Look at GINGER. Once not that long ago it was just a spice in a container. Then fresh ginger came into vogue as we learned to give our food a little boost. Now it has its own elevated position in the beverage world not just as a stand-alone ginger ale, as it seems to be a compatible, healthy flavoring for any number of drinks whether hot or cold. As for snacking, ginger and chocolate are the darling of combo treats!

A parallel is the flower, HIBISCUS. Yes, its fragrance and compatibility make it a charmer again for beverages and plenty of flavor enhancers. Look at how pomegranate drinks have become more palate pleasers with the addition of ginger and hibiscus!  Somehow dishes and beverages seem to have a more chef-fueled flavor when you add something that some would consider exotic, something such as hibiscus.

Maybe the current number one trend-setting position goes to SORGHUM. In the summertime we enjoy the bounty of color from the fields of sorghum and appreciate how farmers are turning those fields into profitability. Now we see a different side to this grain as the growing gluten-free market space has heartily embraced the flavor of sorghum beers after several early rollouts of G-F ales that were less than enticing. Not only the beverage world but the chef-driven universe has embraced this sweetener with some top-tier creative moments.

Let’s end our discussion today with two food words that are making the rounds.
-Meatballs are everywhere and seem to have found a place at every tier of dining. They can quickly be fancified or presented as the alternative to the spate of burger spots.

-Parm. Eggplant has long championed its association with parm-topped dishes and now poultry-inspired foods are grabbing plenty of menu headlines. Sure, chicken parm has been a popular dish for a long time, but it now seems to be a pervasive special!

All these words and products speak the same language: Versatility as they are compatible with a range of pairing options. Time to uncover some of these foods and avoid total food hibernation.

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.

What makes this book a welcome bookshelf addition and a hostess planning guide is the bounty of recipes that will be welcome additions for any holiday meal. Thanksgiving has come and gone, but this year for the first time there was a considerable amount of newspaper and blog ink devoted to vegan recipes. Clearly an understanding of how many people have made lifestyle changes rather than just thinking of these dishes as a passing trend.

Now the December big ones, Hanukkah and Christmas are quickly approaching. The first holiday would be unthinkable without latkes, potato pancakes, and Atlas has a version that is obviously vegan and with a few minor tweaks can be made soy and gluten-free. She believes that only those who prepare the recipe will notice the shift in ingredients, but everyone will be able to enjoy the finished dish. BTW, she has numerous recipes for the other Jewish holidays that likewise pose a recipe challenge, such as Vegan Matzo Balls!

A large part of the book is devoted to Christmas and what she calls “The Holiday Season.” This, after all, is a time with numerous office parties, neighborhood get-togethers, and an assortment of events that might just require a little hostess gift. If you bring a food for the buffet, then you’ll be assured of having something to eat! Here are some teasers to get you thinking:

–Fruit and Nut Chocolate Clusters. Easy to make as no baking is required and they are Gluten and Soy-Free.

–“Vegg” Nog. This recipe differs from so many of its predecessors as it is minus the tofu, but the vanilla almond milk and agave nectar combined with cashew butter make a smooth beverage.

–Creamy Cracked-Pepper Cheez. Now you can have a spreadable recipe that will highlight a buffet table. If you use gluten-free yeast, then you can appeal to an even wider audience.

Even though the book is divided into holiday sections, there are few recipes that are limited to a particular event. So many creative choices that can liven any meal.

Yes, the store is quite an adventure, whether the focus is on an international basis or the realistic consumer is just looking for something that has a gourmet flair without a gourmet price tag. Voilà, The I Love Trader Joe’s Around the World Cookbook by Cherie Mercer Twohy is the newest resource addition for those who have become TJ devotees. Devotees know who they are; they exclaim they were able to pull off a gourmet meal without incurring insane expenses.

Take the cheese department, so many choices, and the prices shriek “reasonable.” Even with a food item as simple as cheese that can be enjoyed with a slice of fruit or a basic cracker, the author has created numerous recipes to elevate the purchase into a more upscale cheese experience.

