will become more prevalent across price points.

–Restaurants will move more to customized ordering systems to give consumers more dining options that they will be able to impact.

Not to be left behind when we talk of trends, The National Restaurant Association surveyed 1,800 chefs, members of the American Culinary Federation, to get their input for their list, “What’s Hot in 2012.” Here are some headliners with the word “local” making its way into 3 of the top 10 trends:

–Locally sourced meats and seafood, and locally grown produce. A little further down the trend list is locally produced wine and beer.

–”Healthy” makes its presence felt with healthful kids’ meals, whole grain items in kids’ meals, and Gluten-free/food allergy-conscious items.

They see a continuation and growth of food trucks, the continued importance of the farmer in bringing products to market, and more fruit and vegetable side dishes on kids’ menus.

What’s interesting about these lists is the greater emphasis on product sustainability. It appears our emphasis is more on the practical, rather than the outlandish: All trends that have a chance of surviving and becoming more commonplace rather than single shots at fame.

Fun to follow these concepts as many are homespun ideas that have already had an impact on our food universe.

 

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‘Tis that Time: Food Trend Outlook

Dec 7

Posted by admin in cooking, dining out, food universe, lifestyle, news, restaurants

The best part about early December articles is watching everyone trip over himself trying to figure out the “definite” food trends for the coming year. Today we look at two such lists, and then we’ll have plenty of time to revisit and watch. Maybe we should start with a startling fact: Eating out is now cheaper than cooking at home. Think about that a little and you’ll understand the issues facing all food purveyors. Food costs have skyrocketed, over 6%, but most restaurants are afraid to spike prices. They favor a little less food on the plate. Hey, not a problem, we have the obesity issue to contend with anyway. So watch your dollars and follow the trends.

According to Andrew Freeman, (Andrew Freeman & Co) a great food guru with a major hospitality background, this is the year of  the potato. No complaints from me as potatoes have been my friend for years. He says expect to see menus wrapped around the food such a:

–French Fry Menus: Choose Your Cut, Color, Sauce (like the French Fry Menu at Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen in San Francisco)
–Mashers with Mix-ins
–Custom Cut Chips and You-Pick Dips

Or, Grilled Cheese, which he calls the next burger as in:

–Signature Sandwiches
–Gourmet Interpretations, Creative Variations, Old-Time Classics
–Artisan Ingredients (or Not), or:

Produce-ing Desserts, Vegetable Desserts

–Experimentation with Flavors
–Innovative Creations Combine Savory and Sweet

They, of course, have numerous additional ideas and let you look back at prior food trend lists to see how well they did!

Supermarket News approaches the food trend list from an entirely different perspective and lists the number 1 trend which will impact everything as food prices. They do not believe prices will lessen much as production costs continue to increase, but they see grocers coming up with clever ways to entice the consumer including bonus points getting used toward lay-away programs for bigger purchases as coupon use continues. They expect to see more grocers joining the “farm to fork” philosophy as food origin has become an important factor in purchasing. Likewise, they expect grocers to cater more to the largest population of shoppers, the baby boomers, 76 million of them, “will control 52% of the total $706 billion spend on groceries by 2015 – making them the largest food influencers and purchasers.”

Regardless of which approach you follow, that of a marketer or that of a purveyor, in looking at upcoming trends, be certain that food issues will continue to dominate headlines.

 

 

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A Princess Needs to Eat

Nov 8

Posted by admin in beverages, cookbooks, cooking, food universe, grocer, lifestyle

If there was a single consistent theme around Halloween, it seemed that most every young girl was some sort of a princess. Maybe a fairy princess came to your door or you saw a frog princess; there were princesses in every guise. Now the big concern is the princess party; it will take more than a few cupcakes. (The author tackled the single cupcake idea in an earlier cookbook!) Not to worry, for the greater complexity of the princess theme, there is The Pink Princess Party Cookbook by Barbara Beery which has taken a simple concept and turned it into a themed adventure!

Instead of listening to whining about the type of princess party, you can turn this book over to the princess and see which direction the party motif takes as this book is written for young readers. Let them leaf through the options before you ever even get involved!

