2013 Food Trends - Throwing My Spoon into the Mixing Bowl

Well, as John Lennon sang, "another year over and a new one just begun."

The former inevitably leads to "best of" lists, a practice I engage in myself by offering some of my favorite food memories of the past twelve months. The latter brings predictions for the coming year.

Numerous sources have offered ideas for food trends in 2013: Bon Appetit, Food Network, the Sterling Rice Group, ABC News, Cooking Light, The Daily Mail, The New York Times, and Kitchen Daily among them.

One suggestion is that popcorn will be all the rage - as a snack, with many different flavorings, and even as an ingredient. Although I personally think that popcorn is merely buttery, salty styrofoam, enough entities have proclaimed its coming resurgence that I suppose I'll watch as that trend takes shape.

Korean hot sauces are expected to be enormously popular. KIMKIM sauce won gold for "Outstanding Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer" at the NASFT's (National Association for the Specialty Food Trade) sofi awards this past summer. I know several people who are completely enthralled by it.

Pickled and fermented foods are also going to be "in," they say, and I know that these brined and vinegary foods have shown a huge uptake in popularity. Here in Ann Arbor, The Brinery is a much-loved company that's been winning fans at the forefront of the movement.

Tasting menus, too - a tidbit here, an enticement there, allowing you to try a variety of treats - seem to be very chic in coastal restaurants, particularly in New York City. As Pete Wells recently wrote in The New York Times: "Across the country, expensive tasting-menu-only restaurants are spreading like an epidemic. This year in New York, two such places were born ... while two other restaurants ... dropped their à la carte menus in favor of all-or-nothing tastings." Sure, in many cases it's a pretentious and costly way to get one measly nibble each of a number of dishes. But indecisive girl that I am, I love this concept that would allow me to try several items without having to make a full commitment to only one.

Chia seeds seem to be the latest health craze, having gone beyond merely growing "hair" on ceramic pets. According to another New York Times article, "chia, like fish, is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, though of a different sort. It also has antioxidants, protein and fiber. Recognition of its nutritional value can be traced as far back as the Aztecs." They can be used ground or whole, stirred into foods, incorporated into puddings ... these little powerhouses are very flexible and adaptable.

I think these lists have missed some other potential trends, though. Here are a few that I believe have some merit and possibility:

Scandinavian food. In 2011, the Scandinavians swept the Bocuse d'Or [boh-KOOS DOHR], one of the premier international cooking competitions: first place went to Denmark, second place to Sweden, and third to Norway. The biannual event will take place again on January 29th and 30th, and the Scandinavians must be coming in as the favorites. Beyond this, Copenhagen's Noma was named Best Restaurant in the World once again in 2012, for the third consecutive year. In addition to that, Aamanns-Copenhagen - a Danish restaurant serving innovative versions of traditional sandwiches and infused aquavits - just opened in New York; Denmark’s crown prince and princess came for the ribbon cutting last year, when construction began. And, of course, IKEA is a force that's been bringing lingonberry jam and elderflower syrup to the masses, to enjoy once they've polished off their plates of Swedish meatballs. The New York Times (my beloved fix, if you couldn't tell!) is the only one that picked up on this, noting it very briefly. But I've been talking about it for awhile, and brought it up on Facebook just after Christmas - I'd like to take credit where it's due!

Brazilian food and the Paleo Diet. Brazil has been poised to join the proverbial world stage for awhile now; its economy is thriving, and it is full of natural resources and beautiful scenery. Yes, there is also extreme poverty and continued corruption; I don't deny, or excuse, that. But the country is on the brink of becoming a star player. In 2014, Brazil will host the World Cup; in 2016, it will welcome athletes to the Summer Olympics. And if the Paleo Diet is all the rage right now, Brazilian eating habits are ideal for those jumping on the bandwagon. The Paleo Diet features items that our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have eaten: "fresh meats ... fish, seafood, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed). Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu." In nearly every way - with the exception of enormously popular beans and rice, and the country's famous pao de queijo [POW deh KAY-ee-zhoh (cheese bread) - this describes Brazilian cuisine, which is particularly noted for its beef.

