2011 FOOD TRENDS: Bacon cookies, bacon caviar, heritage pigs, pancetta, bacon toys and Bloody Kim Jong-il mix

The American Salumi Calendar 2011 salumi centerfold poster

Reported by: http://www.rodale.com/organic-trends?page=0%2C1:
While the economy remains stagnant, consumers are nevertheless embracing organic more than ever. In 2010, more than 40 percent of parents reported buying more organic foods today than they did a year ago, up more than 30 percent from 2009, according to the U.S. Families’ Organic Attitudes and Beliefs 2010 tracking study.

Reported by www.tastingtable.com:
Bacon Caviar The fish-egg experts at California Caviar Company–which curates foreign and domestic options and collaborates with chefs such as Jacques Pepin–have entered breakfast territory with their Bacon & Eggs offering. Trout roe is infused with Nueske’s applewood-smoked bacon and black pepper, giving it a charred, salty-sweet edge.

Reported by: http://www.instructables.com/id/Chocolate-Chip-Bacon-Cookies/
How to make chocolate chip bacon cookies

Reported by: http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2010/12/bacon_nativity_scene_is_truly_christmas_miracle.php
A nativity scene made out of bacon and possibly sauerkraut.

Reported at: http://www.cochon555.com/HERITAGE_BOOKLET.pdf:
Field Guide to Heritage Pigs from Mangalitsa to Berkshire

Reported at http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/2925541-how-to-make-pancetta:
How to make pancetta

Reported by: http://www.houstonpress.com/2010-06-10/restaurants/designer-meats/:
Catalan executive chef Chris Shepherd, the man other Houston chefs call The Godfather, grabs a handful of his very own homemade sausages and starts slicing them into gauzy ribbons. Red strips of coppa fall from the meat slicer like streamers, gracefully dappled with spots of slick white fat. He hands them to me as they fall. The meaty pig’s-neck sausage is dark and rich.

Reported at: http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/e1d0/?cpg=144H:
Order a Bacon Plush Toy. It’s a huggable plush bacon for kids and kids at heart 3 and older. It says I’m bacon“!” when you squeeze him and has a mechanical animated mouth. The site also sells caffeinated marshmallows, miracle berry tablets, bacon lip balm, wasabi gumballs, caffeinated jerky, and misfortune cookies.

Reported by: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/restaurants/off-the-menu/article_6e5df896-024d-11e0-8567-0017a4a78c22.htmlThe oil spill’s effect on Gulf Coast seafood, an egg recall and a beef recall topped the list of biggest food stories of 2010, according to a national survey out this afternoon. For the full list of the top 10 food stories, including Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution” (No. 9) and Michelle Obama’s work to pass the Child Nutrition bill (5), click here. Also revealed in the 1,000-person annual survey commissioned by Hunter Public Relations: 42 percent of respondents cited the return of the limited-release McRib sandwich at McDonald’s as the top pop-culture item in food news. When asked what food trends they’d like to see end, 49 percent of people surveyed said “bacon-flavored everything,” 20 percent said “cupcakes,” 17 percent said “high-end burgers,” and 9 percent said “gourmet food trucks.” The Hunter survey comes on the heels of a study the Riverfront Times’ Gut Check blog mentioned today that led Nation’s Restaurant News to declare 2010 the “year of the fish taco.” That report, from Chicago consulting firm Technomic, noted that fish tacos as well as Mexican foods in general made more appearances on U.S. restaurant menus in 2010 than in 2009. Contributing to that uptick, according to a Technomic rep: The popularity of fast-casual chains like Chipotle and Baja Fresh as well as Americans’ desire for spicier and ethnic foods.

Reported by www.tastingtable.com:
Bloody Kim Jong-il mix contains a proprietary blend of fresh tomato juice and the leftover brine from that week’s prepared kimchis, which change weekly based on what’s available at the farmers’ market (past offerings have included sunchoke and tatsoi, brussels sprouts and cauliflower).

Complaints, tirades, comments, critiques? lehndorffj@aol.com

John Lehndorff is co-author with Kim Long of the American Salumi Calendar 2011, the first calendar devoted to cured meat artisans in the U.S. Lehndorff is a former caterer, nationally distributed newspaper food columnist and restaurant critic, author of a restaurant guide book, and one of America’s foremost pie experts.

The 2011 American Salumi Calendar: www.americansalumi.com

2011 FOOD TRENDS: U.S. vs Italian salumi; private brands rising; lamb, rice and peace

From The American Salumi Calendar 2010

Nibbles is a compendium of food, dining and beverage information and trends from the U.S. and the world edited by John Lehndorff (www.JohnLehndorff.com)

Reported by: http://www.ocregister.com:
Salt-curing and air-drying meats and sausages are a centuries-old artisanal tradition in Italy. Over the past few years, salumi (Italian-style cold cuts) have become a mainstay on restaurant menus from coast to coast. Often it’s American-made artisanal prosciutto, mortadella and a wide variety of salami that hog the limelight. “For the longest time, Americans tried successfully and unsuccessfully to smuggle salumi into the United States from Italy,” said Pavlos, who has a deli counter in her restaurant that showcases a wide variety of domestic and imported salumi and cheeses. “I predict a reverse trend: Italians will soon be trying to smuggle handmade American salumi back into Italy.”

