There's a reason you don't see chicken cordon bleu or beef Wellington on many menus these days: Like palazzo pants and shoulder pads, those dishes went out of style long ago. Restaurants are always switching things up—and you can do the same thing at home by trying new trends to make entertaining a few friends and even dining solo more special. To elevate every eating occasion, read on for 10 ways to bring restaurant trends home. Don't worry; all of them are much simpler than trying to stuff a chicken breast with ham and cheese.
Peak-season produce is at its peak flavor-wise too, so you can keep the ingredients list short and the prep simple and still get delicious results. Late-season tomatoes, like Brandywine heirlooms, tend to taste like cardboard at the beginning of summer, but buy them ripe toward the end and all they need to shine is a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Other trendy fruits and veggies with a short season: shishito peppers and tomatillos (summer), delicata squash and Jerusalem artichokes (fall), persimmons (winter), and fiddlehead ferns and ramps (spring).
Actually, ancient ones. That's the term for amaranth, millet, spelt, and the other ancient grains popping up on high-end restaurant menus across the country. Because most of them are whole grains, they have a nutty taste and hearty texture that adds depth and earthiness to any dish. Use them in place of Arborio rice in risotto, as a substitute for oatmeal in the morning, or in salads with chopped nuts or pita chips, shredded or crumbled cheese, and something dark green and leafy. Toasting them before you boil them in salted water really brings out their flavor.
Remember when sriracha was the condiment du jour? Now it's harissa, a hot chili pepper paste that can be stirred into hummus, tossed with roasted carrots, or added to pizza sauce. The spice sumac is also popular; sprinkle it over feta on a cheese plate, or use it to flavor the dressing for fattoush salad, a mix of herbs, cucumbers, and tomatoes that calls for pita chips instead of croutons. Rose water and orange blossom water are also becoming popular. Experiment with them in baking, cocktails, and syrups.
You don't have to pull off a complex donut-croissant hybrid or fashion a hamburger bun out of ramen noodles to get in on the trend of combining two foods into one. Try banh mi hot dogs or bruschetta, BLT pizza, or tilapia crusted with Stacy's® Parmesan Garlic & Herb Pita Chips.
Hailed as the new kale, this cruciferous veggie can be grated to make "rice," steamed and mashed in place of potatoes, and even mixed with cheese and egg to make pizza crust. It can also be roasted whole, served as "steak", or combined with goat cheese and pink peppercorns to make a delicious dip for Stacy's® Pita Chips. Watch the video with Bon Appétit Executive Chef Mary Nolan to learn how—then whip up your own and invite some friends over for a soft opening.
Restaurants certainly are: More and more of them are offering upgraded snacks, small plates, and other starters that go far beyond a basic bowl of bar nuts. Recreate the trend at home by noshing on easy yet elegant snacks that seem special but don't require a ton of time in the kitchen. This could be as simple as wrapping sliced fruit in prosciutto, tossing popcorn with roasted sesame oil and sesame seeds, or topping Stacy's® Pita Chips with goat cheese, apple slices, chopped walnuts, and pomegranate seeds, then drizzling them with honey.
Though it's long been a popular snack, chefs are beginning to use yogurt in marinades, stirring it into curries, and straining it to make labne, a type of spreadable cheese. Combined with almond butter and topped with sliced banana, yogurt also makes a great dip for Stacy's® Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips. Other fermented foods and drinks that are in heavy rotation: Kombucha, kefir, kimchi, and pickled everything.
Restaurateurs know that we eat with our eyes, which is why your food is often artfully arranged on a statement-making plate. But you can do the same thing at home without having to invest in new dishes. If you're having company over, try serving your salad on a pretty platter instead of in a bowl. On pizza night, cut your pie with kitchen scissors, which are turning up at some of the hottest pizzerias nationwide, instead of a pizza wheel. And make any plate more visually appealing by adding a contrasting color, such as a shake of freshly ground black pepper on a creamy pasta dish, a few minced chives over your scrambled eggs, or a drizzle of garlicky red pepper sauce over homemade pad Thai.
Bitter foods—think dandelion greens, dark chocolate, and grapefruit—are having a comeback. A little bit goes a long way, making an entire dish taste more complex. To tone down the acidity, add a little sugar, salt, and/or fat (think vinaigrette in your kale salad or simple syrup in your grapefruit margarita).
Ice cream parlors are back, and they're not only serving up creative flavors like olive oil, corn, and miso, they're also topping their creations with popcorn, salted peanuts, and other savory options. You can pair Stacy's® Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips with vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with cajeta (like dulce de leche, but made with goat's milk), sprinkle warm chocolate chip cookies or brownies with a little flaky sea salt, or add minced bacon to bread pudding.