Americans' eating habits in the New Year. Go to Food Network.com for
cookbooks and more by some of these fantastic chefs.
Rachael Ray's Food Thoughts for 2006
More pasta and bread -- yeah!
More casual, weeknight get-togethers and fewer big shindigs.
More mixing up of the cultures, fusion gone wild!
More interesting ingredients in everyone’s grocery stores, even the small towns like mine.
More twist ups on old standbys like burgers, pizzas, soups and stews.
Alton Brown's Food Thoughts for 2006
Mashups – the newest thing in dinner parties. Cooks will be coloring outside the lines as
parties and get-togethers will feature unusual food and flavor combinations.
Sous vide. Long a standard in France, sous vide or "under vacuum" foods are sealed in
airtight plastic bags which are then simmered, boiled or steamed. The possibilities are
endless. Cheese. Awareness of and enthusiasm for American cheeses is moving into the
mainstream. It’s only going to get better from here.
Quality frozen foods. Americans are starting to realize that "fresh" and "raw" isn’t always
the same thing. I’ve come to rely heavily on top quality, organic frozen foods, especially
vegetables, and I think it’s a perfect concept for modern living.
Nutrition. The trend toward becoming educated eaters will (I dearly hope) continue.
The emphasis needs to shift from what we shouldn’t eat to what we should be eating.
It’s a process that’s going to require a lot of education but if we want to preserve our
health and our planet, we’ve got to do it.
Bobby Flay's Food Thoughts for 2006
Carbs will be back with a vengeance.
Ethnic foods will continue to gain in popularity.
Bourbon will be the new vodka? I hope.
One out of every two people in this country will own a grill.
Mario Batali's Food Thoughts for 2006
More regional European cooking in restaurants and home kitchens in the U.S.
We rediscover Cajun and Creole cooking.
The differences between rural and city America will become even greater, especially in
the ways we eat. Home meals will increasingly rely on quality semi-prepared products.
Vietnamese cooking will become huge.
Robin Miller's Food Thoughts for 2006
Healthier meal starters -- and more varieties [of them].
Boxed, bagged and frozen meal kits that just require heating -- or heating with the addition
of one or two ingredients. Expanded ethnic sauces beyond hoisin sauce and black bean
sauce. More varieties or twists on existing sauces such as "spicy" hoisin sauce, ponzu-
type sauces and more Latin-inspired sauces. More varieties of seasoned oils beyond
garlic, basil and roasted red pepper. Larger selection of blended dried herbs beyond
garlic and herb, Creole and Montreal steak seasoning. Healthier meal selections at fast
food restaurants and family-style restaurants nationwide. Even the children’s menu will
change, with more fresh fruits and vegetables, pasta dishes, and grilled chicken offered as
an alternative to macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, French fries and mashed potatoes.
Some are already beginning this trend.
Giada De Laurentiis' Food Thoughts for 2006
People will be cooking at home more and more in the coming year. (Hopefully more Italian!)
People will seek out more gourmet food items. In turn there will be more gourmet products
available on the market. Consumers will demand smaller portion sizes when eating out.
Dave Lieberman's Food Thoughts for 2006
The continued rise of specialty cocktails. More awareness of good American cheeses.
People will continue to be confused about the differences between all the salts on the
market. Boxed wine en vogue.