Depending on the season of the party or the pretend party, they can figure out which recipe will be perfect for all the princesses in attendance! Beery has the menu and party ideas all compacted together for the ultimate “P” party. Chapters are divided into the following themes: Snowflake, Spa, Garden Fairy, Mermaid, Enchanted Pony, and the most recognizable one, the Pink Princess party.  This book provides an opportunity to teach young children how to follow a recipe and understand basic measurement principles.

If you are thinking winter themed events then the snowflake one may be the perfect solution as Meringue Cookies will accomplish more than just a response to a themed party. What is not to like about learning how to make meringues! If it’s anxiety about a party favor, then Beery suggests going the rock candy route with a wearable, and edible, crystal candy necklace.

As long as there are princesses, there are opportunities for fun, adventure cooking.

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A New Vegan Cookbook

Nov 7

Posted by admin in cookbooks, cooking, food universe, gluten-free, healthy eating

This is that wonderful time of the year when new cookbooks seem to multiply on the shelves and in our e-readers to get us ready for the holiday gift-giving universe. So many choices; so many occasions. Today my thoughts go to a plant-based universe as so many individuals are considering making major changes to their diets. Going Vegan is not a trend, but a reality for many people who believe that the only way to sustain our food supply is not to eat it all up! Of course, there are those who follow this route on doctor’s advice or because they have tried it and recognize its benefits. Part-time “veganites” know how to master both universes!

Now that we have said good-bye to Daylight Savings Time and a bit of a Fall chill pervades the East Coast air, it’s time to start thinking of heart-warming foods and take out the slow-cooker to make it happen with ease. This wonderful piece of equipment  somehow magically turns great ingredients into great meals with limited effort from us. In the new cookbook, The Vegan Slow Cooker, Kathy Hester the founder of the blog healthyslowcooking.com, elevates her blog world forward with a well-crafted cookbook that makes meal preparation rewarding with the added plus of wonderful aromas wafting thru the rooms.

She has chosen 150 recipes that cover all meal parts including the important need for dessert. An added plus is that many of the dishes are also Gluten-free and Soy-free, both important features that broaden the book’s overall appeal. I particularly like the tag line, “Simply Set It and Go.” Yes, slow-cooking has multiple advantages and now with the Vegan emphasis, its audience has broadened.

Of course, we recognize that slow-cooking has an important place when it comes to simple, but tasty, entrees, stews, and soups, but what about the other courses? Here are some enticers:

–Breads and Pizzas (Rosemary Breakfast Bread or Foccacia Pizza Dough)

–Breakfast Casserole or French Toast Casserole (intrigued yet?), or

–Pumpkin Pie Pudding which sounds like a seasonal winner.

In our time-starved universe, finding a book that combines fast preparation with foods that literally cook themselves, helps us manage the meal-time drill. Here’s a good start to a season of slow cooker meals.

 

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Hotels Respond to the Coffee Crunch

Sep 20

Posted by admin in beverages, coffee, cooking, lifestyle, news, restaurants, tourism, travel

It seems no matter where you travel these days that hotels have heard the cry for decent coffee. In-room service has moved away from those suspect pots, which may or may not have been properly cleaned, to single shot service. Feels a little safer, cleaner, better. After all a package with an upscale signature such as Wolfgang Puck, can motivate you to at least try it. Maybe you’ll use two packets, but either way there’s a sense of security and control!

When you stay at a mid-tier property, and you hear the restaurant server explain that the coffee is “a little better, a little stronger, more like Starbucks,” you know what to expect.  Actually, it’s a matter of what the hotel company has heard: Stop pouring the weak stuff. I can water it down if it’s too strong, but it can’t work the other way. Whether changes were made due to consumer response or survey responses or just plain common sense, the reason remains less important than the reality. Starting the day, or in my case at any point of the day, with a decent cup of coffee makes a difference.

Maybe this is all part of the renewed and improved market for business travelers. Now that they are back on the road, it seems each of the hotel brands is ready to do some upscaling to grab that important market segment. With smart work from a hotel’s sales staff, leisure travel, likewise, has all the appearances of getting a bounce. If there are few other signs of economic improvement, these are noteworthy.

