Happy New Year to you all! It’s been a year filled with ups, downs, and triumphs here with the K. Parris team…but, of course, there’s nothing wrong with that! We’re excited to be bringing you the next stages of our enterprise…from the non-profit to our expansion! With all that said, some things won’t change…and that includes our Sweet TnT Posts! So here’s our first one for the year…enjoy!
Ah, 2012 is here, in all its glory. Though it remains to be seen just how accurate the Mayan calendar is, there’s one thing we can definitely be certain of: the food world has seen quite its share of trends in 2011. We here at K. Parris figured we can touch base on what we saw as the top 5 of the year, and what made them, well, interesting…
5. All Red Velvet Everything (S. Dot voice)
Clever world famous rapper analogy aside, 2011 saw an even bigger rise in the appeal of the red velvet…um…well, pick something. Red velvet waffles topped with buttermilk fried chicken at locales such as SoCo in Brooklyn, food trucks serving red velvet crepes (the food trucks are a trend in themselves, but that was another blog – interlink), restaurants doing red velvet pancakes with cream cheese butter…in fact, we even considered playing around with a classic Trini recipe at Christmas (red velvet ponche crèma, anyone?). We saw red velvet on savory menus…Martha’s Country Bakery in Forest Hills even does red velvet hot chocolate (and I, for one, will not deny that it is quite tasty). Red velvet in some of our favorite dishes has, in theory, added gourmet flair. Or, you could see it as a poor attempt to continue to capitalize on a popular dessert. Let’s just hope 2012 doesn’t bring about red velvet fried chicken. (Oh…wait…they already did…sigh… )
4. Flavored Pastries 
Doesn’t sound like anything we haven’t heard before, right? Pastries are supposed to be flavored…aren’t they? Well, what do you think about bacon crisped maple cupcakes? Ham and egg donuts? Nope, it’s not a bad Dr. Seuss book…it’s the latest in trendy pastries that “think outside the box”. Places such as Federal Donuts in Philly and local NYC spots such as Dean and Deluca seem to be bringing forth tasty fusions of savory items into the sweet treats they offer. Will they last? Only time will tell.
3. Insects 
Do not adjust your computer screen…that is, indeed, a basket of bugs.
No, really. It is.
Granted, you might not see these on the menu for Valentine’s Day at Fig and Olive, but foodies and gourmands alike have been seeking out the high protein critters as an additional and much more sustainable form of nutrition. (Well…not this writer. I became a pescetarian this year…and I’m going to add bugs to the list of “meats I never eat”. Though I’ve heard grasshoppers taste like chicken. Seriously.) Daphne Oz of “The Chew” fame even points out the nutritional value of such 4, 6, and 8 legged creatures in a Halloween themed special during the show’s debut last year. Insects being a source of alternate nutrition is actually not a new thing, honestly…European cultures often utilize them in haute cuisine (think: chocolate covered ants – ), and you haven’t lived if you haven’t downed the worm in the bottom of a bottle of tequila in Cancun.
At least…that’s what we hear.
2. Food TV Reality
Ever since the inception of Bravo’s Top Chef, numerous networks have jumped on the culinary reality TV bandwagon. Shows such as the aforementioned ABC’s “The Chew”, a epicurean spin on similarly formatted talk show “The View”, new Bravo concepts such as “Rocco’s Dinner Party” with cutie celeb chef Rocco DiSpirito, and culinary television giant Food Network’s growing list of shows, “Chopped” and “The Next Food Network Star” aside, are just a few of the mass of shows to hit the airwaves about food. Whereas granted, many of these shows offer exposure to gastronomic upstarts in places and to a national audience that perhaps they might not have before; one has to wonder if so many shows don’t offer a sense of oversaturation. Only time will tell. Before this writer goes to watch the DVRed “Chef Roble & Co.”, though, let’s give you our number one food trend of 2011:
1. Organic Foods 
Okay…so maybe this isn’t a trend specific to 2011. It certainly is the most long standing one, though, with everything from whole chickens to Cheetos bearing an “organic” label that, of
course, allows the purveyor to charge upwards of $1.50 more for the item, depending on what it is. (As a word of caution…consuming organic potato chips with a piece of fried organic free range chicken and organic Fanta is not necessarily healthier…in fact…it is likely the same amount of calories as the regular chips, chicken and soda. Why? Organic doesn’t mean less calories…simply grown without pesticide. Be wary of certain items advertising the ‘organic’ label, and choose what is actually a valuable purchase – fruits, vegetables, and meats are always a good organic buy. Organic Blue Corn tortilla chips? You could do it…but we promise…the regular Tostitos will be okay. Just our thoughts.
Only time will tell if 2012 will reflect some of the same food trends of the previous year and beyond. With that said, it doesn’t hurt to stick with some of the basics and hold on to some of the classics. Trends come and go…but meat and potatoes is forever.
Or, in this writer’s case…salmon and potatoes. Same difference. *wink*