FOOD: TRENDS FOR 2012

Food trends in 2012 promise many new products that have been discovered by Harvard professors as well as farmers. We’ll also be seeing more eco-friendly dining experiences including menus that will not only provide food choices but a source of entertainment!

New on the market is AeroShot Pure Energy, the newest in energy products, discovered by a Harvard University Professor named David Edwards. It doesn’t contain any calories as other energy drinks would. It’s an inhaler-like object containing B-vitamins and 100-mg of caffeine that’s released into your system almost instantaneously by dissolving on your tongue. You can order your Aeroshot on http://www.aeroshots.com/.

Another trend includes restaurants using many more screens. Barney’s in New York now have multi-touch surface tables, which allows you to order your food directly on the table and then flip through the store’s catalogue.

There is also a new fiber-like substance called Artinia, which can be added to food to reduce arterial blockage! It hasn’t reached the market yet, but it’s on its way.

Coming soon to a grocery store near you: the pluerry. It’s a plum and cherry hybrid farmers have been working on for almost 50 years! It has finally surfaced and is expected to be available at your specialty markets at some point this year.

The fruit has the taste of the two fruits without the dripping juices.

Food fairs will be popping up in a few places. They claim to be the new food trucks! The fairs cater to the younger generations who don't have lots of money but are able to experience travelling the world through the diverse foods that the fairs will be providing.

SUPERFOOD TREND:
CHIA SEEDS

The new trend when it comes to superfoods is chia seeds. Pomegranate seeds and acai berries are so yesterday. Beverage marketers are including chia seeds now. Chia can help you loose weight they say, helps prevent diverticulitis, helps balance your sugar levels and it adds healthy omegas to your diet. There is now Chia Kombucha a new beverage chia seed-infused drink that available in cherry, grape and raspberry flavors.

There are also chia seed snack bars. A new chia company, Health Warrior, was founded by two analyst friends who conceived the brand after reading about chia. They created a peanut butter chocolate chia bar, which, at just 100 calories, is a better way to elevate one’s blood sugar level than a chocolate bar.

LIFESTYLE TREND: MIXING MUSIC & FOOD

A huge new trend in music is to pair it with food. It is a combination of the senses. Music and meals are now becoming one.

Drinkify:  This site allows you to type in what you’re listening to, and will tell you which drink goes best with it. For example, they suggest you listen to Lady Gaga with a 6 oz. vodka served neat with an olive whereas with Van Halen, they suggest only Jack Daniel’s on the rocks. www.drinkify.org

The Recipe Project: This is a CD-book mix that transforms recipe instructions and their ingredients into songs. One Ring Zero, an indie rock band from Brooklyn, performs the songs. The words are written by famous chefs like Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, David Chang, Michael Symon, Chris Cosentino and more.  Each chef has a different musical style. The disc has music ranging from hip hop to heavy metal. It also features interviews with chefs on their food and music influences. www.therecipeproject.com

Turnable Kitchen: This is a blog created by a music and food loving couple Kasey and Matthew Hickey. Kasey creates the recipes and Matthew selects musical pairings for each dish. If you subscribe you could get monthly offerings like limited edition 7-inch vinyl records, a digital mix tape, three seasonal recipes, and a special ingredient that can be used in one of the recipes featured on the site. www.turnablekitchen.com

BURGER KING:
NEW FRENCH FRY RECIPE

Burger King introduced a new French fry recipe in all of its North American restaurants. This is their first new recipe since 1998. McDonald’s is the French-fry king, and they’re trying to measure up. The new fries are thicker and have less sodium. The new coating makes them crisper and hotter for longer. Leo Leon, vice president of innovation said: “We’re always trying to have the best menu possible. French fries are a big seller for us and we want to make sure we’re always improving.” The price of the fries stayed the same.

The trend is showing that fries are going more “natural.” Wendy’s brought in their natural cut fries with sea salt” about a year ago.  Also, In-N-Out cuts its French fries in house and they are cholesterol and vegetable oil free.

