Welcome to the Culinary World of 2012. Where new cuisines will be met with passion. The celebrated Rene Redzepi brought Nordic and Scandanevian food to the fore front on an epicurean level. And then Masterchef Australia made him a household name. Masterchef parties are the new soccer mom delight and doughnuts and caneles are the new cupcake. Whew!
Lets start with the cuisines du jour. Things are hotting up in this area. There are three cuisines that are definitely competing in this category. Morroccan, Nordic cuisines, Portugese specialty and interestingly enough, Jewish food. Morocco is enticing the Michelin stars and has the kick of flavour without being too spicy. Jewish food will go beyond the Kosher option. It will inspire cuisines like Kutsher's and Parm which serves Jewish inspired Italian. The fact is that also that this is a desperate need in most marketplaces. Read the reply we got from the Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Mumbai here when we sought a Kosher meal in Mumbai. http://www.thebuddinggourmet.com/news.aspx?news_id=148
And if you can't build up an appetite for a new cuisine, surely you want to evolve your favourite foods. Artisan foods are here. And Domino's has caught on that with full force. Crazier toppings, the importance of the perfect pie, the flavours from the oven will all add to it. The Artisan Burger is also going alternative. Meat, Mutton, Lamb and fish. What bacon was last year, will meatballs be in 2012. Perhap not as universally. But watch out for them. And the white meat versions that are bound to follow. And where there is Artisan food, the produce cannot be far behind. Who is growing what you eat is going to be as important as who is cooking it. Ask the manager, maitre'd and the chef where they are sourcing their produce from. It is the culinary version of avoiding the Blood Diamond. But it is also a part of a bigger trend in the Everyday Exotic. We want Exotic fish, Chinese greens, Italian Basil and Kafir Lime. And a dash of this, that and the seasalt and you will have transformed weekday dinner.
Mood is the second biggest reason to eat. And that is the trend we want to applaud. Happiness and Stress, both mood food areas with Energy being the by product that continues to laugh all the way to the bank. Basically, food will be uplifting this year. Whether in preparation, produce or packaging. What you eat, must make you feel better about yourself. Even if it means growing some of it yourself, foraging for the rest and buying responsible retailers.
Also cashing in on the explosion in what is prepped to be the decade of food are the Kitchen Gods who went mass. Big names in malls, airports and other high footfall venues is a both a cause and effect of the rapidly evolving palates around us.
Dessert will be simple, flavourful and not a work of art deco. Not brightly coloured like they were designed by your kid on an app on her tablet. Caneles are desserts made principally of the egg yolks that get separated out in wineries which use the white of the egg for its filtration process. They are dense as opposed to the macarons which are light and airy and their beauty lies in the caramelized crust and yellowing tint. Read our review of Singapore's Canele café here LINK. To keep the fun in flirty, the donut will be seen. But it will also go regional. Local flavours and preferences will be seen accompanying it. Portugese sugar doughnuts, Turkish Lokmas or kolaches.... You get the general indulgence.
And finally, dining in is once again becoming the preferred way to party. At home occasions will be special and bring in a dash of the trends we have listed and you will have made your everyday exotic. Dust off your recipe books, search our recipe database and start your year on a bon appetite!
