The Foodist Predicts the Next Big Ingredients in 2014
The Foodist predicts the next big ingredients, cuisines, and cities that will shape how we eat.
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Tuuka Koski1/101. Pancakes for Dinner
Not the butter-and-syrup kind but savory ones made with sourdough batter and studded with sea urchin, squid, smoked sturgeon, and the like. Basically, serve any salty or tangy ingredient in pancake form and I’ll order it, from State Bird Provisions in San Francisco to Chez Sardine in New York. Pictured above: Sourdough pancakes with sauerkraut, Pecorino, ricotta, and sauerkraut salt at S.F.’s State Bird Provisions. (Credit: Tuuka Koski)
2/102. Bronze Goddess
What’s that feathery frond topping your fish? And crowning your cucumber salad? It’s bronze fennel, the garnish du jour. Expect more and more chefs to fall for its mild anise flavor and dashing good looks. (Credit: Danny Kim)
3/103. Reclaimed & Revived
Once upon a time, some frat boy dropped a shot glass of whiskey into a beer, guzzled it, and stole the name Boilermaker. I’m taking it back to its original meaning: a shot and a beer. These days, bars everywhere are riffing with next-level combo deals. Produce Row Café in Portland, OR, for example, pairs an oatmeal stout with single-malt Scotch. And at Comstock Saloon in San Francisco, it’s Genever and Pilsner. Click here to watch videos of the Foodist drinking boilermakers with celebrities (Credit: Danny Kim)
4/104. The Next Big Food Town: Yes, Steel City is where you need to eat now
Like Houston, Charleston, and Nashville before it, Pittsburgh is elbowing its way onto the culinary map. Here are four reasons why: 1) The East Liberty neighborhood, with its $52 million transit center and future Ace Hotel. 2) Farmers’ markets everywhere, including Farmers @ Firehouse in the Strip District. 3) Restaurants like Cure, Bar Marco, Conflict Kitchen, Notion, Fukuda, and Meat & Potatoes. 4) Serious beer (The Brew Gentlemen) and cocktails (The Livermore (pictured above), Butterjoint). (Credit: Adam Milliron)
5/105. Manila Flavored
From sinangag (garlicky fried rice) to kinilaw (raw fish salad), 2014 will be all about Filipino-inspired food and flavors. Whether or not balut—that’s fertilized duck egg—catches on remains to be seen. Spotted at: Smalls, Chicago; Qui, Austin; Maharlika, NYC (pictured above, Credit: Courtesy of Maharlika)
6/106. Spice Marketing
First it was smoked pimentón, then Aleppo pepper. My new spice crush is za’atar, the Middle Eastern blend of sumac, sesame seeds, and dried herbs. It’s showing up on menus from Levant in Portland, OR, to Glasserie in Brooklyn, but it’s so versatile, I keep it right next to my salt and pepper shakers at home. Jordanian za’atar, $6 for 2.25 oz., kalustyans.com Try it with...1) Za’atar + yogurt + pita chips = killer party snack 2) Za’atar + sautéed broccoli + rice = easy weeknight dinner 3) Za’atar rub + pork chops = showstopping main (Credit: Danny Kim)
7/107. Restaurants Get Greener
The next restaurant design trend is growing—literally. I’m seeing more “living” walls, hanging ferns, miniature potted plants on tabletops, and shelves of crazy-cat-lady succulents than ever before. Spotted at: Toro, NYC (pictured above); Table, Washington, D.C.; Xiao Bao Biscuit, Charleston; Juvia, Miami (Credit, Courtesy of Toro)
8/108. The Burrata Challengers
Fossa, scamorza, and Cloumage: Sounds like a law firm, but they’re actually the names of today’s coolest cheeses: 1) Fossa: Italian for “pit,” it refers to the place where this sheep’s-milk cheese is aged. It’s pungent and funky (in a good way), and an ideal partner for fruit and cured meats. Spotted in: Kohlrabi salad with hazelnuts and mint at Estela, NYC 2) Scamorza: An aged (and sometimes smoked) mozzarella-like cheese, often seen hanging up in old-school Italian delis. Use it as a substitute for mozz in baked pastas. Spotted on: Margherita pizza at Bufalina, Guilford, CT 3) Cloumage: The proprietary name of a fresh-curd cow’s-milk cheese made at Shy Brothers Farm in Westport, MA. Swap it for ricotta in pasta or serve plain with a drizzle of honey. Spotted in: Garganelli with lamb-neck ragù at Sorellina, Boston (Illustration: Claire McCracken)
9/109. A New Fish Story
For years, trout and branzino (a.k.a. Mediterranean sea bass) dominated the whole-fish choices on menus. It’s time to welcome porgy to the table. Pok Pok’s Andy Ricker explains: “It’s relatively abundant, inexpensive, mild-tasting, and works well in pretty much any whole-fish preparation. It also has lots of small bones, which is why you’ll rarely see it filleted.” (Credit: Danny Kim)
10/1010. Different Yolks
The brilliance of a masterfully fried egg is indisputable. But c’mon, everyone knows it’s all about the yolk. No wonder chefs are getting experimental with it. At Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, NY, yolks are cured and aged, then grated over pasta. At Alma in L.A., they’re candied in a sugar bath and torched for a one-bite, crème brûlée–decadent dessert. Pictured above: Blue Hill at Stone Barns chef Fausto Rivera, donning leis made of cured egg yolks (Credit: Irene Hamburger)