DINING TREND:
ASIAN MEXICAN FUSION

A dining trend we’re seeing a lot of right now is Asian-Mexican fusion cuisine. I know – what a combo! It all started with Kogi BBQ, a food truck here in LA. Their signature Korean BBQ taco is now on many menus across North America. The food is good!

Other Asian-Mexican dishes that are popping up include:

• Sushi Burritos: Basically, it is sushi fillings held together in a wrap. It could easily held and eaten easily with one hand. So many food trucks in LA are selling it.
• Dumpling Nachos: fried gyoza smothered in melted gouda, cheddar, roe sour cream, scallions, and salsa
• Tandoori Tacos: LA’s Cowboys and Turbans restaurant which consist of masala-flavored protein (either chicken or fish,) corn tacos, and a variety of toppings.

TECH TREND:
‘FOODSPOTTING’ APP

Foodspotting is the hot app that’s making headlines. It's built around the idea of discovery. Participants take pictures of foods they've tried and tag the images with a location and comment. When users open up the app, they can see pictures of food around them. The idea recently drew $3 million in venture capital funding, and expanded to the Android and BlackBerry. The app hit the 1 million download mark in August. As more and more people started using the app, Foodspotting noticed that people weren’t using the app only when they were hungry. People started browsing and wanting to see food from all around the world all throughout the day. The app now lets you follow your favorite people, places and dishes.

WOLFGANG PUCK:
OPENS FIRST RESTAURANT IN EUROPE

Wolfgang Puck has justed opened in Europe with a CUT restaurant in London.

It's housed at the luxury hotel brand Dorchester Collection’s latest hotel 45 Park Lane.  

There are CUT restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It's truly one of my favorites and has the best butter lettuce salad with champagne vinaigrette.

CUT is a modern American steak restaurant, serving signature prime dry and wet-aged beef. 

It also has got delicious sautéed and roasted whole, fresh fish as well as amazing sides, all kinds of vegetables that are always in season.

The menu has a wide selection of beef available in London as well as carefully selected beef from United States, Australia, Chile and New Zealand. An International selection of wine is also included on the menu. Both breakfast and lunch are offered for the first time at a CUT restaurant (other locations include Beverly Hills, Las Vegas and Singapore.) 

http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/ 

CUT at 45 Park Lane (London): 45 Park Lane, Mayfair London, W1K 1PN
Telephone: +020 7493 4554

CUT (Beverly Hills): 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, California 90212
Telephone: 310.276.8500

CUT (Las Vegas): 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Telephone: 702.607.6300

URBAN TREND:
'ROOFTOP FARMING'

A new urban trend that is taking hold is ‘rooftop farming.’ It is exactly what the name implies: urbanites using the roof of buildings to grow produce. There is a big push in the food community to be local. Even some five-star hotels are following the trend by growing their own vegetables and herbs to use in the kitchen. Not only does it lower the cost for hotels, it gives us guests fresher, tastier, healthier produce. Also being produced on rooftops is honey. Literally, there are bees producing fresh honey that is sold directly to the customer or used in the restaurants. That means no shipping, packaging or conserving. The food comes directly to us let us benefit from the nutrients and minerals you can't get otherwise. They are not being picked ahead of time and ripened on a shelf, they are ripening on the plant. It gives the produce a lot more quality.

The world's first commercial-scale rooftop greenhouse has been built in Canada. Lufa Farms, is a new Montreal business that grows vegetables and greens year-round on a Montreal office rooftop. It delivers fresh produce directly to local consumers.

Lufa founder Mohamed Hage says his plan is based on the widespread consumer concern over the impact of conventional agriculture on the environment and on food safety. They spent four years developing a platform for the urban farm that integrates on rooftops. It recovers air water for irrigation and grows a variety of crops without the use of any pesticides or herbicides. It uses natural pollination and natural controls.

He sees the business as a logical extension to the popular trend favoring fresh, high-quality produce from local farms. The company believes that food should be grown responsibly and delivered to the consumer without compromising taste or nutritional value.