Not just the coffee service but the whole breakfast scene is being revitalized. The days of a sweet roll and a cup of coffee are moving further into the annals of hotel hopping. Hyatt just announced they are reworking their Summerfield Suites and rebranding them as Hyatt House, a brand that will offer a variety of comforting selections including made-to-order breakfasts. That feature is a big drawing card for almost any guest. From a hotel perspective, it’s a newly vital component of the brand message. Look at how well the Bistro concept works for the Courtyard franchise.

If you are paying over $500 a night for a room, your concerns include a good quality restaurant with a menu that addresses a wide-range of tastes and allows for substitutions. Yet if your stay is more moderate as in the under $200 a night category, a made-to-order breakfast becomes a positive plus in overall decision-making. The word “complimentary” has a smart marketing ring to it!

A decent cup of coffee and a hot breakfast are two important trends making their way through the moderate, mid-priced hotel industry. All segments of the traveling public seem responsive to this type of positive change. Now just stop charging for wi-fi and you’ve got a friend!

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A Chef and A Zebra

Aug 22

Posted by admin in cooking, food universe, gardening, healthy eating, lifestyle

With farm markets bursting with product and flavor, it’s time for you to join the cars at the side of the road and become a chef. After all not all chefs deal with major food companies who arrive at their back door with a week’s worth of supplies. Sure that’s fine for paper towels, but produce and meats. Nope.
You can be a modern-day chef who visits a garden or works with a farmer and makes his meals based on what’s in market or at the stands. Now’s the time to practice creativity and elevate the basic recipes as you try fresh-picked possibilities.  Emails are overflowing with peach teasers as the East Coast bounty is turning the basic peach lover into a peach canner or at least one who freezes slices for smoothies. Of course, tomatoes are filling baskets and corn readies itself for new grill recipes. Here’s a simple trick: Wash, husk corn, and put it on the grill. Let it make its popping sound; turn, and repeat til kernels beg to be eaten. The sounds of summer.
What’s stopping you? The answer should be: Nothing. The produce is so fresh, brimming with an aura of jus’ picked begging for your attention. This is what a chef who markets does. Chefs, sous chefs, or even line cooks who are on a mission buy the freshest items possible. That’s how a daily menu works. Sure there are plenty of stand-bys, but daily specials thrive in a market environment. Home cooks can do it; it’s not that hard. Shop, talk to the produce stand people, and hit “Epicurious” for strategies. Time to be creative.

Here’s a simple exercise: Zebra heirloom tomatoes, small yellow potatoes, pickling cukes, corn beggin’ to be husked, and peaches of every size and variety (try the new darling donut peach). Add a protein and your bounty meal is bursting with flavor. However you dance the ingredients, they are ready for your creative tong.

Now’s the time to practice. The market waits for no one.

 

 

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Food Survival Strategies

Jul 27

Posted by admin in beer, cookbooks, cooking, food universe, healthy eating, lifestyle

It’s hot. Ugly hot. Wanna eat a big meal? No way. What’s the solution?

How ’bout several small meals? Maybe even more than three! That’s the strategy behind the new book of 400-calorie recipes. The complete title: 500 400-Calorie Recipes. The title goes on to say “Delicious and Satisfying Meals That Keep You to a Balanced 1200-Calorie Diet So You Can Lose Weight without Starving Yourself.” Yes, that’s a true mouthful but one that you can take in small bites.

The basic philosophy is quite simple: Don’t stuff yourself. Make small meals; gain more energy and in the process maybe you’ll cut down on the starved sensation and lose some weight. Nothing wrong with the theory which enables you to meet your daily needs but to get there in smaller portions instead of one gluttonous, over-indulgent experience. Here’s the plus: You won’t feel weighted down. Seriously. A recent report on the importance of portion control (“Healthy Eating Strategies by Generation”) from the NPD Group attests to the fact that consumers are aware of the healthy lifestyle benefits. This book clearly spells out a simple life plan that is easy to incorporate.

