Everyone Around the Table

If you could see me now (or any day), you’d know I’m not a trend follower in much of any way. However, when it  comes to food,  my interests perk up a bit. For instance, I just read The Food Channel’s list of the Top Ten Food Trends for 2011 and the Top Ten Foods to Watch in 2011. Very interesting stuff, much of which I’ll gladly get on board with.

The Food Trends list, for instance, is about “embracing what may be a little more difficult because it has proven its value.” I love that concept. This list includes:

• Canning My Grandma would be so proud
• Men in aprons because they are having a harder time finding work and are taking up the cooking. Hallelujah to that, my sisters!
• Food apps Just as soon as I get a smart phone I am so downloading food apps!
• Buying from specialty shops – the cheese shop, the butcher, the produce market – like Europeans do. I love this idea and tried it for a while but it was a lot of running around. We did appreciate the fresher food though!

The Top Foods to Watch list was also full of things I like the idea of:

• Sweet potatoes Yummy and good for you in so many forms
• Gourmet ice pops I can totally imagine flavors like mango chili but bacon? I dunno.
• Moonshine Will distilleries start popping up all over like whiskey distilleries are?
• Small pies Turns out, pie is the new black. I mean, it’s the new cupcake. Maybe pie shops will pop up right next to the moonshine distilleries! Paired, they could be…wait for it…moon pies.  This got me thinking about what I’ll do with the various sizes of cupcake pans I bought in order to keep up with THAT trend. I have some ideas which I’ll share with you in my next blog. Stay tuned.

Follow the trends or don’t. It’s your dining table. Me? I’ll be giving some of these things a try because, to me, part of the joy of food is branching out to see what’s new.