The greenhouse is 31,000-square-feet.It is the first of several greenhouses the company plans to build in other cities.Its controlled-environment agriculture, can get as much produce as a conventional farm ten times its size. The greenhouse will also collect rain water and will filter and re-circulate water used in crop irrigation. Humidity, light levels, vents, shades and irrigation are all controlled by a computer system that is automated. This level of sophistication is needed in order to grow 50 varieties in the same greenhouse – as they do.

Lufa grows tomatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers lettuce, herbs, arugola and bok choy. They have many different varieties of eat. For example, they grow 16 varieties of tomatoes, eight kinds of basil and 12 different kinds of peppers.

Weekly deliveries of Lufa Farms produce and local organic vegetables are available by subscription, and customers may choose from various assortments. Many Montreal families and individuals have pre-registered to retrieve deliveries from Lufa Farms at drop-off points around the city.

The produce baskets are ordered from the company's website at www.lufa.com

HOT FOOD AND DRINK TREND:
BACON (YES! BACON)

The big trend in drinks remains bacon and the Bacontini is the drink. It’s made of Bacon Vodka. You can also have today a Bacon Mary. There is also a drink called the Waffle Shot - one part Bacon Vodka, one part Pineapple Whipped Vodka. As far as food, the trend is a burger with bacon, jam and cheese. The jam has a consistency somewhere between stone ground mustard and olive tapenade, and the cheese provides the perfect flavor balance. There is also bacon ice cream and bacon potato chips.

KRISPY KREME:
HEALTHIER MENU OPTIONS

The inventors of the Original Glazed doughnut (which dates back to 1937) are adding healthier menu options to try to boost sales. For instance, customers will be able to pair their "Cookies and Kreme" doughnut, this month's featured item made from real Oreos, with yogurt, oatmeal, or fruit juice. A new specialty coffee line is due out within the next year or two.  The company is focusing on healthier choices as part of CEO James Morgan's plan to revamp the chain after a 2005 accounting scandal caused stocks to plunge and nearly half of its stores to close. Now there are Krispy Kremes in 22 countries.

Krispy Creme is also staying in the high calorie business too. Currently testing three flavors of doughnut milkshakes at five North Carolina stores: Original Glazed, Chocolate Cake and Raspberry-Filled.

FOOD TREND:
BEEF JERKY GOES GOURMET

Beef jerky is no longer being associated with convenience stores and is becoming more trendy. There are a lot of new jerky startups that are giving it a gourmet rep.

KINGS COUNTY JERKY

This small company goes the creates their jerky hand made by using the finest pasture-raised, grass-fed beef from local farms, as well as fresh ingredients like real ginger and oranges. They even toast and grind their own spices. They also have a mushroom jerky vegetarian alternative.

SLANT SHACK JERKY

No hormones or growth stimulants are used to make this snack. It is a Jersey City based company that gets its beef from Vermont Highland Cattle Company’s 100% grass-fed Scottish Highland cattle. They’re not messing around with the quality of their meat. They’ve got the only online jerky customization machine in the world. SlantShack’s “Build-a-Jerky” option lets you create their own jerkies by selecting the amount they want, the marinade, the rub, and the glaze.

THANKS, BRO

This is a Manhattan only delivery service. For $19 US you can curate a package containing a six-pack of beer and a specialty jerky.

FINE DINING:
'BOUCHON'
BEVERLY HILLS

If you're looking for a restaurant with attention to detail far above the rest - Bouchon in Beverly Hills is it. World acclaimed chef Thomas Keller heads up this sophisticated truly authentic french bistro, perched across the garden of the Montage Beverly Hills hotel on restaurant row.

Being versed in french bistros, this is equal to any in Paris or Montreal. Here, outstanding food and service are infused with Beverly Hills flare and elegance that you get no where else in the world. Not only is meal execution at Bouchon the finest - but design, look and ambiance are true to its genre.

