In early November, I attended the Worlds of Flavor conference at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, CA.  It is a premier event that always fills me full of inspiration and new ideas, and makes me want to travel the world!

This year’s theme was “American Menus”, yet there were top chefs from all over the world, both in attendance and as speakers. This shows how influential other cuisines are to our menus domestically and how the food world seems to get smaller and more interconnected every day.

 Of the many general themes I garnered from the event, here are a few of the main ideas that came across loud and clear that are sure to impact American menus in the near future.

1. Home Cooked Meals
2. Informal eating                                                                                
3. Artisan, handmade, chef driven                                                            
4. Ethnic infusion of flavors
5. Luxury at a discount 
6. Comfort food
7. Simple, fresh, true flavors 
8. Street food 

Home Cooked Meals - This really doesn’t mean more people will be cooking at home, it does mean they want foods that remind them of home cooked meals from childhood.  Fine dining chefs are reverting back to the foods they grew up with, the dishes they learned to cook from their Mom or Grandma.  Chefs are examining their roots and culture more closely than ever before and recreating these dishes in new, exciting ways.  Chef Charles Phan of the famed Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco served an impeccable Fried Chicken with Sriracha Butter served in a paper cone that brought back great memories of home cooked chicken but with a surprising new flavor twist.

Informal Eating – This trend focuses on meals becoming more casual – communal tables in restaurants, picnics, food on the go; trailer/truck food and snacking all are great examples of this hot trend.  Ramen noodle bars exemplify this trend, a casual spot to have a delicious, filling, hot meal with friends that can be a quick eating adventure.

Artisan, Handmade, Chef Driven - Processed foods are out, and even if it is manufactured, the food must look handmade to be considered authentic.  Artisan, hand tossed Napoli style pizza crusts are the perfect example of this trend that can easily be transferred into multi-unit restaurants.  Celebrity chefs are being asked to develop products for manufacturers, retail and for chain restaurants more and more, adding a culinary flair and notoriety to menus.

Ethnic Infusion – Great flavors are coming from other countries’ cuisine and can fit perfectly into well known American favorites to create new, innovative menu items.  Chermoula, Harissa, hummus, Achiote, ceviches, and many types of peppers (Aleppo, cascabel, piquillo, and guajillo to name a few) are all trendy ingredients that will get more attention on upcoming menus.  The opposite of ethnic infusion is ethnic CONFUSION, which while making an interesting show on menus, seems to be more of a fad than a lasting trend.  The flavors provide a WOW impact but don’t necessarily taste great.  Wasabi coated fried chicken sounds interesting, but would you crave it every week?  Ethnic fusion is nothing new. Wolfgang Puck is a master of this type of cuisine, but it must be done well AND taste great to endure.

 

Luxury at a Discount – The economy is still impacting food choices and this will not change anytime soon.  While there are signs of improvement, consumers are hesitant to spend extravagantly on meals as they once did.  Consumers still want a luxury dish, but they also want it at a great price.  Instead of an expensive dinner out, consumers are trading down to the same flavors served in smaller portions or in unique ways, such as food trucks, to get their fine dining fix in a completely different atmosphere.  Star Ginger, a mobile food truck on the campus of UC Davis in California, offers quality Southeast Asian food and fresh flavors in the form of rice bowls and sandwiches to patrons.  And all of this is at an affordable price while giving the customer a chance to try something new with a low investment.

Comfort Food - Sandwiches are in!  Baker Mark Furstenberg did a demonstration using a sourdough bread boule, cut and hollowed, slathered inside with white bean spread, stuffed with slow cooked lamb, caramelized onions and black olives.  The bread was then weighted down and baked.  After baking, the boule was sliced and served as a fork and knife sandwich eat, and it was amazing.  Great flavors, a hearty meal, and simple ingredients made this an ultimate comfort meal.  Joyce Goldstein also showcased a tuna salad sandwich at the same sandwich workshop, made with Moroccan Charmoula Mayonnaise that was simple, ethnic but familiar, and above all, delicious.

Simple, Fresh, True Flavors – Recipes do not need a long list of ingredients to be “inspired”. The old adage of “keep it simple stupid” applies here!  Select the best ingredients available, make sure they are vibrant and fresh, and cook them in a way to let the true flavors of the food shine through.   Chef Jose Garces made a basic empanada but added a twist by using cooked plantain dough instead of the traditional flour dough, filled with a scallion, garlic, and queso fresco cheese filling.  The combination created a tasty dish that was simple and amazing and also a great gluten-free choice.

Street Food – Perhaps inspired by Hawker food stalls in Singapore, which are Singapore’s “food trucks”, mobile food trucks are still on the rise in the USA.  In Singapore, big bowls of noodle soups, hot pepper crab, satays, grilled meats, quick to prepare/easy to eat meals are the norm, but domestically, the variety has taken off and the choices are staggering.  Anything from empanadas, dumplings, sushi, Indian biryani, pizza, BBQ, fried chicken and waffles to desserts like cupcakes, cake shakes, make your own s’mores and fried doughnuts can be found being dished out of food trucks in many cities.  There is plenty of inspiration that can be translated to everyday foods we already love. How about Bulgogi wings?

