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.

Take a recent outing where the waiter quickly moved himself into the annoying corner as he seemed to meet resistance with his every ploy. Sparkling water became a spigot that was never shut off. You know how I feel about the restaurant versions of still and sparkling without a cost to the consumer.

When the waiter moved to a more profitable part of the menu as he  tried to sell truffles a thousand ways, he lost everyone at the banquette. The group preferred a conversation rather than a lesson in pricing or slicing. He was unstoppable as he moved through menu gyrations with the almost musical tone, “we could just add a thin truffle slice to make the dish purr.” Seriously, uninterested and turned off by this overpowering display of in-your-face possibilities. Let us dine. Let us relax and chat and welcome our dining choice rather than secretly dread the restaurant decision.  Did he mention the cost? No need; there were no bites at the table. He quickly tried another approach, also an unsuccessful strategy as he encouraged additional courses. He asked, “Is that it?” Not smooth; not impressive, and not a winning tool.

Yes, dining out can be complicated and expensive with rising food costs and creative plating as chefs struggle with all matters of pricing.  Yet, the annoyingly, cloying waiter needs to remain a caricature and not make a visible presence tableside. Let the diners’ imaginations go wild and let them initiate as in, “could I have the truffle atop that salad, or…”.  You get the picture. Food is expensive enough at high-tiered restaurants without the nagging upsell that has again entered the market space.

Let’s all be hospitable and relax.

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.

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!

Wheat Belly by William Davis throws us a curve when he says that our blood sugar is getting a spike from our increased use of whole wheat bread. Wait, it gets more frightening: Eating 2 slices of whole wheat bread is equivalent to drinking a can of sugar-sweetened soda. Wait. This was not the intended consequence.

Sugar was something we were trying to avoid as elevated blood sugar leads to a whole category of diseases such as diabetes. Davis goes on and details how wheat creates the visceral fat layer that is responsible for an increased risk of breast cancer. Were we not moving the family to whole wheat products, assuming they did not suffer from a gluten intolerance or even Celiac, for positive health results? Now all of a sudden we are out in left field having been advocates for a less than healthy path for our families.

The problem quite simply is that the wheat we eat today is not the wheat of earlier times.  In Davis’s words, the wheat has been “hybridized,” basically, overbred or, are we overbread? That process raises blood sugar and kicks up insulin levels. This resembles a sugar rush as one is often hungry within a few hours and the taste itself has an addictive quality, much as all sweets we savor.

Switching to whole wheat products created a conundrum: You thought you were doing something wonderful for your body but instead you were complicating matters and creating negative, rather than positive, results. One cannot help but ask if the number of people who now recognize that they are gluten intolerant are responding to this wheat intake.

The ultimate point is that wheat for whatever reason increases visceral fat (belly fat) which is associated with a range of negative health issues such as diabetes and heart disease. The cover of the book strikes the message with its stacked bagels which of course are fattening in and of themselves but Davis says, “Lose the wheat. Lose the weight.”

We know for a certainty that visceral fat has negative health consequences. Likewise diabetes numbers continue to spike. This may be the approach: Eliminating the wheat may be the simplest diet plan to follow.

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.

Virginia joins the customer-friendly philosophy by allowing consumers to BYOW, bring their own wine to restaurants and pay a corkage fee. Just one common courtesy here: Don’t bring something that is already on the restaurant’s wine list. You want to keep the restaurant in business and not add to their operating cost burden.

Maybe my favorite legislative enactment is from Maryland which requires food purveyors, farm markets, and grocers to define what those “local” signs really mean. This word has had a true liberal dosing of meaning. Big banners often proclaim local only to learn that one store’s definition involves hundreds of miles while one really means the nearby grower. The law applies to fruits, vegetables, fish, and shellfish by requiring a defined point of origin. Let’s keep those signs accurate and support the true definition of local.

Oregon’s wine industry, with its much hearalded 2008 Pinot Noir accolades, just got an additional boost. License plates can now advertise wine country which should boost sales for the entire tourism industry. Why not tag something so impressive!

