My 2008 culinary predictions This time of year everyone likes to throw out their predictions for the year ahead. I’m no different. I do think that 2008 is unique because it is basically trendless or without one major new trend that everyone is following. But if I left it at that, it wouldn’t leave me much to write about. So, here are a few thoughts on what I think are continuing trends and the next, ‘best’ ingredient that you can expect to see in the year to come—they’re in no particular order of significance. 1. Mini-desserts or the demise of the entrée I think mini-desserts are actually part of a bigger trend you might call, “the death of the main course.” It’s becoming more fashionable to order six or seven appetizers to share, plus a salad and dessert. There is going to be more tasting and more grazing in the future, because people want to have more flavors. When you go fine dining, they offer an assiette—literally, a plate—of desserts. It’s an assortment. The customer gets to taste a lot more desserts this way rather than having to choose just one. They may want chocolate or lemon chiffon pie...but they can’t decide...this way they can have both. These smaller portions are appealing to people because you can have this little treat of a couple of bites and satisfy your sugar craving. You don’t have to worry about the calories or feeling heavy in the stomach, and there’s also the cost thing. Mini-desserts are priced at $2 vs. $6 for a full-sized one. This trend is trickling down into casual dining restaurants like Applebee’s, TGI Friday’s and Chili’s. 2. Home on the range We’ll see more cooking at home due to rising gas prices—people are becoming home gourmets. When cooking at home, they’re trying to replicate restaurant dishes. They find they can make Asiago-crusted swordfish at home more cheaply than they get it at a restaurant. I think people faced with higher gas prices and higher food prices are now thinking of it as a treat to dine out. People are looking for alternatives to dining out. They’re trying to understand how to cook what they were eating out, or they’re going to a Whole Foods and getting some partially prepared items for a semi-complete meal, and then it’s speed-scratch at home. They’ve had help preparing the meal, but assembling it at home gives them a perception of home cooking. 3. Regional or local food/cooking This trend is really intertwined with cooking at home. ‘Provenance’ is the word I like to use when talking about this trend. It’s about knowing where your food comes from and looking for local ingredients—meat from a local farm, cheese from a local dairy, produce grown locally and offered at a farmer’s market on Sunday. Foods that don’t have to travel as far, often taste better. Also consumers are becoming reacquainted with their food, experiencing where it’s grown and even going to local farms to pick it themselves. It’s also sustaining local communities. If you can’t get local ingredients, then there’s a push for authenticity. Maple syrup or white Cheddar from Vermont, Door County cherries...instead of generic ingredients from wherever is cheapest; this gives consumers a perception of better quality. 4. Downshifting to slow food This trend builds from the previous two. The slow food movement started in Italy. Italians thought they were beginning to lose an integral part of their culture as meals became shorter, and time for afternoon siestas was being shoved aside. The slow food movement is an effort to reverse this change or at least to moderate its effects. It’s about going back to enjoying food, taking time to cook it, and eating good food accompanied by good wine and good conversation, savored at a leisurely pace, rather than merely swallowed. A lot of restaurants here are trying to do this now—offering a dining experience, rather than an eat on-the-run event. It’s about bringing back the values of dinner conversation with friends and family. Restaurants are looking at the ‘provenance’ of ingredients being used. They’re purchasing them at farmers’ markets, and they’re not mass-produced or overly processed. It’s about slow cooking too—restaurants are buying cheaper cuts of meat, and using long slow braising to cook them. 5. Sliders reinvented Everyone’s starting to do sliders now, and I’m not talking about the greasy burgers that you have after a night out. In fact, it’s almost the polar opposite of that. Sliders today are substantial appetizers where everyone can have one. It’s about going back to sharing and family. And sliders are great for kids because of their size. Today’s sliders are reminiscent of the originals only because of the mini bun. Sliders can be mini-hamburgers, but I think of them as mini buns with hot filling. A slider is a small impactful bite. It could be made with crispy fish, grilled tuna or marinated chicken. You could even do a Caribbean theme with a pineapple topping and a complementary side. There are Kobe sliders—made with Kobe beef. They’re higher end—it’s a way of getting a premium product in an affordable format. With aged cheese, you pop it in your mouth and get a lot of flavor. You can change the slider to fit the format. TGI Friday’s has Chimichurri Sliders with provolone cheese. 6. The big & the bold People are looking for big, bold flavors. Within this, there’s a trend toward more flavorful cheeses—sharp, aged Cheddar, Parmesan and Asiago, rather than Mozzarella. Cheese is being used as an ingredient to add flavor. 7. Everything Goji If the number of requests I’m seeing for goji berry is any indication, then 2008 will be filled with products featuring these little red superfruits. Last year, everything was pomegranate and blueberry, now it’s all goji berries. The goji berry is the next ‘best’ ingredient. It comes from mountainous regions in Asia and is loaded with health-promoting antioxidants. The goji berry is supposed to enhance the immune system, improve circulation and eyesight. In ’08 we’ll see a lot more juice drinks, dressings, sauces, smoothies and health drinks with goji berries. Wishing you a prosperous, cheese-filled 2008! Cheers! Guy Back to top