What is so unbelievably impressive is the kitchen. It is the cleanest anywhere, standing out above all others. Rather than counters and floors peppered with expected unintentional spills from a bustling staff - this kitchen is precise. Not one spill anywhere. How can you tell? White linen tablecloths are placed on work counters IN the kitchen to ensure that delicate maneuvering and placement of items during plating is done slowly and meticulously. Other Bouchon restaurants include one in Yountville, Northern California and another Las Vegas. In the kitchens, TV monitors adorn the walls with live shots from each of the Bouchon's in the various cities. The live camera allows staff to see exactly what is going on in the various city workstations and allows cooks to just wave and say hello to keep a camaraderie amongst all locations staff. Attention to detail goes as far as carpets vacuumed "before" being sent to the cleaners to ensure crumbs do not fall anywhere while being transported within the establishment. The back of the house has an employee bulletin board that lists staff members birthdays. Due to most of the ingredients being fresh from farmers markets, the pantry has little in it for the menu but rather includes mainly breakfast foods and items used to provide two healthy complimentary meals a day for employees.

General Manager Stephen Cook oversees Bouchon Beverly Hills. This is a distinguished and dedicated man who looks at this profession with pride. One is immediately hosted as if they were in his own home. He watches to make sure the effortless precision goes off without a hitch. One can see the guest and razor-like subtle precision and perfection are the primary concerns.

Here you find classic bistro fare with a Keller twist. The steak/frites, as expected, are outstanding. Waiters are knowledgeable and kind. The staff does not stop attending, nor stop eyeing, each table to make sure the entire room has what it needs.

The menu is varied and offers side dishes that match any main course. Bouchon is not a dining experience to rush through. Make it an evening, close your eyes and pretend you are in Paris...oh wait, why would we do that, we're in fabulous Beverly Hills!

SUBWAY:
NOW WORLD'S LARGEST FAST FOOD CHAIN

Subway is now the trendsetting number one fast food restaurant and the world’s largest fast food chain. There are over 34 thousand restaurants in 95 countries now – 1000 more than McDonalds!

Subway says it’s now about to get creative by opening in car dealerships, bowling alleys and casinos! It recently began selling breakfast foods.

Here's the great back story: Fred De Luca borrowed $1,000 from two family friends to start his first sandwich shop in 1965 when he was only 17.

He was trying to raise money to pay for college. He chose a mediocre location for his shop, in Bridgeport, Connecticut - by noon on opening day, customers were pouring in!

STARBUCKS:
WINE AND CHEESE

Starbucks is transforming! Not just the look of it, but the entire concept.
Not only has it been re-branded to look more “neighborhood-y” and organic, but it will now be serving wine and beer along with cheese served off fine China. One will be opening in Seattle. This is they’re testing ground. If the concept does well, it might go widespread. Starbucks has introduced little changes here and there: asking baristas to slow down their grind, offering free Wi-Fi and allowing you to use your iPhone to pay for your coffee. All these new ideas will be coming together in one shop in Seattle.

LESTERS DELI:
WORLD SMOKED MEAT LEGEND

Lesters Deli is a smoked meat institution. Speaking to the owner Billy he told me Lesters has opened at the Montreal airport! I thought “OK, I have to do something on this.” I can take my smoked meat with me from the airport! Lesters is now at gate 79 in the US terminal at Trudeau airport. You can eat on the spot or better yet, take the vacuum packed smoked meat to someone on your trip. You could have what's on the regular menu of Lesters Deli or pre-portioned smoked meat ready to be re-heated.

Bill Bernholc is the owner of the Montreal landmark. I’ve known him for years and I truly believe this. There is no smoked meat sandwich like a Lesters sandwich! I’m not just saying that.

The smoked meat is vacuum-sealed to maintain its freshness. It’s done in such a way that all you have to do go home and drop it into some warm water. The idea is you could easily bring it in your carry-on and not have to worry about it. When you get to your destination you could keep it in your fridge until you’re ready to have your sandwich.

