This list is a little late since most of this information has been out for some time. And, while many trends are not surprising, lists vary depending on your source which is why I’ve compiled them into a larger “Yummly-ized” version for easy reading.
If you stop by Yummly in the near future you will see some of these trends appear as blog topics. As always we’d love to hear about any you’ve seen in your local area or neighborhood.
Finally, sorry to say I left off one trend (fried chicken) because although I love it, I feel like it’s been covered in the past. Happy to add it in if anyone disagrees!
Yummly’s interpretation of 2010 trends (dining and eating):
- Back to basics – think canning, pickling and basic techniques
- Beer – craft beers everywhere, also taps into the “new Austrian” trend
- Smaller portions (restaurant meals, desserts) – mini whoopie pies
- Burgers – chains will strive for better, premium burgers
- Children’s healthy food options – more for the home
- Cocktails – local liquor and culinary creations
- Casual dining – potlucks
- Eggs – the new bacon
- Asian + Latin – a dynamic duo (LA Kogi taco trucks)
- Farm branded meats – “Denver Steak”
- Lamb – the new pork
- Local, seasonal – check out the Cook Here and Now concept (Bay Area)
- Meatless meals and party foods – even for non-vegetarians
- Sustainable seafood, different varieties – Branzino, Arctic Char
- Superfruits – mangosteen, rambutan, goji berries, acai
- Sweeteners – stevia, turbinado, agave (and real sugar in sodas!)
Dungeness crab: seasonal and fresh.
To celebrate the new year AND tie into the list of trends, try the Celery Cup recipe below. It’s a refreshing, culinary delight.
Celery Cup #1
- 1 ½ oz. Square One Cucumber
- 1 – inch fresh English cucumber
- 2 – inch celery stalk
- Palm-full of cilantro
- 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz. organic agave nectar or simple syrup
- 1 celery stalk (garnish)
In a mixing glass, muddle the cucumber, celery, cilantro and lemon juice into a pulp. Add remaining ingredients, cover in ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice and garnish with a piece of celery.
Recipe courtesy of Elixir and Square One.
Happy new year (again)!
The focus at last week’s market was brassica, or cruciferous vegetables. These are vegetables in the mustard family like brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli or kohlrabi (basically all the things I didn’t love as a kid!) In addition, there were colorful persimmons, satsumas, and pomegranates on display. On this day, however, I had my eye on the brussels sprouts.
While I love the idea of bacon and brussels sprouts, for a change in taste and texture try roasting with just olive oil, garlic and salt. Roasting brings out the “meatiness” and depth of flavor (sometimes referred to as umami) in the sprouts. Also consider a salad of chopped roasted sprouts, cooked pancetta and hard boiled egg drizzled with a red wine vinegar dressing.
Garlicky Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, sliced into ¼ inch disks
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- Olive oil – enough to coat, about 1 T.
- Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the brussels sprouts into thin disks (see picture). Mince the garlic. Toss together with enough olive oil to coat (1-2 T) and add salt/pepper to taste. Roast sprouts and garlic for 15 minutes, and then toss. Roast for another 15 minutes and turn off the oven. Let rest in oven another 10 minutes or until tender. Enjoy!
Roasted brussels sprouts.
Golden Delicious Apples
It takes a two-hour plane ride to Seattle and then another 2+ hours to drive east of the mountains (Cascades) for the annual Apple Cider party our friends have each year. And every year I think how crazy it is to travel so far for this fall ritual which involves a decent amount of sweat equity and the ability (this year) to brave the cold. My attitude seems to change midstream once I have my first glass of freshly pressed, unfiltered sweet – but tart – cider. It’s the best ever and at that point I am one happy camper (or worker, in this case.)
This year we used a blend of apples; Golden Delicious, Reds (not related to Goldens) and Granny Smith which, according to reports, the Beatles Apple records adopted as their symbol. Really? In any case, the combination of apples used for our cider produced a sweet flavor which was infused with a decent “bite” of sour (probably the Grannys) for a totally delicious, refreshing treat.
It’s hard to convey just how good fresh cider is but suffice it to say I’m quite bitter that I can’t bring it on the plane ride home. In past years I would bring a few gallons home despite the odd looks from the other passengers (how do you explain “I’ve got two gallons of cider here – but don’t worry, they’re in the overhead and oh yeah, your seat is right below…”)
While you probably won’t be setting up your own cider processing line soon, you might want to try the apple dip recipe below. It was provided by the “cook” at the cider party who said it’s her son’s favorite. Enjoy!