Locavore expansion. I think the locavore movement - focusing upon eating seasonal, locally-grown produce - is quickly expanding to encompass more eating of locally-made products, as well. People seem to be supporting local bakers, local picklers, local cheese makers ... their friends, family, and neighbors who have small shops and small businesses, but big dreams and bigger flavors. For all the fuss about "big box" stores seeming to invade every community, there seems to be a new-found resurgence in small-batch producers, in wanting to support the folks next door and respecting their crafts and expertise. Ann Arbor welcomed several new farmers' markets this year, which featured beautiful produce and a wide variety of handmade/homemade treats. While it used to be so easy to go to a behemoth grocery store and buy everything in one spot, it seems more and more that people are learning about, buying, and - especially - eating locally-made products that might even require a few extra stops while out running errands.

Charcuterie. Charcuterie - smoking, salting, curing, and otherwise preparing specialty meats (sausages, hams, etc.) - has been making a resurgence at restaurants, but it is also being practiced at home. I know of several folks in their 20s who experiment with these beautiful, savory treats as a hobby, as a passion; and if the cool kids half my age are doing it, it must be fashionable! A labor of love, charcuterie has also inspired the charming folks at Ann Arbor's Biercamp to open a shop devoted to wonderful handmade sausages, bacons, and jerkies. Award-winning Detroit-area chef Brian Polcyn and his collaborator, Michael Ruhlman, have written a second definitive book about this culinary art form - Salumi: The Art of Italian Dry Curing - to follow Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing. As Sylvia Rector of The Detroit Free Press wrote not too long ago: "Polcyn's first book isn't the only reason hundreds of American chefs are now making and serving delicious cured meats and scores of new companies have sprung up to produce hand-crafted sausages and cured meats. But he surely helped light the fire." And that fire seems to be burning even more brightly now, as I believe the trend will grow and flourish. In fact, just last week I found out that Chef Steven Grostick, who is noted for butchery and charcuterie, will very soon be working at one of my favorite gourmet shops, The Produce Station.

So, what trends do you see where you live? Which ones do you think are overdone or passé? Which foods are you tired of? And what do you wish others would pick up on and turn into a trend that we can all catch on to?


(With thanks to Andrew Gorsuch of The Produce Station for the photo of KIMKIM sauce.)

Matzah 'n' Mangoes (and a Giveaway!)

Lotsa news 'round here!

1) If you've got some spare time and you'd like to read my review of The New York Times Passover Cookbook, then go to page 24 of this month's issue of The Washtenaw Jewish News.  Find out why I like to schmear grape jelly on my matzah, and where I learned to do it.

And 2) I'm hosting a giveaway ... yay!

A charming woman named Susan, who works in Marketing and Community Relations for Whole Foods Market, sent me an email the other day with a fabulous offer: a case of 16 Ataulfo mangoes [ah-tah-UHL-foh] to play with and a case for one of my astoundingly wonderful readers (those in the U.S., that is ... sorry to others!).

Entry is easy: all you have to do is leave a comment below saying that you'd like to win, tell me what you might make with the mangoes (or just that you intend to eat them "as is" with no fuss), and make sure I can reach you by email to let you know if you've won.  It would be great if you could "like" Whole Foods on Facebook, too, 'cause they've been nice to us.  Oh, and only one entry per person even if you leave more than one comment; the first one will be the one that counts. It's easier and more fair that way.

This one is going to be fast and furious: the deadline is Wednesday, April 11 at 9 a.m. EDT, and I'll use Random.org to pick the winner.  If I notify you of winning, you'll have 'til 3 p.m. EDT to acknowledge it; if you ignore me, I'll move on down the road to the next in line.