The cookbook has over 140 international recipes put together with the foods from TJ’s. Recipes are categorized by countries and are appealing for their understanding of our busy lifestyles: Good food, simple preparation. Many recipes fall into the new categories of major interest, Vegan and Gluten-Free. To make something as so-called exotic-sounding as Masala Lentil Chicken, the secret TJ solution is a 7-ounce container of Masala Lentil Dip. Pretty straightforward, but well worth the purchase price. Chicken dishes, for example, headline the tutorials as they span through almost all the nationalities.

So the store of mystery can be a focal point in your new recipe file. A simple jar of olive tapenade can turn an ordinary turkey slider sandwich into something with a bit more kick. The options abound.

Trader Joe’s does that for you. They have the ingredients and Twohy has put them to work with this panopoly of recipes.

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.

The Bloomberg Businessweek issue for August 15-28 has a great cover shot for the “Popularity Issue” and inside awards its top spot to the Gluten-Free Diet which they say is being driven by those with celiac disease and the 15% of consumers who purchase these products and “help create a $2.6 billion market.” What has happened has occurred with an ease that often does not accompany most product rollouts which can be slow and focused on test markets. Now, big name manufacturers are vying for space alongside the stalwart G-F leaders such as Bob’s Red Mill and Udi’s. When you see 2 loaves of Rudi’s G-F multigrain bread at Costco you see a sea change, and a price drop. Let’s see, 2 loaves at the big box for about half the cost of a single one at the regular store!

The race is on.

More grocers are demonstrating their understanding of the growing numbers by integrating the G-F product line rather than isolating it into a small corner of the store. Sure shelves are often still marked with flip signs indicating a G-F product, but even that has somewhat lessened as consumers recognize the product labeling with the GF symbol. We’ve talked plenty about how obvious products are now quick to boast of their new popularity status. Lea & Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce remains my best go-to example, but the Chex family should not get excluded from their big bold banners. Wait, now Rice Krispies has the bold banner.

If you think you’ve seen a lot of GF products at the grocers and been passed GF restaurant menus, you’ve barely scraped the surface. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this impressive marketing action?

Not a trend, but a lifestyle choice with a wide arena for traditional companies to make the jump into the G-F universe! Expect to see more such gotcha labels.

Let’s see where to begin. How about chronologically? As in this is August 2011 and comment submission materials are now due in early October! Have we not wasted 4 years in trying to figure out how to help individuals who are by illness, as in Celiacs, in need of certified foods? The FDA says we are only talking about 1 % of the population that struggles with Celiac. I struggle with that low percentage for it hardly seems a day passes without more attention to this illness. Celiac research paints a different picture, a more startling numeric: 1 in 133 American people has Celiac, according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

How about the people who are gluten intolerant? That number is certainly growing. The FDA focus is only on the US, but we know some countries, such as Ireland, have taken the lead on product identification and restaurant preparedness. Sure, more restaurants in the states are offering gluten-free menus and increasing their range of selections, but what about the security issue? Everyone needs to be certain that what is labeled or described as GF, truly has zero gluten.

Individuals who cannot tolerate gluten continue to struggle with dining out choices as they fear the separation of foods may not be tightly monitored. These are not whimsical fears. They are life-and-death matters.

So what happened to the “new” FDA that was promised to be a more responsive agency? Seems it is still buried under mounds of paper and limited in its roll-out of important mandates. What can a foodservice professional or a consumer do? React; respond within this extended deadline. Go to www.regulations.gov, and submit a comment. Follow the link.

As concerned consumers and food professionals, we cannot let this comment period slip away and allow mounds of paper to be ignored. We’ve had enough of that. GF and gluten intolerance deserve better attention and protection. Now.

The Subway chain in Oregon and Texas offers gluten-free sandwiches. (The program was rolled out several months ago, but I recently observed the process firsthand–quite different from a press release!) This is a big deal being advertised with banners and in-store literature. Anecdotally, they are reporting an impressive amount of interest and orders.

If you enter a Subway that offers a G-F menu, then you have hit the quick-service, made-to-order sandwich line. Before you scoff and say how could such a large chain pull off the G-F experience, let me share what I witnessed. The staff has been well trained and recognize the contamination possibilities. The roll comes wrapped but never even makes it to the counter until the sandwich person scrubs down the counter, announces that a G-F sandwich is about to be made, does a complete hand wash, and grabs a new pair of gloves. Pretty impressive actually! For those who worry about the isolation preparation. you have an advantage: You watch the process rather than speculate that caution is being followed!