Celebrate the red, white, and blue by toasting these impressive legislative enactments. OK, one is costly (a 9% alcohol sales tax), but it may help the coffers in a responsible way.

Enjoy the 4th.

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.

What special benefits can hotels offer to distinguish themselves? That is an ongoing industry, marketing question. Hyatt jumped up to the plate with a Welcome Credit. Depending on the number of nights, the monetary reward could be as high as $150. A guest should have no problem enjoying spending the money on the property. Hello, steak dinner.

If you’re Vegas-bound, you have the universe of selections as hotels are tripping over each other with good deals as their economy still lags. Once you settle on a property, take a stroll down the Strip and dine to your heart’s content as a whole coterie of big-deal chefs continue to wine and dine the visitor. It seems no end is in sight as to the restaurant potential in Vegas. Corby Kummer finds that the food now matches the hype! Jose Andres followers take note: The famous chef continues to research and study the history of foods. His latest education turns his palate to Chinese food. Washington, DC, which feels a certain hometown national pride over Andres’s food empire, will readily welcome a good Chinese restaurant, or two.

Let’s not forget coffee. In-room coffee service has been heavily scrutinized, and criticized, for its questionable cleanliness standards. Hotels have fought back with lobby coffee partnerships that promise a respectable cup of coffee. Marriott Hotels have various coffee partnerships depending on the brand. Newer or refurbished Courtyards offer Starbucks in the Bistro, and the higher-end properties (JW Marriott, Renaissance) may have taken coffee to a new height: An Espressamente Illy., a true coffee experience. The logic is quite simple: Keep the money in the property rather than watch guests stroll down the block and return to the hotel with someone else’s cup.

Sure small refrigerators and minibars stocked with a guest’s pre-ordered items (Hilton) are popular, but what’s better than good food and a great cup of coffee? OK, a lovely wine, but that’s not really been a hotel’s downfall. So pack your bags and take a hotel holiday or a mini-vacation. It is summer, after all.

Now a little background. The National Archives is the Nation’s repository of history, and the impressive food collection is a vital piece of that history. They have culled their materials to create an exhibit which will open June 10, 2011. “What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?” will showcase 85 original records which trace the origins of the programs and the legislation aimed at the food supply and reflect the effects government programs have had on our food choices and preferences. Visitors will have an opportunity to examihttp://www.allbeforecoffee.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=8289&action=edit&message=10ne letters, diaries, photos, and maps from the collection. The Exhibition will focus on four broad themes: Farm, factory, kitchen, and table.

Then there is the world of internationally recognized Spanish chef Jose Andres who makes his home in Washington, DC and is the master of the restaurant scene with his restaurants under the creative arm of his ThinkFood Group. Andres will serve as the Chief Culinary Advisor to the exhibit. He calls himself a “cook and a storyteller,” and his most humble story, apropos to this exhibit, is his own personal success and achievements in his adopted country. Andres’s passion for food and how it can teach us to understand nations and history will become evident in the July 4th opening of his newest endeavor, America Eats Tavern. It is no coincidence that this pop-up 6-month restaurant will be on 8th Street within view of the Archives and in the Cafe Atlantico space which will move to  a new home.

Andres believes that chefs tell a story and that this restaurant, opening in collaboration with the Archives exhibit and in partnership with the Foundation for the National Archives, will expand food knowledge for all visitors. This unique, first-of-a-kind partnership will open the eyes of visitors to understand our nation’s past and project them into understanding the importance of food in our culture and our heritage.

Different titles; different jobs: One Nation of Food.

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.

Whatever the words or the products, every little act becomes significant. The impact is huge.

Respect our world and make a difference.

Besides ample room to negotiate the aisles, what else is new in this brightly lit environment? Where does one begin? Maybe with the fact that they have a butcher on site. That works for me as the profession has been slowly facing the death knell. To help the butcher have a bold presence, there’ll be no shortage of great aromas as the meat department has its own smoker for ribs and brisket, a Kosher selection, and dry-aged meats.