This timing probably seems a bit odd ... here's the scoop.  The mangoes are only being featured for a short while.  Observant Jews won't be using the computer from sundown on Thursday the 12th through sundown on Saturday the 14th because of the end of Passover (Jewish law ... it's complicated), so finding an email announcement or responding to it wouldn't be possible.  And procrastinators have to worry about their taxes ... oy!  It seemed easier to just do it quickly, before the weekend.

If you're the winner and you live near a Whole Foods, Susan can arrange for you to pick up the goodies at the closest store; if you don't live near a Whole Foods, she'll have them shipped to you.

That's it!

Chag Pesach Sameach! [HAHG PAY-sahk sah-MAY-ahk] = Happy Passover!

Red Beans and Rice, Because "It's Monday, Darlin'"

Red Beans and Rice is a dish that traditionally cooks all day long. But sometimes you just don't have all day at your disposal; or your craving doesn't hit until you're riding the bus home, and you need to get your fix now once the notion has started to tease you.

And so I present this quicker - and thus inauthentic, but delicious nonetheless! - version of the famous dish, with apologies to folks (like my beloved blogging buddy Candace) who are from Louisiana and cherish the true vision of Red Beans and Rice.

I also apologize to the late, great Louis Armstrong, who loved this dish so much that he would sign letters "Red Beans and Ricely Yours." Louis adored this classic food to such a degree that the ability to make it properly was a litmus test of sorts for his fourth wife, Lucille - a northerner who won his heart by cobbling together a recipe that Louis declared to be "very much delicious."

But sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, even if it's not entirely traditional. Because it's Monday, and that calls for Red Beans and Rice.

Back in September of 2005, I read an article in The New York Times about New Orleans' earliest attempts at recovery after the horror of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the city 6 years ago today (just as Irene is wreaking havoc on the East Coast). Red Beans and Rice was a critical component of the story.

The resilience of the people who live in New Orleans, and the tragedy of the unfathomable damage to a city I've only visited once and adored, struck me deeply.

And there is one portion of the article which has stayed with me for all these years as the city has come back to life. It is haunting for the normalcy it portrays in the midst of chaos; and it demonstrates the importance of the cherished comforts of food, tradition and familiarity after inconceivable trauma:

"Monday isn't Monday in New Orleans without red beans and rice. That's because back when laundry was done by hand, Monday was the day for doing it. A dish that could simmer all day was called for. People throw their laundry into washing machines any day of the week now, but red beans and rice is still the dish you eat on Monday in New Orleans.

On this Monday, two big pots were cooking on propane stoves on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant Alex Patout's, just across the narrow street from Antoine's.

The building's owner, Finis Shelnutt, was manning the pots, despite the neighborhood's stench, the approaching darkness and the near-barren streets.

Why?

'It's Monday, darlin',' he said."


Quicker Red Beans & Rice

3 strips bacon, cut into 3/4" pieces
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 large garlic cloved, minced
1 link cooked Andouille sausage, sliced lengthwise then cut into 1/2" pieces
1 15-ounce can dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce (Clancy's Fancy Hot Sauce, if you can get it - a fine Ann Arbor product!)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups white wine (I used Flip Flop Wines Riesling, a most generous marketing gift!)
1/2 cup water
rice, for serving

In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is starting to brown and has released some fat. Add the onion, red pepper, celery and garlic; cook until the vegetables have softened and the onion is translucent, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients and turn the heat to high; bring to a boil, then continue cooking for 15-20 minutes until some of the liquid has evaporated but it's still quite soupy. According to the Armstrong family recipe: "Beans and meat should always be just covered with water (juice), never dry."

Serve in a deep bowl, over rice.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Modernist Cuisine

I read a review in The New York Times last week of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Nathan Myhrvold, the former Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft. It's a massive -- literally! -- work dedicated to the most avant garde cooking techniques in the style that was originally labelled "Molecular Gastronomy."

