DISH
Front Burner: Fried Chicken
With its crispy skin, moist meat, luxurious flavor and inexpensive
price tag, what's not to love? Top chefs agree: Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc restaurant has fried
chicken night, New York's pig heaven Hill Country is set to
open a fried chicken spinoff, and 2009's hottest chef, David
Chang, serves the dish in a high/low style at Momofuku
Noodle Bar.
Back Burner: Burgers
With as many haute burger stands flooding the country as there are
McD's, we've reached meat saturation. (Sorry Hubert.)
DESSERT
Front Burner: Mini Whoopie Pies
A staple of the south, this
chocolate sandwich filled with marshmallow cream is a dream
come true. Chronicle is publishing a whole book devoted to the subject and famed
chocolatier Michael Recchiuti did a limited run carrot cake whoopie.
Back Burner: Mini cupcakes
As we've watched our wallets shrink, so too have cupcakes, but
these bite-sized icing bombes just leave us feeling unsatisfied and
on jittery sugar highs.
INGREDIENT
Front Burner:
Lamb
Are ewe as much a fan as we? Lean, often grass-fed, and nutrient-
and flavor-packed, this is meat that can be dressed up (loin) or
down (burgers). Eat Me Daily agrees: "Lamb is the new
pork, lamb neck is the new bacon!"
Back Burner:
Pork
We love pork, but when every corner cafe has a bacon-wrapped item
on the menu, it's time for something new.
HEALTH TREND
Front Burner: Eating an immunity-building diet
With H1N1 (flu) hysteria continuing unabated, building your
immunity with foods, such as those suggested by John La Puma, M.D.,
in Chef
MD's Big Book of Culinary Medicine is poised to become the
big health trend of 2010.
Back Burner: Dining on Omega 3s
We all know how important Omega 3 fatty acids are, but we also know
that too much mercury, found in Omega 3-rich fish like tilefish,
swordfish, king mackerel, and grouper, can make you sick. (Thank
you Jeremy Piven.) That, coupled with the overfishing of so many
varieties, makes the pill form easier to swallow.
PROFESSION
Front Burner: Butcher
Hipsters have moved from farming to butchery, embracing becoming
one with their food, and trading in their plow for a good meat
hook: Tom Mylan is the poster boy for this trend. As
The New York Times' Kim Severson wrote in Young Butchers Gain Rock Star Status in the Food
World, "With their swinging scabbards, muscled forearms
and constant proximity to flesh, butchers have the raw, emotional
appeal of an indie band. They turn death into life, in the form of
a really good skirt steak."
And celebrity blogger Julie Powell (of Julie & Julia fame) is about to publish Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession, detailing her butchery exploits.
Back Burner: Mixologist
We love inventive cocktails but are growing weary of the Las Vegas
style over-the-top theatrics. Just pour us a drink with good
ingredients.
DRINK
Front Burner: Homemade Beer
Marrying the rebirth of microbrews and the popularity of
homemade wines, hosts who want a real house beer
are going hyperlocal with beer kits such as Cooper's and Rogue Brutal Bitter.
Back Burner: Mad-Science Cocktails
After all the smoke and mirrors, these crazy cocktails made with
essence of bubblegum or pulverized eye of newt are just too
precious, expensive, and silly.
CITY
Front Burner: Vancouver
Before the Olympics was a glimmer in the mayor's eye, Vancouver
was turning into an amazing food city, with some of the world's
best Japanese and Thai fare, stunning and sustainable seafood
restaurants such as C Restaurant and
Blue Water Cafe, terrific food markets like
Granville Island Public Market and now, some delicious
local wines.
Back Burner: Barcelona
As the leading edge of first the tapas movement and then molecular
gastronomy, this city has jumped the shark. While it will always
have stellar wines, produce, and tapas bars, many of the
restaurants are overpriced and underwhelming. There, we said
it.
ENTERTAINING TREND
Front Burner: Potlucks
With wallets and schedules tight, having guests bring a specialty
reduces the burden on the host and lets your friends show off their
own Iron Chef culinary skills.
Back Burner: Formal Dinners at Home
Elaborate multicourse meals feel off-base in today's economic
climate. The trendiest hosts are now into unpretentious
entertaining that focuses on exciting food, not bells and
whistles.
SEX SYMBOL
Front Burner: Sam Kass
The baby-faced White House's Food Initiative Coordinator has a
full plate: Among his duties are leading official
policy to encourage sustainable and healthy eating habits in our
country's school children, running the First Family's
garden, and oh yeah, cooking daily at the White House. But this
28-year-old is also a hot dish himself.
Back Burner: Curtis Stone
He has shown the Biggest Losers, as well as the country, how to eat
healthfully and deliciously, and he'll always have a place in
our heart. But we'd like to see him be a bit more creative in
his suggestions as it's easy to fall off your diet wagon if
you're bored of the same ole grilled chicken or fish.
By Tanya Steel
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