When all is set and ready to go, the G-F sandwich gets further isolated during the preparation selection and ends up in its own specialty bag. What’s the upcharge for this attention to detail? A dollar more for a G-F sandwich: A price that goes down easily.

Maybe other fast food, casual restaurants, and nationwide chains will figure out that offering a gluten-free option is not price prohibitive but rather financially advantageous.

Marketing mainstream reality.

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.

We are not talking about a trend unless we are referencing the increased shelf space for GF products. Rather this is a health issue that needs attention in the current environment. This past week there were numerous outreach programs to call attention to the numbers of individuals affected by the disease. Will all of these efforts help? Possibly one of the most powerful benefits will mean that more people will be tested for this type of diet and many will feel better if they make the switch to a GF lifestyle. Not a trend; a healthy reality.

What can manufacturers do? Continue to examine product line and make certain that all the safety precautions have been applied to ensure that the labeling is accurate. Just this week Barbara’s Bakery, the cereal manufacturer, added to its GF lineup. Why not have Puffins Multigrain? Freezer options continue as well with Glutino expanding its pizza lineup with multi-paks. What happens if you are time-starved but crave a complete Italian entree, then Caesar’s GF linup works wonders. You have numerous freezer choices including manicotti, shells, lasagna, and gnocchi. Add your favorite sauce, and you’re covered!

Choices abound. Read the labels carefully and make certain your specific health and allergy needs are met. In the meantime, let’s hope that the FDA gets moving.

Why? Well, that is still the unresolved issue although the country seems to have a very high percentage of Celiacs. Several theories circulate, but nothing is a spot-on answer. There’s the brown flour theory as in the staple of the Irish meal: Soda Bread. Brown flour is quite different from many of the flours we have in the states and is not sold here, but it is a heavy flour. As for the GF breads, they toast, and toast well. No one seemed to have many details, but both the flour discussions are far from over. More to discover.

In the meantime, Ireland proves itself a welcoming destination as the people are so warm and friendly, and yes, so dependent on tourism dollars. Visitors, GF or not, will agree it is an idyllic setting, but those with special food needs will find travel easy and wonderfully accommodating. Quite a surprise. No need to seek out a list of a few restaurants that might have a menu or an item for your needs. Rather the opposite of the States, as the whole country seems to be on guard for the Celiac. Travel can be so difficult for those with special food needs. Or so easy as in the case of Ireland. What a pleasant surprise on so many levels!

Go for it. Erin go Bragh!

Instead of shrugging me off or giving me the weirdo look, stop and listen. The old world word of choice was VEGAN, but through smart analysis the baggage that term carried with it was replaced with a phrase that seemed to have greater appeal. Yes, there are still plenty of items with the easily tagged V on the label, but the term getting much greater attention is that of plant-based. People who espoused vegetarianism for their whole life seem to have gradually moved in this direction. Anyway, many vegetarians defined their diet with different proteins as in “I’m a vegetarian, but I eat dairy and fish or sometimes, chicken.” It seemed personalized. That seems less true for those who follow the plant-based approach which eliminates dairy all together and strict adherents cut out all animal-based products. Yet, as with vegetarianism, there are numerous products that simulate taste for those who still, for example, want that cream cheese (tofu-based) on their morning bagel.

As we watched the product expansion in the G-F line, so will this particular food emergence continue to grow. When a small, non-chain restaurant readily understands you want your burrito without cheese and answers, “no problem, vegan, right,” you know the impact will spread. When you talk to former vegetarians who switched to the complete elimination of animal byproducts, the one sentence you hear repeatedly is “I feel healthier.” Anecdotal, for sure, but if it works, it works. 

Oprah ran a week of shows about eliminating all animal-based products from your diet. Those who follow what former President Bill Clinton is up to will note that his weight loss has been significant. It is about more than weight-loss that proves to be an attractive factor. The well-recognized book, The China Study spells it out as does research from numerous doctors and medical facilities in terms of helping people lower cholesterol, lessen the likelihood of various diseases,  and be able to live a healthier life.