Virtually no home cook can follow the recipes/steps/instructions, as the requisite equipment is expensive and the techniques are complicated and would fit quite comfortably in a scientific lab; but I find it all fascinating nonetheless. I'm hoping that the Ann Arbor Public Library will eventually purchase a set for me to peruse; I don't have an extra $450-600 (depending on where you shop) to buy it for myself!

Ferran Adria, the famed Spanish chef, is credited with initiating this wildly innovative cuisine. He creates such intriguing, fantastical dishes as:

an "egg" which is really a hollow, frozen shell made from Gorgonzola cheese

foams made with a primary ingredient combined with a gelling agent, then placed into a canister to be sprayed (as though it were whipped cream)

an "olive" which is actually an essence of olive flavor that has been sealed in a membrane to then melt on the tongue

Chicago's Grant Achatz is the most noted chef/practitioner of Modernist Cuisine in the United States. Food & Wine magazine once wrote about him: Any ingredient that strays into his kitchen is examined, poked, prodded, stretched, reshaped, transubstantiated. Herbs are turned into gas, fruit is turned into paper, pizza is stripped of crunch and chew until it's nothing but pure flavor .... Achatz had figured out how to blow bubbles out of mozzarella and trap tomato foam inside them.

Of course, this is as much avant garde art as it is avant garde food. I imagine that eating these delicacies would be a nearly indescribable experience challenging each of the senses, as one's traditional expectations of the foods would be completely shattered and then pieced back together bit by bit. Curiosity would turn into puzzlement, followed by recognition and then astonishment.

So, now there is a consummate reference work to inform us all about Modernist Cuisine, since it's not the sort of cooking one can do a recipe search for in order to satisfy a craving for dinner on any given night. You can't just run to the cookware sections at Target or K-Mart or even William-Sonoma for the equipment you'd need, after all! But you can experience it all vicariously, at least.

The New York Times describes the set of books this way:

As scientific as it is gastronomic, it is virtually an encyclopedia of cooking, a visual roller coaster through the world of food and cooking tools, as well as a compendium of 1,500 recipes.

The book builds from an overview of food history, microbiology and nutrition in Volume 1; to traditional and modern techniques in Volume 2, the science of cooking meat and plants in Volume 3, and the use of thickeners, gels and foams in Volume 4 (which also has a detailed chapter each on wine and coffee). Volume 5 is devoted to recipes for finished dishes, wherein all these chemicals and tools come together to create elaborate modernist meals.

Andreas Viestad of The Washington Post writes: At the center of "Modernist Cuisine" is the revolution in cooking that has taken place in the past couple of decades .... Cooking has moved from the age of fire to the space age.

So it is abundantly clear that I will not be producing any of these scientific/culinary creations myself any time soon and featuring them on ye olde blog! But if you'd like to see some extraordinary examples of this amazing cuisine, look at this slideshow to illustrate its complexity and beauty. It is astounding, even if it is out of the reach of the average person -- like me -- who just wants to feed her loved ones ....

The DIPE Dilemma

I learned a new term the other day while reading a New York Times article about the trend to have famously and notoriously thin actresses be interviewed at restaurants, a seeming effort to make sure that someone records their having ingested a few morsels at some point during the day.

And the new term???

Huh ...?

DIPE = Documented Instance of Public Eating

Hmmmm. Plenty to consider with that one, eh???

Now, in all honesty, I feel a need to offer some defense for those skinny girls since people often take issue with my weight and my appetite. For the record, I'm 5'8" and weigh maybe 120. I have such a small frame that my wrist is only 5-1/2" around, so I simply can't carry a lot of weight and I'm fortunate to have a metabolism which cooperates with that limitation.

But anyone who knows me can give you an abundance of examples of my own DIPEs. Although I strive to eat sensibly, both in terms of portions and also nutrients, I've got a pretty hearty appetite and can eat far more than most people would guess at first glance; I also possess not just one sweet tooth, but sweet teeth. So I feel as though the actresses in question must eat more regularly than is presumed despite their physiques, and may even truly enjoy junk foods like macaroni and cheese or fried zucchini, which were mentioned in the article ... everyone has their cravings, after all.