 At The Marketplace we could sample the delicacies and demonstrations that we saw during the day, and sponsors had a chance to show their take on the conference theme.  While sampling everything would have required an extra stomach or two, there were a few notable dishes worth mentioning.

Frito Lay served up walking Frito Pie variations that were innovative and definitely not something you’d find at the ballpark.  I tried the Sweet Cream, Salted Caramel and Amarena Cherry Tacos with Original Fritos Corn Chips.  Served in the bag  for a portable dish, I wasn’t sure the flavors were going to be harmonious, but they were well thought out and a great example of how sweet and savory can come together to create something unexpected. 

Shrimp & Cuttlefish with Black Rice Paella was another winner in my book; a very regional dish that was truly authentic, showing authenticity was NOT dead!  Topped with a foamy whipped egg white and green garlic topping, this paella was bursting with flavor and satisfied the comfort food need perfectly without being heavy. 

Chef Newman Miller of Quantum Foods made a puff pastry stuffed with braised beef ribs and Stilton blue cheese, showcasing simple and delicious can go hand in hand. 

Just to show that foie gras is always in style, another chef created a corn masa tamale wrapped banana leaf, steamed and then topped with a slab of seared foie gras.  Watching the preparation, my mouth watered and even though it wasn’t traditional, it looked delicious! 

 Much inspiration was gathered at this event, and now I am ready to translate this inspiration into innovative new dishes in the kitchen. I hope it has also sparked your imagination or at least made your mouth water and your taste buds long to sample a few of these flavors!

 Happy Eating,

 Chef Allison

Worlds of New Experiences

What do you know about halo-halo? If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably never heard of it, or know anything about it. Have you ever tried chocolate-covered potato chips? You’ve got to be kidding me, right? Next you’ll tell me Milli Vanilli was really a singer, or Bigfoot is real. The Culinary Culture team was lucky enough to travel to some very interesting and informative food shows recently. First, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) show in Chicago, and next the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. We walk the shows to check out the newest trends, see what trends seem be dying out, and do our best to speculate about what might be next!

The National Restaurant Association show is one of the biggest and most diverse food shows in the world. Companies from all across the globe flock to Chicago to show off their latest and greatest, whether it may be a new food item, cooking utensil or product, or services they can provide to restaurants and restaurateurs. During this time, the city runs amok with foodies looking to unearth new restaurants, try their old favorites, and take up recommendations from friends. Before heading to the show, we headed over to a spot we had wanted to try since we originally talked about going to the show months before, XOCO, run by Chef Rick Bayless. Stay tuned to the next blog for our thoughts on this authentic Mexican street food themed restaurant and some great photos that will definitely make your mouth water.

As we mentioned months ago on Dish Bliss, street food and food trucks are quickly on the rise throughout the United States, and this trend was overtly on display at NRA. Companies selling food trucks were brightly displayed, and attendees were able to go in and check out the food trucks first-hand, test the equipment and see how it functions. Other companies were selling food truck franchises from globally inspired food to start-up pizza trucks. Another interesting trend taking off right now is gourmet beverages, which come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and varieties. Specialty teas, ginger ale with real minced ginger, sparkling beverages crafted by celebrity chefs made with real fruit juices and organic tea are just the tip of the iceberg. How does an ice-cold pomegranate-black currant sparkling soda on the patio on a hot summer day sound? I thought so. Other interesting beverage developments are cute individually sized bottled cocktails with equally cute names such as Strawberry Sunshine Martini and Downtown Cranberry Cosmo, and water infused with fulvic acid, which helps the body to rapidly absorb the drink’s nearly eighty minerals, and oh, the fulvic acid just happens to turn this water black. All the innovations in beverages seem to focus on gourmet flavors, convenience of delivery, or healthy benefits associated with the drinks.

Along with these interesting food and beverage creations, are similarly innovative ways to consume them. The classic Bloody Mary just got a little bit better, with a company that developed a beef straw. That’s right, a straw made out of beef jerky. Remember when you would drink soda through a licorice straw when you were a kid? Now you can drink your adult beverage through an edible beef jerky straw. If you’re not of drinking age yet, don’t fret, we’ve found milk straws for you. These neat little straws are plastic but as the milk is drawn through them, the flavor beads inside the straw slowly dissolve and turn your milk into chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, or cookies and cream flavored milk. Another novelty I happened upon was edible utensils. Small spoons with flat bottoms that sit with their convenient handle facing you come in varieties such as corn lime, Parmesan black pepper, and coconut curry.

