It is March already and I'm wondering how the expert's predictions are panning out. Here is a list of several food trends that were going to be HUGE in 2009 from Gourmet, Bon Appetit, News Wire Today, The Appetizer, Epicurious, and NPR. To keep things interesting, those trends that appeared in more than one article I put in bold.
Some themes appear with regularity; 1) the economy of dining out and eating, 2) food becoming more healthy and sustainable, and 3) a lean towards more rustic and comforting dishes. Some are quite specific (like Pisco Sours), others are pretty vague (like Health).
Which do you think are going to have the biggest impact on what we eat this year?
Gourmet (12/8/2008)
Home cooking - Comforting recipes - Cooking classes - Prix Fixe menus - Big beans - Goat's and sheep's milk ice cream - Neutrceuticals - Probiotics - Yogurt - "Bitter blockers" for cocktails - Small distillers - Made in the USA labels - Pre-amuse amuse-bouche - Salvadoran - Dominican - Korean - Indian - Ecologically responsible
Bon Appetit via the Huffinton Post (12/9/2008)
"Dinner Party of the Year -- Luxury for Less," "Dessert of the Year -- Peanut Butter Desserts," "Restaurant Trend of the Year -- Breakfast," "Destination of the Year -- Lima, Peru," "Ingredient of the Year -- Ricotta," "Cuisine of the Year -- New Southern," "Wine Trend of the Year -- Great Bargain Bottles"
News Wire Today (12/11/2008)
Comfort food - Scratch cooking and home baking - British - Less protein - Head to tail - Sustainable meat and fish - Changing drinking habits - Thirst for food skills and knowledge - Restaurant and farm alliances - More miniaturisation - More customisation - Health
The Appetizer (12/11/2008)
Eating local - Probiotics - The Cocktail - Acai - Sweet Potato Fries - Fast Food - Charcuterie - Molecular Gastronomy - Small Portions - Cheap Cuisine
Epicurious (12/1/2008) by James Oliver Cury
"Value" is the new "Sustainable" - The Compost Pile is the new Flower Garden - Peruvian is the new Thai - Noodle Bars are the new Sushi Joints - Ginger is the new Mint - Smoking is the new Frying - Regional Roasters are the new Starbucks - Portland (Maine) is the new Portland (Oregon) - Rustic Food is the new Molecular Gastronomy - "Top-Rated" is the new "Critic's Pick"
NPR FOOD (1/11/2009) interview with Bonny Wolf
Dining on the cheap - lower prices - bar menus - fixed-price meals - more a la carte options - flexible hours - dishes that can be shared - breakfast-all-day - cooking classes - [comfort foods] mashed potatoes - meat loaf spaghetti and meatballs - sophisticated twists - bring back the the family dinner - kitchens will become "greener" - charcuterie platters - bite-sized desserts - Peruvian cuisine - Pisco sours - noodle bars - anything with an egg on - bargain wines