Reported by: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/world/middleeast/20mideast.html?_r=1:
For veterans of the peace process, it was an opportunity to connect with old friends. Some of the Israelis, however, were visiting Ramallah for the first time. Long tables were laid out in the main hall of the Mukata, the presidential compound, and a traditional lunch of lamb and rice was served. Special kosher meals in sealed containers were provided for the Orthodox Jewish delegates. Plans for the meeting began a few months ago, but organizers said it took on additional urgency when the peace process stalled.

Reported by: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/12/ten-steps-to-eating-perfectly/“They said that fast food executives were turning fat profits by making us fat, so I stopped eating fast food.
They said that killing animals was wrong, so I became a vegetarian.
They said that fertilizer run-off from industrial farming is killing the Gulf of Mexico, the pesticides are killing honeybees, so I started only eating organic.
They said that shipped food is too carbon intensive and not as fresh, so I started eating only local, in-season food.
They said that it was wrong to punish a cow by milking it twice a day, or to steal a chicken’s eggs, so I became a vegan ………..”

Reported by http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2010/12/16/deal-frenzy-in-aisle-4/:
In many cases, those consumers have discovered that private-label products are just as good as the branded ones, or at least close enough. For that reason, some analysts believe that private labels – which according to the research firm Packaged Facts now make up nearly a fifth of the grocery market, up from just 14% in 2005 – will continue to eat away at certain brands even after the economy picks up. Once viewed as commodities, private-label products are developing a “brand” of their own. They represent an $87 billion market, Packaged Facts says.

Complaints, tirades, comments, critiques? lehndorffj@aol.com
John Lehndorff is co-author with Kim Long of the American Salumi Calendar 2011, the first calendar devoted to cured meat artisans in the U.S. Lehndorff is a former caterer, nationally distributed newspaper food columnist and restaurant critic, author of a restaurant guide book, and one of America’s foremost pie experts.
The 2011 American Salumi Calendar: www.americansalumi.com

Kind words about the American Salumi Calendar 2011 from the Denver Post:
Early nomination for the best calendar of 2011: The American Salumi Calendar, masterminded by Front Range foodie (and former Rocky scribe) John Lehndorff. Each month features glam shots of preserved meats and cured sausages from salami to coppa to pancetta. Bonus: An American Salumi Centerfold. Cost: $12.95 plus postage. Stock up for holiday gifts at americansalumi.com

Extra virgin wieners; Singing servers leave bad taste; Organic less important

Nibbles is a compendium of food, dining and beverage information from the U.S. and the world edited by John Lehndorff.

Reported by http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/:
Barbecues may see a healthier sausage this summer as Spanish scientists show that pork fat may be replaced by emulsified olive oil without changing the taste of the hot dog. An olive oil-in-water emulsion was found to partially replace pork back without changing the colour or taste of the frankfurter, according to Food Research International.

You’ll know that the word “salumi” and the meaty goodness it represents has truly entered the American consciousness when you see a Sopressata-mobile. Photo: Kim Long, American Forecaster

Reported by http://www.innovations-report.com:
New research led by a University of Illinois marketing expert, Cele Otnes, finds that businesses that reate rituals that center on consumers can set themselves apart, but it can also backfire. “Not all customers want to be entertained,” she said. “Some just want to escape and be left alone. So the bottom line here is that businesses really need to consider their target audience before creating rituals that are effectively forced on people.” The study examined rituals that are embedded into service practices, creating a virtually mandatory branding tool that seeks to deal businesses a unique drawing card but gives customers little chance to opt out. Workers in costume, polished performances and glitzy accouterments were among ritual aesthetics that made customers feel special and cemented a positive impression of the business, surveys of more than 150 college-aged consumers found. Some consumers surveyed said that being forced to participate in rituals violated their sense of privacy and left them feeling hemmed in, embarrassed or even resentful, the study found.

Reported by http://www.mediapost.com:
A survey of Market Force’s network of more than 300,000 independent and primarily female mystery shoppers and merchandisers confirms consumers’ growing concern about nutrition and weight issues, 42% ranked restaurant disclosure of nutritional and caloric information as “very” important, and 45% as “somewhat” important. The importance of restaurants’ use of organic ingredients is considered far less important — in fact, its importance is now ranked lower than it was six months ago. Organic is now considered very important by 24%, somewhat important by 55% and not at all important by 21%. The importance of use of locally grown ingredients/foods was ranked very important by 24%, somewhat important by 55% and not at all important by 21%.

Nibbles Food Trend Blog is now featured at: http://blogs.wherethelocalseat.com/Foodies/Denver-Food-and-Dining-Blogs.aspx
Nibbles Dining Column: http://yellowscene.com/2010/06/10/nibbles-nibbling-is-3-d/
Comments: Lehndorffj@aol.com
www.JohnLehndorff.com

U.S. Food, Dining and Beverage Trends 2010 – 3

THE NEWS: The Dec. 15 Los Angeles Times passed along some food trend predictions for 2010 from J. Walter Thompson: bacon in cocktails and ice cream; Fast food organic eateries; resurgence in wine cocktails; backlash on food health claims; and sardines are back.
WHAT IT MEANS: Chefs are messing with bacon but 99.9% of Americans will still eat their strips at breakfast and lunch. Organic/sustainable/local/healthy fast food outlets will be widespread within five years. Wine cocktails? Who really cares? And real, fresh (not canned) grilled or pan-fried sardines are indeed a taste delight and deserve to be more popular.

(For enhanced food trend information, see Eat In, Eat Out: a new business white paper on food, dining and beverage industry trends for 2010 and beyond. www.americanforecaster.com.)