Will you lose weight or generally be a healthier person without all the additives that regularly get added to food? A note of importance: As with all food selections, look for those with the purest, fewest ingredients. When you can, the rule of five–that’s a good ingredient maximum. No matter your approach, you know what the vitamin and mineral rituals you need to follow. President Clinton begins his day with a protein supplement. Know what you need.

In the meantime, watch the shelves fill with improved selections as plant-based living becomes this year’s G-F darling. No one denies that some diseases command G-F products or that health reasons dictate becoming a Vegan, but those who follow trends will notice an increase in shelf-space for those with a “V.”

Overall, a healthier society with the less is more approach.

It’s not just those who must have G-F foods, those with celiac disease, who are driving the numbers, but a larger group of purchasers are making the production and stocking of this food group vital. Other medical conditions seem to respond to a reduction in gluten products, too. This discovery for many purchasers has lead to a spiraling growth curve with the G-F foods and beverage market in 2010 reaching an estimated $2.6 billion in sales, according to Packaged Facts. That’s a lot of bread, or dough! One area where the change is most visible is in the dessert section. More manufacturers and bakers are entering the space in recognition that a sweet tooth is not limited to those who can tolerate gluten.

General Mills (they claim to have over 250 G-F products, that’s a sizable representation) itself has become a major point player with their remixing of the Chex product line and making them gluten-free and announcing the category quite visibly on the packages. They took out the molasses and substituted a barley-based sweetener. Interesting that the taste has not changed at all!

However a company gets there and strives to answer the G-F need, taste cannot be ignored. Too many original products had a cardboardy consistency. Thankfully, those days are pretty much ancient history. Health beckons, but products get repurchased because they fulfill the taste test or the taste memory.

Keep rolling out the G-F foods.

Branding is funny that way. Little shelf markings or aisle headers announcing the GF products does not seem sufficient as grocers are looking to enhance their product lineup. Popcorn really does not need the label, but marketers say, why not? Those who cannot have any gluten product need to be assured that a particular item is not made in an environment with other foods that could contaminate the gut. That’s a different commentary. The GF numbers for those with disease or merely conscious of their gluten intolerance are driving up sales and increasing marketing efforts.

One of the ironies of such markings are that unit pricing becomes hard to read. There are so many tabs and tags on the shelf trying to direct your eye toward the store’s latest product, it’s difficult to figure out how much this lemon wafer (GF) is in comparison to the one (GF) on the shelf below. The former GF wasteland has become a waist land as there are some people who believe going GF will help them lose weight. This has been disputed before and is getting a lot of attention again.

Those who need to follow such a diet should take advantage of the many books that separate out the foods and even help with recipes. Here’s one I just received the Complete Gluten-Free Diet & Nutrition Guide. What makes this book easy to use for anyone that has a medical need as with Celiac disease, is the amount of  helpful information. For anyone who needs to watch his gluten intake, the book has an easy to follow 30-day meal plan included with the recipes.

I’m always a little mystified by people who complain of numerous stomach issues but have not considered the various possibilities of discomfort. Taking gluten out of one’s diet is an easy comfort test case.

Marketing an issue which has become so popular among health reporters has helped consumers find materials and foods that make their lifestyles easier to digest.

Let’s just look at desserts and see if there is anything tantalizing our taste buds. It has been a year when manufacturers understood the dark chocolate numbers. As we saw more such high cocoa bars, we also started to see more flavor intensifiers such as sea salt and citrus. Yes, ironically as citrus prices have escalated due to extreme weather conditions, it is the year of citrus as a major add-on for the confection industry. Lemon and orange continue to lead the flavor profile.

As we’ve noted, the gluten-free market has expanded beyond the specialty store into the everyday market as well. G-F desserts are becoming an important go-to section that recognizes man cannot live by protein alone. Lemon, by the way, has become a major player for this market shopper, too. G-F desserts are becoming more adventuresome, such as chocolate fudge cake or cheesecake making a noble statement.

Don’t forget the explosion in chips as veggie chips continue to demand more market shelf. When was the last time you tried to go into a market to grab a chip snack of sorts only to stand and stare and read labels for what seems to be an interminable time? Welcome to the long, evolving chip aisle as sea salt and vinegar dominate the possibilities. Little companies are entering the space, too with specialty products that announce their flavors and the all-important phrase: Gluten-Free.

