Food trends for 2009: A commentary

 photo : foodtv.ca

I didn't want to make my own predictions, because in my quest for good, healthful and ethnic eating, my goals have always been simplify, simplify, simplify. 

However, I was curious to see what some were predicting would be trends in the coming year, where I could find common ground. And I was pleasantly surprised. These ideas were posted on the foodtv.ca website, and I chose some that already support my philosophy on food and cooking.

The first rule is "Simplicity". I love it. Doing away with time consuming frills and hard to get ingredients. If you go back to some of my recipes, you see the word shortcut a lot. Some examples:

Middle Eastern Tabbouleh,, Moroccan Bastilla, How I got to love lentil soup, Arroz con pollo, awesome in any language, and others. If you wish to see more, put the word "shortcut" in the search box, and presto!

Price checking: yes, you really need to do that, because the whole world is feeling the pinch. For example, if a recipe calls for saffron, which is usually very expensive, you can substitute turmeric, which will have more or less the same effect. It's fabulous in couscous. 

Ready-made meals: oh yes, what a great an awesome idea, especially in the frozen section. People have little time, especially after work, to spend hours in the kitchen and how awesome is it to throw something in the microwave, or on the stove, to which you can add your own touch with a spice or an herb? Check my Heat & Serve: Frozen can save your day, and also another of my favorite meals, Korean Green Onion Pancakes. 

The next trend predicted is more ethnic foods and free usage of spices.. Well we're ahead of the curve here. 

Eating out local rather than at what they call wallet busters. Oh yes, we have a plethera of ethnic restaurants right here in Queens. And I am still making the rounds. 

For some of their other predictions, have a look here.