The fish and seafood counter may remind you a bit of the way hotels are reaching out and getting away from the front desk concept. In this department, the staff will come out from behind the counter and help you select your items. The more personalized, interactive, approach is something that will be evident throughout the entire store.

Name a department and put them to the test. They’ve got you covered. Start with take-away, prepared foods. You’ll be swimming in possibilities from the hot 850 degree pizza oven that promises a Neapolitan selection in 90 seconds to the new Arepas section for your cornmeal cake. Too daring, then step over to the burger and hot dog station. Some other changes right there: An organic salad bar. Now that takes the guesswork out of decision-making! They’ll even have smaller, more affordable prepared salads in the cases.

As for what’s truly different: Cooking Rockville promises to take the guesswork out of “How do I prepare this food, ingredient?” They have a staff of cooking coaches ready to assist in an inviting space with a wall of spices and grains as a backdrop!  This area should help more shoppers take the next step into adventuresome, reality cooking, what they call CIY, Cooking It Yourself. They’ll champion you.

The company seems focused on addressing an age-old problem: Affordability. They are conscious of what’s involved for every shopper and stress their new focus: competitive everyday prices, over 2,000 sale items per month, and plenty of weekly specials. When you add that up and throw in the emphasis on fresh, organic, and local,  you have followed the Market to its next step.

It’s always fun to go to a new grocer or restaurant preview. This outing was no exception. Yes, Whole Foods has shown that shopping does not have to be dull. Always fun to see new departments stretch the possibilities and respond to the latest trends.

Grab a basket. It’s opening day!

Then, the impasse. Your email is filled with offers. Deals, bargains, two-fers; you name it. They’re there. What happened? How did we get to this point, and why was no one offering us these “bargains” before? Marketing organization is the strategy that convinces businesses to take advantage of online energy. It’s simple for the companies, especially small companies, but no one should forget how well big players such as Gap (Groupon deal) and Amazon (Living Social deal) did with their offers!  Small businesses, on the other hand,  see the advantage of possibly getting 1,000 new customers. Will they have stickiness is the big question or does the purchaser only visit the place on his special deal visit?

Look at the possibilities that I awoke to this morning: Half-off a burger, $15 for $30 worth of food from a large selection of Asian and European restaurants, $25 for $50 at an American spot…I could continue, but it is rather alarming how these deals multiply. Subscribers are divided into only two groups: The Addicted and the Never Again. The fine print often gets the Never Again as they missed the expiration date or the deal was not what they expected.

The Addicted, a group I might claim chairmanship, means a daily scroll through the possibilities and some serious personal, private conversations about how many deals should one have floating in their cloud at any one time? I do have self-control, as in, I did not buy $20 worth of candy which looked like jelly beans for $10. Yet, a good chocolate offer…BTW, companies are sprouting up all over the country. New online contenders continually seem to offer a deal a day. Deal categories continue to expand from cooking classes to clothing to home decor and activity trips or vacations. You name it; there’s a deal site.

What’s one to do? Of course, cancellation would be an option, but then you’d miss the hot new restaurant that’s trying to get your attention. After all when you scan through sold out past deals, you see what you missed!

Just to show you the popularity of these programs, try to take advantage of the offer to get “free” money with a referral. Everyone you send it to seems to respond, “already subscribe.”

The obvious solution: Invest in the companies when they go public. They know how to make a deal.

Now we just have to teach people how to dispose of their various waste materials. Have you ever seen the way people line up at Whole Foods when they try to dispose of their containers? The way they study the possible receptacles, (trash, compost, and recycle) makes you wonder if companies need to keep a video playing above the disposal areas! You Tube video in the works!

Continuing the eco-theme, have you seen the nifty lunch and snack bags from EcoBags? They are just what we all need  for our snacks and picnic lunches. It is going to feel like a real Spring pretty soon. Be patient. The bags make recycling super simple: Nothing to throw out and a handy, attractive container to use and reuse.