One fact about these types of trends, they are not outlandish nor far-stretched; they appear to be survivors.

These are concepts we can live with!

Then there is the overall beer market. When Anheuser-Busch started playing in the space, you know the numerical analysis supports what we recognize as a growing market space. Add a few smaller brewers into the rice and sorghum mix and you have real possibilities. The other day I noticed a shelf at a store that pronounced “zero” beers in that category a year ago now proclaim, yes, we have 3 distinct G-F beers! They still do not carry the wide assortment of Green’s. Remember not everyone needs a major disease to cut back on their gluten. Gluten intolerance and a range of allergens drive a significant number of shoppers into this growing space. As more artisan brewers enter this space, the shelves will need bigger markers!

So how does this stuff taste? Beer evokes all types of responses from individuals including those who quickly dismiss the taste of a beer as something they want no part of. The G-F beers I’ve tried, as long as they have been served properly chilled, are refreshing and pair well with a variety of foods. No, they do not rival the fresh from the hops taste you get from a long pull of draft, but someday they may be popular enough to convert a new legion of followers. Since I try numerous beers and enjoy a lighter, crisper taste, I find that these do surprisingly well against many of the other brews that line my refrigerator walls.

Not everyone serves wine with their turkey holiday. These are worth having on hand for those who might prefer or need a G-F brew!

–Popsicles going global and artisan–and what it means. We have to give the company credit for talking about this in their 2008 trend report even though we didn’t see the concept move from niche market space until this past year with an assortment of fruit-filled Mexican icepops (paletas) in fun flavors. So what’s next? They predict that flavors will continue to intensify just as cocktails did this year and that more of these specialty pop shops will appear as they introduce customers to more flavors with texture.

–Making Customers Unwelcome. That’s a strange category for a company whose business depends on helping restaurants thrive. Yet we’ve already seen signs of this trend with restaurants accepting reservations with a time limit as in “we have another party that needs that table within an hour and a half.” Or the corollary, the no reservation policy. New York was always the home of the No Credit Card sign, but that trend has proliferated as has the expanded wine by the glass list at skyrocketed prices.

–How Does Your Garden Grow, Mrs. Obama? Good question as First Lady Michelle Obama has made us all more farm market conscious and chefs have joined the grow your own concept, but many fast food restaurants translated healthy with using fresh foods but driving up the calorie count with ingredients such as gobs of cheese. Expect to see more chef gardens, more chefs helping in the schools, and an even greater emphasis on local. It seems no matter where you travel, you see signs asking customers to support local growers and businesses. A smart move.

–Breakfast All the Time.  When the economy was at its lowest levels, the food treat was breakfast food and breakfast business boomed. More restaurants expanded breakfast menus and all-day breakfast became more prevalent. Now, Baum and Whiteman believe we’ll see certain foods jump to a more mainstream position such as soft, slow-cooked eggs. This is an opportunity for high-end restaurants to skip the sauce and top the expensive dish with an egg which oozes its own sauce.

–Grits. They say grits will “leap from a morning food to an all-purpose starch.” Not only are we already seeing more grits on menus, we see restaurants such as Bubby’s in New York tout where their special grits come from (South Carolina). The consultants believe that the Southern food influence will spread and they even speculate that shrimp and grits will become the food of the year!

Other trends they note are some we have already seen: A rise in gluten-free foods, more healthy menus that denote less sodium or no high fructose corn syrup. They call this category “free-from” foods. So many more concepts. Here’s a little teaser:

Wife-swapping. Check back to find out how Baum and Whiteman relate that category to restaurants!

Not one to shy away from a treat or a sweet, I’ve always called popcorn my go-to snack or a late-night indulgence. I’ve recently discovered no two packages, regardless of so-called ingredients or information, are remotely the same. Yes, I know how to take kernels and make a fresh bag of the hot treat, but try to do that in an airplane lounge and see what happens! At this time of the year, quick shops, gift stores, and concessionaires get most of my corny dollars as travel-work season is in full spring!

