# Trends



## newbiecook (Oct 17, 2004)

I'm currently at work and talking to my chef and he was saying that Chocolate in sauces was one of the newer trends these days.

I was wondering what other trends you would say are "in" these days so to say.

I would love the help, and the knowledge of the trends within the industry that I'm not sure of.

Thanks
Bryan


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## steve a (Mar 13, 2006)

Chocolate in sauces is actually a rather old trend. It has been used in _moles_ for years. As always, old is always new. Things cycle.

_Tapas_ or tapas-like portions still seem to be up on the list. Atkins is dead, so is his diet.

Watch fads - fads turn into trends - trends turn into the norm which will spawn yet more fads.

Ciao,

PS I know where Barrie is. I used to travel to Midland quite often to visit friends when I lived in Upstate NY. Aren't you glad the spring thaw's here?? LOL


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## diane (Mar 24, 2006)

Never a truer word said. Fads turn into trends. And the highest price is paid by the stupids who can't figure that out. So during the fibre era they scoured their childrens tender colons with bran that would give a horse the passings. And so on it goes. 

Bring back the carrot I shriek as I fall under under a pile of pile of books absolutely declaring the last and only word in nutrition. And this from a gaggle of new agers who try and tell us there are no absolutes. Oh puleeze. Now "they" tell us eggs are just fine, well golly gee, who'ed a thought it.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Ahh, fads... Remember those old, old TV commercials with the guy sitting on top of a mountain spreading margerine on ww bread, telling you how good it was? Yup, back then butter would kill you, and margerine would fuel you so you could climb Mt Everest on your 90th B day.... Atkins fad. I remember just before THAT fad ended, standing in a line up at the gas station and the guy infront of me buys a tiny $3.00 chocolate bar. I was intrigued, must be excellent single-bean chocolate? Nope, it was an Atkins chocolate bar. Couldn't wipe the ****-eating grin off my face for the rest of the day.

Stick with what you know, do it well, and be proud of your work.


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## diane (Mar 24, 2006)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA..... thats funny....


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## crazytatt (Mar 5, 2006)

And there it is...


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## andrew563 (Oct 12, 2005)

sushi seems to be the fad, trend, new thing, whatever you want to call it, where i am. Maybe its just me, but most of it tastes like stuff my dad and I used to use as bait. Maybe its just me.


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## chefa1a (Dec 8, 2003)

thats a double edged sword

just to follow trends for the sake of it isnt always smart

if the customers dont go for it your not making money

I havent even seen any practical dishes in art culinaire

they have just been way out there and its great for show pieces or to show your technical prowess but remember the customers pay the bills


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## crazytatt (Mar 5, 2006)

I have wondered that for a long time...as great a publication Art Culiaire is, and I ALWAYS look forward to the new ones as few and far between as they are,.........HOW FUNCTIONAL IS IT?

Great eye apeal, AWESOME ingredients.......intense preperation, can you imagine the waitstaff rushing that type of picturesque cuisine out in a heavy night?



GO WITH WHAT YOU KNOW, and K.I.S.S.
People too in alot of situations, go with what they know, + or - a few steps from there comfort zone.


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

The raw bar was a fad that came and went quickly. Thank goodness!

Foams? Don't know if that ever took off.

Gastriques have been gaining popularity since the late 80's but have never really be a front page trend.


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## diane (Mar 24, 2006)

That is so Kuan. But maybe I am in the wrong places. Never had a foam, never seen a raw bar, wouldn't eat from it anyway. I like things straight from the coldroom. There is a restaurant north of here is doing very well with old fashioned food. Roasts, casseroles, iceburg lettuce. Beets, cabbage (under used) corned beef. Swedes, turnips, the adorable parsnip. The sweetness of grated carrot with orange. Baked kumara, (sans) marshmellows. Baked anything. Why have we given up on pumpkin, not canned, good hearty slices of pumpkin with the skin there to make it perfect. It is easier if you have a pumpkin slicers. Husbands make those. I love the way kumara (sweet potato and pumpkin, meld into casserole. Peas and little spuddies do not. Neither do carrots. (salutes carrot) And pour in a 330ml. bottle or can (1/2Pt) of good stout. My word, that is good.