Coconut is also used as a key ingredient in almond rice pops. These tasty snacks are gluten free, vegan and trans fat free, and flavor options include blueberry, strawberry, mango or cranberry. The chocolate-covered potato chips however, aren’t quite as healthy. These are the ultimate indulgence for lovers of the sweet and salty combination. Banana bread crackers, cranberry-orange and chocolate loaf crackers make for great healthy dipping snacks, and gourmet candy bars range from white chocolate truffle with lemon candy pieces to milk chocolate with graham cracker and marshmallows and all the way to milk chocolate truffle bars with confetti cake centers. After sampling and walking a show like this, it’s usually time to hit the gym, or the sack.

The Fancy Food show in D.C. has some interesting things to see as well. While you may see some of the same vendors as the NRA show, this show is geared more towards specialty and gourmet food products. Much like the NRA show, vendors come from all over the world to showcase their best products.

Some interesting finds include wine flavored ice cream such as Red Raspberry Chardonnay, Chocolate Cabernet and Cherry Merlot, which are certainly worth a try, as well as the Wine-a-Rita booth, a convenient product that combines margaritas with your choice of wine, with enough variety to please even the most discerning critics.

After the wine, I ran across waffles flavored with vanilla, Belgian chocolate and maple cinnamon. Next, premium ice cream in flavors such as Thai tea, red beans, ube, mango, lychee, coconut and halo halo, a Filipino fruit and bean mix made with coconut and jackfruit, among other things, from a small company specializing in quality ice creams and dessert bars.

These shows are also a showcase for other smaller companies trying to get their brand out to the masses. Take La Quercia of Norwalk, Iowa for example. They produce some great hand-made artisanal meats made with just pork, sea salt and spices, with no nitrites, nitrates, or any other substitutes. They were the first domestic producer of prosciutto in the United States and their careful attention to quality and their craft shine through in their incredible products.

Convenience, quality, local, expanding unique flavors and ethnic ingredients were very evident at the food shows as the major themes. Items such as a “coil” retail pizza made of stuffed phyllo dough offered gourmet filled pizza with an upscale presentation and at the opposite end, a great s’mores kit brought together nostalgia and comfort foods, all in a convenient one stop package.

As you can tell, these food shows are a great place for inspiration and to catch new trends early on. Every year we see many new and interesting products and flavors that spark ideas for us to take to the kitchen. We hope some of the products we described do the same for you!

                                                    

When I first attended the Research Chefs Association show, it was a moment where I had the opportunity to finally meet other chefs in non-traditional roles and share our experiences and tribulations.  Even with the small number of people in attendance that first year, I left invigorated and inspired about a new network of colleagues I could use as a new found resource.  Almost 15 years later, I am happy to say the conference still provides the same experience, only on a much larger scale as attendance is now in the thousands. Read more »

The smell of grape must surrounds me as I drive through sunny Napa Valley, I love that smell!  It reminds me of the grape harvest, good wine and the great food that is found in this area.  Every November, the Culinary Institute of America hosts a food conference at their Greystone location in St. Helena, CA.  Greystone is centered in the heart of California’s northern wine country and offers the perfect location to immerse in all things culinary.  All while drinking wine.  Not a bad days work!  The Worlds of Flavor conference brings together the top chefs and experts in the industry to immerse the attendee in a sea of culinary knowledge.  This year’s topic was Japan, a cuisine I profess to know little about, so I was anxious to dive in and learn.

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Chefs love pork belly.  It lends itself to so many different preparations, cooking techniques and flavor combinations.  It is one of few food items that have the unique ability to absorb the flavors of what it is cooked or served with, while maintaining its own flavor and texture.  It can be sweet, it can be salty, it can be smoky.  It can be all of the above at the same time. 

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My job as Research Chef has taken me many places with fabulous food, but Paris is always a highlight for new culinary experiences.  The fresh open air markets make me want to run and find a kitchen so I can cook and play with the delicious ingredients found there.  Scallops still in the shell with roe attached, unpasteurized fresh cheeses, melt in your mouth foie gras, whole and freshly caught rabbits, flaky, buttery croissants that are like no other, macaroons that deliver incredible flavors in one bite.  Don’t get me started on the incredible wines to go with all these ingredients!  The fresh, local ingredients that are found here are the building blocks of a great cuisine that has produced some incredible classic dishes.  It makes sense that Paris was a perfect backdrop for the Sial conference, a food exhibition that showcases new trends, ingredients, products and technology served up at the convention center a short distance from the city’s center.

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The National Restaurant Show was held a few weeks ago in Chicago, IL.  While it seemed to be smaller than in past years, I still found a few interesting items and ideas.  Let’s start with the “Best of Show”, for me it was the Cholive. 

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Viva Las Vegas!  I headed off to the sparkling city of Las Vegas for the Pizza Expo, which was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center March 1-4, 2010.  The show is the perfect size, small enough to walk the whole floor, absorbing all the new products and sampling new ingredients, but large enough to bring the industry’s best.  This is also always a great opportunity to try new restaurants, and this year - with the explosion of “mixologists” hitting the scene - maybe an interesting cocktail or two. 

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