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'Stuff like mom used to make'
Compiled from Times wires Here's what the chefs and other on-air personalities at the Food Network are predicting for 2002: Ming Tsai, chef and host of Ming's Quest and East Meets West. "The hottest food trends are semi-prepared and prepared foods. People want to stay at home, nest, and cook, but don't have two prep cooks. So semi-prepared is the rage." Sara Moulton, chef and host of Sara's Secrets and Cooking Live. "If I was going to predict what will be the big trend in 2002 it would continue in the current mode it is in: home food, comfort food, nurturing food, the cozier the better, humble stews and hearty dishes, stuff like mom used to make." Anthony Bourdain, author, chef and host of A Cook's Tour. "The trends I see are manifesting themselves quickly, and in profound, deeply felt ways in New York City and elsewhere. It's the Great Turn Inward -- back to "Comfort Food.' It's a very tough time for chefs with high-end "innovative' cuisine -- as the dining public, already feeling it in the pocket book, are now expressing the post-Sept. 11 state of mind by returning to the non-threatening, the comfortable and the familiar. Many chefs are changing their menus to reflect this palpable shift in public mood." David Rosengarten, co-anchor of In Food Today and host of Taste. "Without a doubt, the hottest food trend that I see is . . . simplicity! Everyone, including chefs and diners, is getting tired of painfully creative, tortured food that included towers, squiggles, plate pictures, crazy combinations, 16 ingredients in a dish, etc. Some years ago, simplicity wasn't such a great alternative, because we didn't have a whole lot of great ingredients to work with. But now that we have magnificent vegetables, why muck them up with creativity? Now that we have incredible seafood, why not just cook it simply?" Mario Batali, chef and host of Mario Eats Italy and Molto Mario. "At home, the trend will be toward cooking more authentic, regional cuisine from Western Europe, Spain particularly, Northern Africa, and Southeast Asia." Tori Ritchie, chef and co-host of Appetite for Adventure. "Food that equals a hug. Simple food, cooked at home, that makes you feel good. Things like roast chicken, mashed potatoes, chocolate pudding." Alton Brown, chef and host of Good Eats. "If I read the vibe on the street correctly, I'd say that casual home entertaining is going to make a big comeback. I'm not talking about fussy dinner parties, I'm talking about chili and fried chicken. People are tired of being intimidated by food and especially tired of feeling like they've got to make water from scratch in order to be hospitable. With the events of this past year, more and more people will be staying in, calling over a few friends and enjoying themselves. And I might add, it's about darned time." Kathleen Daelemans, host of Cooking Thin. "In these uncertain times, without a doubt, comfort food. Sharing a meal with family and friends is our opportunity to control our quality of life and our health in a time we have so little control over anything else." Michelle Bernstein, chef and co-host of Melting Pot. "Simple foods -- not over worked dishes or flavors -- and a lot of European seafood." Jill Cordes, reporter and co-host of The Best Of. "In the year 2002, I think the key word will be simplicity. Simple, good food with not a lot of sauces and not a lot of design, in terms of building up the plate a mile high for presentation. Getting back to the basics and getting away from the excess is another way to put it. I also think we'll see more people staying in and hosting their own cocktail parties, and going to restaurants as more of a special occasion affair." Wolfgang Puck, chef and host of Wolfgang Puck. "TV dinners are going to be in fashion again. People will have take-out food and eat it at home with their families -- everything from pizzas to Chinese food, to Latin food."
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From the Times Taste section From the features wire |