The problem has always been: when you get to where you're going, how can you possibly enjoy a great hot smoked meat sandwich? How can you replicate the authenticity of sitting in a Lesters Deli? That is the idea behind the re-thermalization and reheating process that they have developed over the last few years.

There has been a big demand for it. The opening at the airport has been very well received. According to Bill, Montreal smoked meat became what it is because of the synonymous affiliation of that particular kind of sandwich here in Montreal. It grew from Montreal smoked meat sandwiches to Pastrami in the Unites States.

When you look back at the history of delis you could say that Ben Kravitz started the deli evolution and revolution with Ben's Deli in the 1920's. It was the most famous and the flagship, the very first in a number of famous delis like New York's Carnegie Deli and Katz's Delicatessen.

Lesters Deli grew in a more traditional fashion away from the downtown core and away from the tourist traps. They are a destination point. You drive there, park your car and pay your parking meter. In order to get there you probably pass a few other of the local touristy delis with the more commercial names. They are a boutique of smoked meat – a classic in Montreal. It was opened years ago by Bill’s father and is still going strong.

http://www.lestersdeli.com/

To place an order call (514) 213.1313

FOOD TREND:
KEEPING IT REAL

The big food trend right now: Keeping it real

Our back-to-basics economy means a return to basic ingredients.

This isn’t about comfort food, or even cost. It’s about determining the essentials and stocking your pantry accordingly. It is about pure, simple, clean and sustainable.

It’s a shift from convenience foods to scratch cooking, now that we have more time than money.

The trend is toward concentrating on quality, basic ingredients and building a menu from there.

WEIGHTLOSS TREND:
SEX-FOR-LIFE DIET

Now turning to the diet that's said to improve your sex life. They say there are 10 super sex foods that will help make things better.





1. Eggs
2. Celery
3. Vanilla Ice Cream
4. Brazil Nuts
5. Liver
6. Peaches
7. Blueberries
8. Cereal
9. Steak
10. Chocolate


EGGS
Eggs are said to lower anxiety. A plateful of eggs on the morning of your date, are a good source of B vitamins to keep your mind stress-free with no jitters.

CELERY
Celery has two pheromones to make you more attractive. When you chew a stalk of celery, you release odor molecules into your mouth. They then travel up the back of your throat to your nose. Once there, the pheromones boost your arousal, turning you on and causing your body to send off scents and signals that make you more desirable. Grab the celery from the Bloody Mary and munch away. The pheromones take effect immediately, so you should notice people around you paying more attention to you right away.

VANILLA ICE CREAM
Ice cream is an endurance food with high levels of calcium and phosphorus, two minerals that build muscles' energy reserves and boost your libido. A study conducted at Chicago's Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation found that when men smell the scent of vanilla, it relaxes them, reducing inhibitions.

BRAZIL NUTS, LIVER AND PEACHES
These are all said to help sperm count and quality.

CEREAL
Cereal has lots of thiamin and riboflavin that help use energy efficiently, so no stopping or falling asleep on your date.

CHOCOLATE
A couple of pieces of dark chocolate are great because the cocoa in chocolate contains, stimulants that increase your body's sensitivity—ensuring that your skin registers even the slightest touch or movement against it.

FOOD TREND:
PAN ASIAN


There is a big trend right now with food from Asia. But not regular Chinese and Japanese like we're used to, we're talking Pan Asian food. As our palates become more sophisticated, we are more and more open to different flavors and combinations. Pan Asian cuisine includes flavors from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and India. Ingredients include palm sugar and interesting spices.

Jesse Stirling is one of the forces behind Beverly Hills Lifestyle Magazine, a high-end luxurious magazine covering all things upscale and in vogue. I got to sit down with him and he explained to me that grilling Pan Asian style not only tastes good, but is also healthy and reasonable calorie-wise. This is because the meat alone prepared so well is delicious without smothering it with sauces that bring the calorie count over the top.