But it is admittedly difficult to consider how emaciated some of these women are, and then to reconcile that visual with the image of them eating high-calorie garbage. It should show on their skin, on their hips, somewhere!

Now, of course, these are women who earn good paychecks, who undoubtedly have personal trainers to whip them into shape and the clout to set their own schedules so that there are opportunities to exercise; peons like moi have none of the above, and are lucky to find time for a nice long walk or to do some yoga and push-ups. So the indulgence would show more on me and last longer, too.

Or is it, perhaps, that the actresses really don't have that much power, and that they've been instructed to eat publicly for the sake of documentation and to do so obediently? Bumble Ward, a blogger quoted in the NYT article, says “They’re so sure that people assume they have an eating disorder that they’re forced to wolf down caveman-like portions of ‘comfort food’ in order to appear normal. And worse, they feel they have to comment on how much they’re enjoying themselves."

So, rather than having publicists continue to earn their salaries by defending their clients' eating habits, the actresses have been cowed into timing their food consumption for maximum exposure ...?

Or, consider that this may be the only meal some of these women will eat during the day, supplemented by an energy drink or some nibbles at a glitzy party; by necessity, they'd need to load up on their calories then. But this isn't a healthy way to live, and I think if this were the case there would be periods of exhaustion and hypoglycemia followed by rumors about unreliability or unpredictability and the potential reasons for such behavior.

I don't know ... I admit that I look at some of these wispy creatures and say: "She needs to eat something. She's MUCH too thin!" (Good Jewish mama, here!) I also say it about some men, too, so everything's fair.

And yet, no one accuses the skinny guys of binging and purging, do they? No one accuses men of feigning affection for fatty foods merely for the sake of publicity. Men aren't expected to be thin while people scrutinize what they eat to either approve or disapprove depending upon what's being consumed.

Robert Redford was recently interviewed for AARP - The Magazine, and the meeting took place over lunch. "We sit at a small round table in a classroom at Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Redford, known to friends as Bob, has requested Chinese chicken salad, water, and coffee for lunch. 'Mind if I steal an egg from your salad?' he asks, as if we're old pals."

Was there even a whisper about this in the New York Times article, that a man may have staged an interview in a restaurant? Is there any suspicion in anyone's mind that Bob picks at his food most of the time, but that he is making a public demonstration of eating for the sake of having the meal documented? Is there any questioning of his ordering a salad rather than a steak? Nope.

So why are the women being scrutinized???

Well, for one, Bob looks like he eats well on a regular basis. Some of our most famous actresses (Cate Blanchett and Keira Knightley were referred to in the DIPE article) look as though they eat well maybe quarterly.

And yet, what are the societal expectations for actresses, hmmmm ...? Are they frail and fragile because they choose to be? Because that's what theoretically looks best on film? Because that's the standard of beauty? Because that's what audiences demand of their movie stars? Men should be broad-shouldered and chiseled and muscular and sturdy, while women should be skeletal and then criticized for it ... this is the norm.

So then, the actresses are chastized for being too thin only to then also be chastized if they dare to eat. What's a girl to do???

Eat. Just eat! Enjoy yourself, stay healthy, have some fun while paying attention to nutrition, and be sure to exercise. But eat -- and not just as another acting job, pretending to be a woman who enjoys hearty helpings of fatty foods. Set an example for women who admire you and girls who will grow up emulating you.

Just eat, and eat well -- lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables -- whether you've got an audience or whether you're alone in your jammies.

Clearly, the world is watching you ....



Image by Cool Text: Free Graphics Generator

Hail to the Maize 'n' Blue ... Corn with Blue Cheese, That Is

I read Melissa Clark's article last week in The New York Times, which contained a recipe for a creamed corn dish that was deemed "much too good to share." She selfishly gorged on it herself, unable to control her glee at having created something so amazingly delicious.