The strategy is quite simple. Recipes focus on nutrient-dense and low-calorie ingredients that you can eat amply and pair with smaller portions of more filling foods such as grains or beans. Author Dick Logue works with each meal part and gives recipes that say, how about substituting this and saving the calories. For instance, after a complete chapter of what he calls traditional breakfast dishes, he revisits breakfast with “New Ways to Think about Breakfast,” a chapter that is less egg-centric and more focused on introducing other vegetables into the breakfast meal such as eggplant, a handy substitute in a frittata. An egg substitute product is used generously in a number of recipes.

Here’s a sampling of calorie light recipes that might get your creative juices flowing again during the upcoming heavy weather-laden month:

–Italian Dinner Salad–has a sense of the kitchen sink with its antipasto components complemented by chopped chicken breast. A great make-ahead selection.

–Beef Stew with Root Vegetables–the secret ingredient here is the addition of a dark beer! The recipe still comes in under 400 calories!

–Frozen Fruit Cups–now we’re talking: A non-ice cream freezer dessert that takes minutes to prepare and finishes off any meal.

Enough recipe teasers. The author likes the 500 concept as his prior books attest (500 High-Fiber Recipes, and 500 Low-Cholesterol Recipes. Let me say that 500 recipes can be a bit daunting but if you find a number of new possibilities, you’ll be way ahead of the game.

With its healthy focus, the thick book should keep you thinking and planning survival meals during the hot season and throughout the year.

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Unknown Fruits and Vegetables: New Friends

Jun 21

Posted by admin in cooking, food universe, gardening

We’ve all heard the stories how families had never seen some vegetables in their fresh form but just assumed canned or frozen were the only options. Jamie Oliver made food history with his tour of West Virginia and the food revolution he stirred. Budget constraints have an impact on food purchasing and in these times of spiraling food costs, the tried and true head the shopping list.

Yet, I have earned a new education. Without my early membership in a CSA, I might never have tried some of my new friends. It’s you Kohlrabi I’m talking to. Not that the stand employees had many ideas how to handle this rather awkward looking vegetable; they were curious what I would uncover. With my trusty computer and numerous search attempts, I found no shortage of recipes but after the early experimentation, I settled on a personal Waldorf Salad.  Kohlrabi, apples, nuts, and cranberries became perfectly united with just a little lemon juice and a dollop of mayonnaise. The crunch worked and this veg gained star status in our house. Consider starting it from seed as Gurney’s catalog offers some enticing recipes!

Maybe the trendiest vegetable of the year award will go to KALE. From an unknown to super-star status and expensive marketing (kale chips at $7.95 a bag), this prior, semi-unknown proved a most versatile companion to many dishes. The biggest caveat is that a small bunch shrinks to a minuscule size when cooked. Buy more than you need or if you are lucky enough to find it, get a big, triple-washed bag (remember kale neared the top of last week’s pesticide list), and go wild with recipe creations. Kale can handle experimentation or if you focus in one direction, it loves sesame oil and rice vinegar with a sprinkling of tamari in a hot skillet.

Rhubarb may tie with Kale for top trend honors as the once unfamiliar fruit now champions a legion of followers or as the food52 people learned, rhubarb parties are a big hit! Maybe the house’s personal favorite recipe involves using way less sugar than previously imagined and cooking bite size pieces until just soft. Cool, taste, and freeze the majority as this is a fruit that loves oatmeal. OK, we had plenty of rhubarb-strawberry events but love pulling out a little bit as a cereal or dessert add-on. Have you tried it with Greek yogurt? A winner.

Actually these three foods moved to star status in our house this year, and we haven’t even talked about health benefits! Are we ever lucky as so many new choices are coming into market and it’s only the first day of summer. Our list will expand.

Happy Solstice.

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Cookbook Round-Up

Jun 11

Posted by admin in coffee, cooking, gardening, gluten-free, grocer, healthy eating

Summertime is the perfect time to laze around enjoying some of the new cookbooks that have hit the market. With all the fine produce at the farm stands and the grocers who strive to bring in local, this is a good time to look at the vegetable options.

