My Top Ten List - Food Trends

I am compiling a list of the foods and/or dressy toppers that are currently trending, in my opinion--both those that tempt and annoy my palate. There are not so many new foods appearing on the scene (although the variety available is already staggering), but chefs are constantly conceiving of new ways to excite our palates, and awaken all of our senses--with alluring additives, addicting infusions, bold colors and combinations, tantalizing descriptions and precise platings. When we eat at a restaurant we don't usually sniff out (as a dog will) our food first--like we do when we swirl our merlot to fully appreciate all the fragrance notes--but smell is certainly integral to taste as well. And of course, eye appeal is huge for those who are not color blind. Occasionally we can hear the food as well--like when our steak comes out sizzling or when our saganaki flames up. And then there is the feel of food in our hands and mouth--texture, temperature etc. After all this, we have that marvelous tasting tongue which (hopefully) distinguishes sweet, salty, bitter and sour ... and that more elusive fifth savory taste, umami. Asians claim a sixth taste as well--one I think I want to avoid!

Some of us get bored with food and seek opportunity for a new taste experience. And there are those who are content to eat the same thing day after day, or who are just not tasters (how boring is that?) and may be excited more by color, texture, artistic plating or even portion size. But many of us are curious enough to want to try that new gastropub everyone is talking about or that new offering that is featured at our favorite market.

Sometimes I am forced to be creative and eat something a little weird just to use up leftovers--most recently, too much cranberry relish from Thanksgiving and leftover whipped cream. This is what I ate, using the extra cranberry/raspberry jam sauce that I boiled up myself:

Old fashioned Quaker Oats with cranberry sauce and Reddi Wip!

THE LIST

Well, here goes. This is my list, necessarily and admittedly subjective:

First is LEMON ZEST.  It sounds and looks and smells wonderful, especially as a garnish. But since when do we need to eat lemon peel? The bitter lemon peel should remain on the lemon, and be left to its role as an easy squeezy condiment for fish or as a swirly cocktail garnish--and then tossed and ground up in the disposal for a delightfully fresh lemon scent.

Next is CARAMELIZED ONIONS. They are everywhere. Anything caramel connotes a sweet richness. So I guess when caramelly onions are added to the sea-salted juicy (fatty) beef burger, that (supposedly deadly) trifecta of goodness is achieved. Onions do not agree with my digestive system, so this is another enhancement that is lost on me.

Then, often along with the onions ... there is BACON. Bacon is big and bad in flavor and fat. Did you try a bacon-wrapped turkey this year--or better yet, pancetta-wrapped? Some think that bacon mania is subsiding, but I disagree.

Bacon is not just for breakfast anymore. It is featured in cocktails, chocolate bars, and as a topping option at every fast food chain in town. For breakfast, it is no longer just two slices on the side (check out last week's Tea and Cookies blog), but it gets mixed into the blueberry waffle batter.

At The Ravenous Pig - candied bacon garnish

I have been totally into bacon this year, sampling every instantiation of it that I can find, including that baked brown sugar/coffee grounds recipe.

A friend of mine, aware of my obsessions, found this calendar for 2014, with recipes:

Bacon calendar from friend J

A waffle recipe:

Next, the fine marriage of salt and caramel, SALTED CARAMEL, appearing in everything from Starbucks coffee to holiday pies. I have not yet fully explored this trend, but I have always enjoyed caramelly candies and toppings for sundaes, etc. which are often accompanied by salty nuts.

(I later explored the union of salted caramel and rootbeer and I will never try it again! Maybe it was just this brand):

Yuck!

ROOT VEGETABLES are constantly touted, but I'm not sure what the big deal appeal is here. Eating roots does conjure up notions of healthy, hearty, earthy, even paleo.

Beautiful beet salad I enjoyed locally last summer.

 I like dirt (I am a gardener!), but I'm not so much into the rooty or the tooty (onions) veggies. Beets, especially, are finding their place at the table with more frequency, often in salads. But who really craves beet chips?

Thanksgiving 2011

KALE. If you have to deep fry kale to enjoy it, just forget it. I used it last year to garnish my turkey.

Friend O at local restaurant

LIME is certainly not new. After all, limes saved sailors from scurvy back in the day. But I am liking and using lime juice (not zest!) more and more and thus include the lime on my list. From my favorite marinade to my favorite drinks, lime is where it's at. Lime in my diet Coke, lime in my beer, lime in my gin and even lime in my V-8. What about lime zest and chili powder on your popcorn instead of butter and salt?

Purchased just today!

I am very glad that the lime dishes of my youth have trended out. Below is a photo of a jello that looks strangely familiar. It was taken from an Andrew Zimmern visit to some VFW event in Minnesota where he was asked to judge the jellos, as I recall.

FERMENTED VEGETABLES

I have not yet embraced this trend, either, except for the fresh dilly sauerkraut I use for Reuben sandwiches. Asian foods and flavors are definitely trending, with love for all things stinky and fermented (poopy and bathroomy smells!).

CRAFT BEER

Michigan has become the mecca of all things brewed. My latest risky purchase was a 6-pack of Vanilla Java Porter, brewed in Detroit. It is dark malt beverage brewed with coffee beans and featuring the addition of vanilla bean extract. It is actually quite nice--that from a Miller Lite-with-or-without-lime-drinker like me!

Is this a breakfast beer? Pair with bacon?

# 10

Can't seem to make a last choice here ... but it seems like everyone is making gnocchi. How about topping things with eggs? I've tried that this year. Also, polenta, arugula, adding smoke...

It makes sense that restaurateurs, chefs, food editors and bloggers are thinking about new and intriguing ways to appeal to our senses. And they jump on each other's bandwagons to tweet about their latest creations, promoting themselves or their businesses. And I am sure that they also create out of a boredom with the same-old same-old.

However, it also occurs to me that very ordinary foods are being elevated to a higher plane, like beets, kale, polenta or gnocchi (with its challenging pronunciation). At least these trends are more accessible to the everyday cook than, say, caviar, foie gras or duck confit.

It is interesting how faddish foods tend to come and go, much like fashion, fame or Facebook usage. What in the world will be next?

What do you think is trending in the culinary world? Best and worst you've had in 2013?

OKAY I'M STILL WORKING ON THE LIST BUT DECIDED TO PUBLISH IT NOW.