What’s not to like? First of all, a bag with ounces of unpopped kernels is a huge disappointment. Not uncommon, but a disappointment. How about the kettle corn market with a full-range of options from sweet and sticky to just the right amount of sugar and salt. My preference is for sea salt which has a tighter grip of on the caramelized kernels. Trust me I am well on my way to being a contestant on “Who’s Got the Best Popcorn”!

Once you find a commercial product you like, you may think of Nirvana. Name a city and someone is likely to boast about its old-fashioned popcorn store. In Chicago the shout-out goes to the Garrett Popcorn Shops, Kansas City echoes a chant for Topsy’s, and the list goes on. Then there’s Costco with its own super-sized kettlecorn bags from Popcorn, Indiana. I have to admit this was my favorite kettle corn, until I discovered the secret to mushroom corn.

No, I have not messed up my vegetables nor have I taken a fast train to Fantasyland. Rather I’ve discovered a product with few equals. Go ahead, test me–bring ‘em on. The clear winner, The Big Popper, (store and online purchases) starts with mushroom corn and creates a full line of specialty products. My tastes are not solved inexpensively, but I have never purchased a bag so heavy as in filled with real popped corn nor one that keeps its promise to the end. No little remnants of pleasure that get stuck in your teeth, but true uniformity from top to bottom.

Don’t worry if kettle corn (no matter how you spell it) is not to your liking. There are plenty of other flavors to convince you to get back on the popcorn highway. With the upcoming holidays, popcorn manages to be a popular treat.  As if you need an excuse!

Whoa. GF products in a sale category? Wait, there’s more of this unusual news. Shopping tracking now follows the GF line and sends out coupons of similar items with reduced prices. GF Coupons, what is the world coming to? Maybe recognition that this market space is bigger than anticipated and continuing to grow.

Look at the bread category. Tapioca bread now has numerous rivals as Udi’s spreads its wings across the country. This bread actually toasts! How about a baker that just wants to make good bread and believes there are too many additives in the current production line. Losing the wheat, of course, changes the consistency but those who opt for the GF bread can now find multiple solutions that meet fiber needs.

The market category continues to rise just as its numerous bread and baking products increase and garner attention. Taste no longer serves as an impediment as improvements continue to draw more consumers into the GF space. Not just grocers but more restaurants are offering choices. Wildfire, part of the Lettuce Entertain You family, continues to reach out to the diner with ever-changing promotions. Wine and GF in the same sentence. Lovely.

The November Chicago-based wine dinner partnership with the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center enables diners to enjoy themselves and share part of the dining cost with the Center. The Virginia location is doing a 3-course GF lunch and dinner promotion in early November.

So many changes in understanding what is in our food and how it affects us. Fortunately, the marketplace is starting to be a major contributor to healthy eating.

G-F as a mainstream discussion! Whew, who woulda figured that! For some, substituting G-F bread/starch products does the trick, and the new energy high and stomach relief are accurate signals that a simple food-driven switch proves valuable. If you study the grocery aisles, you’ll quickly realize that markets, even small ones, have figured out they need to stock at least some of the newly-found bounty of product choices. Product growth has clearly been documented, and seems to be prevalent throughout the shopping experience and no longer limited to a small section of an aisle. Some stores make it easy either by tag identification (Whole Foods) or by providing a master list (Trader Joe’s) of these products. Just wait as the product numbers continue to grow and more people find relief from G-F foods.

Every once in a while a book finds its way to my desk and is so chock full of information that it needs a major mention. From the author of the 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes comes a more manageable tome entitled 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes. Carol Fenster’s latest book makes the switch over to G-F an easy, understandable transition. For those already following this approach, the recipes and alternate suggestions make cooking fun again. No longer does an adherent have to skip pies, cakes, or pizza. All the details are well-written and easy-to-follow. For those new to a gluten-free existence or those looking to substitute parts of their meals, they have an almost immediate understanding of how to make changes. Challenges can quickly be eliminated and become solutions.

BTW, have you noticed the increase in restaurants serving G-F dishes? How about the pizza parlor getting in on the bandwagon! That makes dining out an ever more approachable existence.

For those who have struggled with recipes or finding the right foods, so much has changed. The growth in the industry has proven itself a mainstream contender.