Food trends ahead OK, here's a roundup of some of the food trend predictions that have slammed into our in-box. Clip and save for Dec. 31, 2008, to see which ones caught fire.
Cotton candy and muesli Food & Wine magazine is predicting a resurgence in old-fashioned candy, wild American shrimp, muesli, chef-run noodle bars, barrel-aged beers, chardonnay from Oregon and haute frozen food. The Mintel International Group, a market research firm based in Chicago, is putting its money behind easy-to-understand nutritional labels. Also: "functional water" with added nutrients; ancient grains such as amaranth, quinoa and teff, and virtually any food that's fair trade, where a company deals directly with the farmer, ideally resulting in a fairer price for the producer.
Offal -- say no more Baum & Whiteman Co. Inc., restaurant consultants of New York, think we're going to go ga-ga, not gag-gag, over offal -- you know, entrails, hearts, lungs, feet. In the hands of the right chef, though, no doubt yummo. They also predict more restaurants doing takeout orders via text messaging, restaurants with micro-niche menus such as grilled cheeses, Korean food and cocktails enhanced with functional foods. (Does that mean food with added nutrients? We have no idea.)
Spice Girls? Spice trends McCormick has released a list of 10 top flavor pairings for the new year. Some sound delicious, others like acquired tastes. But hey, we have all year. Here's the list: oregano and heirloom beans; vanilla bean and cardamom; chile and cocoa; coriander and coconut water; lemon grass and lychee; red curry and masa; orange peel and natural wood smoke; allspice and exotic meats; poppy seed and rose; rubbed sage and rye whiskey. For recipes using these pairings, go to www.mccormick.com.
Incredible drinkable egg The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) predicts that renewed interest in classic cocktails is leading bartenders to revisit using raw eggs, once commonly used for fizzes, flips and pickups. The egg whites act as a binding agent and create a distinct froth, but bartenders now are infusing the whites with fruit syrups and floating them on top of drinks or shaking them into drinks such as the Ramos Fizz or a brandy flip. Health concerns? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 egg in 20,000 in the U.S. supply has the salmonella bacteria. The FDA suggests using pasteurized shell eggs, and most drink recipes can be made with powdered egg whites. For some cocktail recipes, go to www.discus.org and search for "egg cocktails."