Being a fan of fresh corn, Gorgonzola, cream, and all the other wonderfully rich, luscious ingredients required, how could I resist??? I forwarded the article to both Jeremy and Tom -- devotees of such goodies themselves -- and we determined that it must be made, and made soon.

So then Tom and I were at Arbor Farms (a health food grocery store), and found a display right by the front door of corn on the cob that had been grown just down the road in Whitmore Lake ... God was sending a message, telling me "Make the corn dish. Now." I'm often fairly obtuse when it comes to interpreting what God wants from me, but this communication was pretty clear!

I picked up some of the corn, and then proceeded to meander through the store looking for the rest of the ingredients. I knew the recipe had required cream, but I thought perhaps that decadent buttermilk from local mainstay Calder Dairy might be better. I bought some Amish blue cheese. I was ready.

Since I didn't bother to look up the recipe before I started cooking and was relying upon my increasingly-feeble memory (a.k.a.: "The Sieve That Is My Brain"), I didn't remember that I was supposed to serve the corn on sliced tomatoes ... and I had freshly picked tomatoes from my garden, too. I also didn't remember the toasted pine nuts, which I adore. And I forgot the basil, even though I have 3 plants of it in my backyard.

But you know what? The corn didn't need any of it. I'm sure it would have been lovely with these additions -- as well as with some crumbled bacon, rather than just bacon fat saved from previous indulgences -- but it was also virtually addictive without them.

Truth be told, Jeremy thought the corn tasted like soap ... whaddya gonna do??? Tom liked it very much, though, so all the more for both of us!

And oh, isn't this just the perfect Maize 'n' Blue -- ha! -- dish to serve at a University of Michigan tailgate here in Ann Arbor, land of renewed excitement about football with our #21 team??? Yeah!!!

Creamed Corn with Blue Cheese

3 ears fresh corn, uncooked
2 tablespoons bacon fat
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 ounces crumbled blue cheese

Cut corn from the ears. Melt the bacon fat in a large skillet.


Add the corn; saute for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the corn is starting to turn golden brown. Add salt and pepper, and stir to mix.


Stir in the buttermilk and cook for 3 minutes until much -- but not all -- of the buttermilk is absorbed.


Stir in the cheese, stirring to break up lumps and make sure that the cheese melts.


When everything is creamy, it's ready to serve

Roasted Radish Review

Ever since reading about them in The New York Times, Tom and I have been wanting to make roasted radishes. I had tried them at the Westside Market a few weeks ago, but personally thought they were undercooked -- they were still crisp, and I was hoping for more caramelization. I tend to prefer my vegetables "overcooked" to most people's minds, but more like "meltingly tender" to my own.

So over the past weekend, Tom (who adores radishes!) and I took some and pan-roasted them rather than turning on the oven. We'd been planning to do this, talking about doing this ... it was about time to get it done!

And the process was ridiculously simple: I cut the radishes in halves or in quarters, depending upon their size, so that the pieces were about the size of large olives. I placed them into a bowl and tossed them with about 1 tablespoon of light olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Then I placed them in a frying pan over medium heat and just let them cook, stirring and flipping them over every so often to keep them from getting burned.


The radishes cooked for oh, maybe 20 minutes until they were tender when pierced with a knife and they were a deep golden brown. An adjustment of seasoning (a.k.a.: adding a pinch more salt), and there they were!

I let Tom taste them first, and he said: "It mellows out the radish, takes the bite away. Not what you'd expect ...." He loved them!

And they are different than you'd expect. I'm not a huge fan of radishes, unless they're in salads and have some dressing on them; I find them either bland or bitter, rarely anything in between. But once they'd been cooked and caramelized, all of that was gone; they were almost kinda starchy. I would absolutely make these tender tidbits again.

So don't just think of radishes as a garnish or a fresh, crisp vegetable to color a salad bowl. They made a fabulous warm dish that I would never have considered on my own. Try 'em -- you'll like 'em!