Ardie’s Apple Dip
- 8 oz. cream cheese (low fat is ok)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix ingredients together and add 3/4 cup toffee bits. Dip tart apples!
- Pressing the apples
- The filling station
- The finished product (86 gallons!)
The perfect bite
It’s tough to secure a reservation for an oyster feast at Hog Island in Marshall, California these days especially after a feature on the Food Channel’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate (thanks a lot, Tyler Florence!) I called and requested a picnic table a few weeks out (“no”) then a month (“sorry”) and finally almost 2 months before landing an open spot late September. Although our reservation seemed like forever into the future, before I knew it we were ready to go with briquettes in hand (for grilling along with the “raws”) and a bevy of homemade mignonettes.
So here’s the deal: you get to Hog Island and find your picnic table. Then, you figure out how many to buy, light the coals and secure your “stash”. After many trips to Hog Island we’ve got a system: 50% Sweetwater (small or medium) and 50% Kumamotos or a total of about 100+ oysters (for, um…5 people.) The Sweetwaters we grill and apply a “farm BBQ sauce” (found in the Hog Island cookbook) and the kumies or kumos we shuck and slurp. While all the oysters are amazingly briny and fresh, it’s really the deep-cupped, buttery Kumamotos I await with foodie anticipation each and every time.
A native of Ariake Bay in Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, post WWII the Kumamoto was thought to be a good alternative to the Olympia which was in danger of disappearance due to over-fishing and pollution. Oystermen were less enamored of the Kumamoto due to it’s long growing period (3 years). An effort to cross breed the Kumamoto with a faster growing variety ended up with something described as “a watery blob”. The resulting hybrid quickly spread to the rest of the stock and resulted in a scramble to find genetically pure stock to replenish the original Kumamoto stock.
With much of Japan’s original oyster beds (Hiroshima) in ruins, Kumamotos were in danger of disappearing altogether but were rescued from oblivion by seed found in a few places, namely Shelton WA (Taylor Shellfish) and Tomales Bay. As is the case with many trends “what’s old became new” and oysters – especially Kumamotos – rode the wave to popularity again starting in the 80’s.
To me, Kumamotos are special not only because of their unique taste but the dedication of many to preserve the legacy of this delicacy. As I attempt to slowly savor each bite my enthusiasm takes over and soon I am quickly – and happily – slurping oysters while enjoying a view of beautiful Tomales Bay with glass of wine in hand.
The breakfast of champions!
A recent conversation about regional food turned into a discussion about shoofly pie. This is a recipe I’ve seen in my favorite cookbook of pies and tarts and ignored because none of the ingredients really grabbed me (no chocolate?) At the urging of our Philly guest, I decided not to swat this idea away and see what the buzz is all about (someone please laugh here!)
So why do people want to eat a pie with a reference to “flies” in it? And does the name refer to those pesky insects that show up randomly or is it just a nickname? Well, a little of both. It’s said that because of the high molasses content flies are drawn which requires one to “shoo them away” – hopefully before they execute the perfect landing on top (eww!)
On a serious note, Shoofly pie is considered a custard type in the same “pie family” as pecan and Chess pie (“jus pie”). Chess pie is a Southern specialty similar to pecan but without the nuts. Shoofly is famous in Pennsylvania Dutch country and is thickened with a streusel to more closely resemble cake. This delight of a dessert made it’s way into our lexicon in the mid 20’s and can be mail ordered today if you’re willing to shell out a few bucks.
For those who prefer to make and bake their own pie the following recipe is from my friend Jen and it’s been passed down four generations in her family. Her father made sure to note that “there’s nothing better in the morning than shoofly pie and a good cup of coffee” and I reckon he’s probably right!
Nana’s Shoe Fly Pie
Recipe courtesy of the Gilburg family, Lancaster PA.
Make or purchase crust for an 8 inch pie
Stir crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl:
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter
Pie filling*
- ½ cup baking molasses (Brer Rabbit)
- ½ cup baking soda**
- ½ cup boiling water
*Make sure the water is boiling…the mixture will fizz so be sure to place the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir together and pour into crust. Top with crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
**Editor’s note: we’ve received feedback that the original amount of baking soda (1/2 cup) rendered this pie too salty. The recommendation is for less baking soda in the amount of 1 teaspoon.
Also, here’s another recipe to try.
