2011 Food Trends

I recently read the book "Alice Waters and Chez Panisse," by Thomas McNamee. Our book club is reading it in December, I am the leader of the discussion, so I decided to do some further research. I was surprised at how fine dining food menus have changed over the years. Then I began looking at food trends today, and how crazy some of them are.

The Winter Fancy Food Show was held recently at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. I wasn't there, but have been to others, and know what goes on. Three days of taste testing and indulging. The show had a huge variety of foods, everything from chocolate to cheese, salty snacks to high end sauces. A handpicked panel of industry experts were chosen to brave the aisles and samples, and sniff out emrging trends in food. The judges included Nancy Hopkins, from Better Homes and Gardens, Tina Ujlaki, from Food and Wine, and Kara Nielsen, from Center for Culinary Development. Here's their thoughts on food trends.

1. Chocolate for breakfast: cocoa-infused teas, hot chocolate on a stick, Belgian Waffles, granola and more all included chocolate.
2. Healting foods: Many foods are highlighting their healing powers-ancient herbal teas, aloe and cucumber drinks, macrobatches of other healthful beverages.
3. New noodles: A flavorful and healthful upgrade to the basic noodle are found in yam, kelp, farro and spelt.
4. Heat with flavor: ghost peppers and yuzu-wasabi sauce are just a few of the concoctions that will blaze and satisfy your palate.
5. Creative chips: forget about potato chips. The trend now is to make crispy chips from pinto beans, naan, peas, mung beans, kale or wild rice.

These are trends discovered at the fancy food show, but there's much more. Here are some other food trends I've noticed.

1. Savory Pies
2. Potted meats (pates, rilettes and other varieties of meat in a jar)
3. Canning and pickling (check out Chicks with Knives in Los Angeles) they teach canning and pickling classes, and sell a popular bacon jam!
4. Whoopie pies- with cupcakes not quite passe, whoopie pies are popping up on bakery counters all over the place.
5. Butterscotch pudding-this is the IN dessert in LA and San Diego. I hear that Mozza's butterscotch budino started this trend.

Check out a restaurant menu from years gone by and see how food trends have changed. The steak and baked potato has been replaced with grass fed beef and organic vegetables. Change is good.