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## plongeur (Aug 1, 2005)

We've just been sent samples of a new salted chocolate (4% salt and various spices) for use in savoury sauces by Valrhona, http://www.valrhona.com/. Dunno if it's available over there but it's good stuff.


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## tigerwoman (Jul 18, 2002)

foam was a big thing in high end restaurants for a few years but hasn't made it to general level status.

another trend I have noticed is using spices in sweet chocolate - like curried chocolate truffles or brownies, the previous post with the salted chocolate reminded me of that. Other flavor profiles in high end chocolates seemed to be big for a few years too. 

wraps were a trend 25 years ago - now they are common place but continue to be popular.


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## diane (Mar 24, 2006)

I suppose wraps are another kind of sandwich TW. Bread and a filling.


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## tigerwoman (Jul 18, 2002)

Wraps are another sort of sandwich really but are very versital (sp?) Not sure if you are just commenting on them or not familar. When I first encountered "wraps" in california a zillion years ago (at least 25) they were made by softening hard round lavosh bread by running water over it, spreading some sort of cream cheese mixture and adding meat, vegetables and or lettuce, rolling up and leaving overnight in the frig to stiffen up again.

Usually served sliced into finger sized pinwheels.

When we got back to New York, we found a soft lavosh (armenian or middle eastern flatbread) and cut out the soaking and overnight process, as well as not having to neccessarily use cream cheese (limits the taste profile) 

Then wraps hit the market about 15 years ago and people started using tortillas as the "bread" - then they started offering flavored and colored tortillas. Now wraps are truly common place - even places like McDonalds offer them - some places give you a whole or half wrap as a sandwich. We like to cut them smaller into either 6 or 8 pieces for sandwich platters (pinwheels) or 12 pieces for cocktail size (we use 12" tortillas). They are also popular with the low carbers as there is less bread.

the variety of fillings is endless and really quite delicious. We even do a peking duck wrap using the tortilla instead of the chinese pancake.


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## diane (Mar 24, 2006)

Thanks for your mini course in wrappin' and rollin' TW. It is interesting for me to see the developemental timing and make up of the various products. One thing well loved here is the middle eastern kebab, A flat bread halved 'thinways' and each separately used to wrap salad, dressing and lamb. Usually called Donner Kebabs. It may be "fast food" but it is jolly good food. It is sort of twice wrapped with each thin of the bread. I too love the pinwheels, and they are so much fun to make. My cousin made us smoked salmon and asparagus pins, and cocktail sandies for lunch a week or two ago. Sausage rolls for the two men, but I noticed they did rather well on the Little Food too. 

Wrappin' and rollin' is rather a good name for a party, don't you think. One bitter winter my sister held a Hot Party, to cheer everyone up. I wore a fire engine red dress with black shoes and stockings. I was a coal fire. But they didn't get it. Sigh. Kay dressed in kharki, put a stethoscope around her neck, and put glitter on her lips, she was Hotlips. (MASH) She had to keep renewing from time to time, and is the way with family and friends, there was much conjecture on the 'end' result. Talk about Harpic 'sparkling' clean.


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## diane (Mar 24, 2006)

Oh, excuse me, I forgot the timing. Flat breads of various kinds were not widely available here, until about 15 years ago. They were warmly rec'd. when they did arrive. Before that you had to have good Indian friends to invite you for a good nosh up of flat bread, dhal, and tandori, with side salad. We had some. ;Þ It took us a couple of years to cotton on, things like humus were new too, as were the hot peppers and how to use them. Tabasco had reigned supreme before that. You, of course had the advantages of Mexican cooking, Now of course, anything goes. The laws were very very restrictive, one could only have wine with a meal in a hotel. In 1965 there was only one licenced restaurant in this city. Pubs closed at 6pm, and the dry areas stretched from Karagahape road to Hobsonville. That is a Looong way, and south? even longer, Rangariri, which is still a good old pub.


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## steve a (Mar 13, 2006)

Here's an article I came across today while searching for something else. I remembered someone asking for 'trend' information on this site.

Award Winning Caterers Say It's A Matter of Taste, Natasha Garber, Special Events Magazine, May 1, 2006.

Hope you find something useful there.

Ciao,


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