Here In Los Angeles, one of the hot spots right now with some of the best Pan Asian food is Rock Sugar located in the Century City mall. Ismail Mohan, is the executive chef at Rock Sugar. His dishes are works of art and each one tastes better than the next. Mohan is making food you will crave.

Mohan describes Pan Asian dishes as bright, colorful and light – it never weighs you down. On the other hand, he says what's most important with Pan Asian or Southeast Asian food as a whole is its sense of family. In Southeast Asian tradition, the whole family life is centered around the meal. With all of their dishes served family style, it allows each of us to take part in that beautiful tradition.

I love this Pan Asian food and after tasting Rock Sugar's dishes I truly now have a barometer that makes my tastes buds get excited.

You should check out their website even to get some ideas for making your own interesting meals.

rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com

FOOD TREND:
TABASCO ICE CREAM


Flavored ice creams remain a big trend in 2010.

The latest flavor: TABASCO® Homemade Jalapeno Ice Cream Mix.

Tabasco sauce can be found in over 160 countries. It is the most well-known brand of pepper sauce in the world.

The ice cream mix is not cheap. $10.00 US.

SNACK TREND: SLIM CHIPS


What’s the newest trend Hollywood is taking notice of? Slim Chips

These chips are no fat, no calories, flavored edible paper that are available online as of September 2010.

It’s not cheap to get zero calories. A bag will cost you about $20 US, nearly 10 times more expensive than Pringles.

As each bag promises to deliver no-thing - no fat, no calories, (and obviously no nutrition), it is perfect for you if you are an unconscious snack-addict.

The chips will be available in a variety of flavors: mint, cheddar, wasabi, sweet potato, and blueberry.

For more information on Slim Chips: http://www.hafsteinnjuliusson.com/

DINING TREND: SUSTAINABILITY


A leading culinary trend remains: Sustainability.

Whether applied to produce meat, seafood, or alcoholic beverages, the concepts of environmentally friendly practices and local sourcing - farm-to-fork - remain important to consumers. They want freshness, minimal transportation, and support of local communities and businesses.

Nutrition is another culinary theme that ranks high on the list of trends. Healthful options for children, produce, bite-size and half portions, food allergy conscious and gluten-free meals all continue to be big this year.

ENTERTAINING TREND IN HOLLYWOOD: EDIBLE GOLD


Talk about decadence...Edible gold - genuine 23-karat gold, is the trend when it comes to great dining. Edible gold and silver are now more accessible for the home-chef than ever before.

For years it's been used primarily at the professional level with caterers and top chefs such as Wolfgang Puck, who yearly adorns his chocolate Oscars in gold and uses it on dishes at his Spago restaurant. Now Italy's Oro Fino (edible gold) along with Argentino Fino (edible silver), are brought into North America by sole American distributor Easy Leaf Products of Los Angeles. It's now in home kitchens due to the new user friendly "shaker" box, sprinkles.

Eating gold dates back to the Middle Ages and was quite common in Renaissance Italy.

For centuries it has been considered a symbol of respect for special guests at your table, hospitality and wealth. Price for the new gold shaker box sprinkles $22.00 U.S for 100mg 1 full gram (professional level) sells for $100 U.S. retail. The Gold sheets are $400 US for roughly 25 sheets and the gold petals retail at $35 US.

HOT ITEM: DESIGNER TORTILLA CHIPS


Looking for something for a somewhat healthy snack?

Flavored natural tortilla chips with odd ingredients are now hot. Infusions of things such as chocolate, and olives. (not together of course) Needham Massachusetts based Food Should Taste Good Inc, is making these corn chips and they taste great. They are flash fried but still better than regular potato chips. The company says it's to engaging consumers' growing desire and need for healthy, unique snacks. It's 5 flavors of tortilla chips include - Multigrain, Jalapeno, Olive, Sweet Potatoe and Chocolate but if you have any ideas for other flavors you'd like. ithinkyoushouldcreate@foodshouldtastegood.com

By the way, they've available at Whole Foods.