With the increasing number of Vegan followers and those who subscribe to meatless days or think about healthier options, here’s a good primer: Color Me Vegan. What’s particularly enjoyable about this book is its color-coded emphasis on eating healthy; eating vegan. The recipes are easy to follow and attractive to lure you into trying something new. Those who just want the burst of color will be able to tweak the recipe to accommodate the omnivores.

Now that everyone has written about Gluten-Free and its mainstream numbers, the cookbooks are popping out of the printers.  Here’s one (125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes) that includes recipes for vegans although the combination of being G-F and V can be challenging at times. The highlight of this book is the straightforward approach from writer, Carol Fenster, who has an impressive history covering special diet needs including earlier gluten-free cookbooks: Would you believe her earlier 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipe cookbook! The 125 G-F recipe book will be available in July.

Neither a Vegan nor a Gluten-Free approach to vegetables, but one that considers how time starved we all are: The Best 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes makes it easy to approach the summer heat with quick solutions to a healthy meal. Most of the 150 recipes are low in fat and in sugar. When the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers are market ready or ready to be picked from your own garden, the Gazpacho recipe may prove a perfect summer favorite.

I have to leave the vegetable track for a moment and consider the importance of good bread to accompany all these veggie recipes. As we’ve watched foods come into vogue, we recognize the return of a once-popular piece of kitchen equipment: The Bread Machine. Prices have dropped on this handy kitchen accessory due to its formerly untrendy status so this is a perfect item to add now and awaken the family to the delicious morning aroma of  just-baked bread. The Artisan Bread Machine with its 250 recipes fits the ease-of-use bill. Nothing’s better than combining artisan techniques into the workhouse machine! Add to that the summertime availability of delicious tomatoes (atop a foccaccia) and the desire to serve a healthy pizza lets you add your fresh vegetable toppings to the wonderful crusts from the bread machine.

These are just some of the many new cookbooks worth your summertime lolling pleasure. Relax with an iced coffee, and find the perfect solution to any meal period. Enjoy.

 

 

 

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Someone’s in the Kitchen with Uncle Sam

Jun 10

Posted by admin in Administration, beverages, cooking, Economy, FDA, First Lady Michelle Obama, gardening, healthy eating, news, USDA

Not quite the Dinah song, but clearly a spirited shout-out to the National Archives for putting together a phenomenal exhibit, “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” The answer quite simply is that everything we know about food in this country has some piece of history attached to it and the exhibit underlies the strong connection.

In the past few years since the Obama Administration took office, it seems that food has become a major player in the national conversation. We have talked about the White House Garden, the commitment to getting people to Move off the couch and be aware of their food intake. Obesity has been a major topic of concern as has the School Lunch program. Yet, so many of these discussions have their roots in much earlier times. It is impossible to speak of food safety legislation today without thinking about the letter Upton Sinclair wrote President Theodore Roosevelt.

Our current obsession with food, chefs, and food trends is nothing new. Buying local and supporting the farmer has deep-seeded, yes, it’s true, roots in our country’s agricultural history. You’ll be able to study the past while reflecting on how so much of what we believe today parallels our government’s earliest commitments to food safety. No need to make this sound so serious, as the exhibit focuses on all the aspects of our food culture.

What this exhibition hall is filled with it the how the Federal government’s programs intersected with our lives whether we are referencing food safety regulation or tracing the early paths of those we affectionately call “agricultural pioneers.” Besides enjoying the numerous posters from the collection including the already popular “Vitamin Donuts” or “Uncle Sam Says , Garden to Cut Food Costs.” My initial favorite, “Eat the Carp” includes the advice, “The muddy taste can be washed away.”

Trust me, you’ll have fun exploring the original records (“Eat More Cottage Cheese“) that explain the history of our country through its food supply with an emphasis on four distinct influences on our food environment: Farm, Factory, Kitchen, and Table.

Check out the event calendar as numerous additional programs and speakers have been lined up to supplement the standing exhibit. The exhibit opens today and continues through January 3, 2012. You need to know that date as you’ll want to go more than once!

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