And for our beverages, it’s time to be reminded about the Hydro Flask. We’ve had enough worldwide discussions about the waste from plastic water bottles, no matter how many times the companies reduce the plastic. Carrying this BPA-free fully insulated container enables you to begin with your morning coffee and then switch to a cooling water beverage. Hot stays hot and cold, cold. You know the drill, but what makes these handsome containers impressive is their double insulated wall. Never lose sight of their give-back program: You designate the charity and 5% of the gross gets donated through their partner program, FivePercentBack.

For the record, I have both the EcoBag and the Hydro Flask and give them both regular workouts! Trust me on their usability and feel good characteristics!

The math on all these programs is simple: We are helping save our planet, one action at a time. Earth Day is still several weeks away, but no single day should be our sole focus.

New research from the Center for Culinary Development in their Culinary Trend Mapping Report showcase how we have become more adventurous diners. Just take a common Latin American inspired combination, chocolate and chiles, and stroll down a market’s chocolate aisle. Yes, plenty of sea salt and caramel treats, but the heat potential from the chiles combined with a high percentage dark chocolate has become an interesting best seller.

Other trends that signify a move to mainstream eating include the use of wasabi. No longer just a green presence on a packaged market sushi carry out order or at the Japanese restaurant, but a true flavor enhancer in a variety of snack foods. Japanese yuzu, a member of the lime family, makes regular menu appearances as a marinade or a sauce as the citrus brings out a broad range of taste.

Let’s not forget the cocktail meisters who have taken these flavor-rich ingredients and foods to create unique, new timely, of-the-moment drinks. Basil is so last year!

Diners are ready to be willing players. Bring on the challenges.

The products will be widely available and not limited to a single retail outlet. Remember the coffee deal with Kraft expired so their reach with this partnership has expanded almost infinitesimally. Not just coffee, but the units will work well with their Tazo tea lineup.

Let’s think about the home use advantages: All those times when you don’t want to brew a whole pot could grab the top slot. How about one person favoring a decaf and another an espresso, that works. All of this brew technology rests with the success of the single-pod machines. For travelers, there could be an across-the-board in-room revolution: Hotels could throw out the in-room coffee pots and go for the more sanitary single-use approach. OK, how about the office where no one wants to clean the pot; so no one does! My personal travel and in-home list could continue, but most importantly the news comes at the same time everyone is reporting an insane spike in the cost of Arabica beans.

One issue to ponder: The environmental impact of these little containers. Last fall this was at the top of the radar pile; let’s see what news comes out on this fractious issue.

As coffee prices rise, a single cup solution may win over a whole new legion of followers. We’ll watch and taste.

Meatless days took on a new pitch last year when “Top Chef” judge and chef Tom Colicchio advocated for Meatless Mondays and found lots of chef pals joining in on the concept. What’s the deal with this idea anyway? Depends who you ask. Clearly it has great marketing potential.

Cutting meat out of one’s diet has proven beneficial for many in terms of calorie reduction and overall health benefits. Cost savings come into play, too. As more chefs and cookbook bloggers demonstrate, there are plenty of forgotten vegetables and side dishes that can become tasty meal pleasers. Look at how appetizing some of these dishes are. Yes, you can find new uses for formerly unfamiliar veggies and introduce other proteins onto the plate.

The change is not limited to media hype. Many school lunch programs as part of an overall cost-saving approach and a nod to the obesity brigade have become more interested in finding acceptable meatless alternatives. For some youngsters, vegetables have never been a choice or a familiar food group so resistance has been anticipated.

Wait: The meat industry has decided to take off the gloves and counter the concept with its own series of campaigns. Plenty of red-blood loving, protein-heavy dishes do not want to be thrown out of the equation. After all, last year was definitely the year of the burger as idle pieces of real estate became burger destinations. Statistics indicate a continued strong appetite for this concept; one that seems to have drawn many well-known chefs into the condiment wars.

What is a health-conscious diner to do? Going meatless has its advantages as plant-based diet approaches continue to demonstrate. The answer about food lifestyle changes is always the same: Go easy; be creative; find your balance.

It’s Monday!