Check out my progress on Flavor Trends for 2011
It may seem odd to think of flavors (i.e., spice/herb pairings) as “trendy,” but according to an article my professor shared in class recently, culinary experts are already predicting next year’s popular taste combinations. 2011’s pairings include:
- Bacon and cinnamon. I can probably count the number of times I’ve eaten bacon in my life on one hand…but this combination sounds pretty amazing to me, nonetheless. Maple and bacon flavors are a longtime favorite among gastronomes, so it follows that cinnamon would make a lovely accompaniment to bacon’s smokiness as well. Perhaps I’ll have to get creative with tempeh bacon…
- Sage and citrus. I’ll be honest, when I think of sage and citrus, I think of the Yankee Candle fragrance. It makes a perfectly lovely aroma for adding ambiance to the home, so why not include it in your cooking too? I would imagine that it would make for a delicious sauce for fish or tofu.
- Coconut and pumpkin pie spice. I am so ahead of the curve on this one—pumpkin and coconut is one of my most beloved combinations for oatmeal and smoothies; I have been routinely adding the flavors of pumpkin pie spice (e.g., ginger, cinnamon, cloves, etc.) to that most hallowed member of the squash family for quite some time.
What dishes would you make featuring the above flavor pairings?
Let’s take a look at a few of my own flavor pairings of the day:
How is it that the simple addition of pumpkin makes oat bran infinitely better? While it imparts considerable fall flavor and nutrition to the mix, I think I like its contribution to texture the best—it’s just so thick and…sloppy:)
When it came time to pack lunch today, I really didn’t feel like exerting any effort. Accordingly, I looked in the refrigerator and spotted leftover beans, Brussels sprouts, and squash. It made for a delicious meal, even if the sprouts did stink up the microwave at school.
I ate lunch outside and was mildly creeped out by this scarecrow outside the library. I could have sworn it was looking at me.
Once home from class, I was having dueling cravings of both BBQ tofu and pizza…so I combined them into one meal. Tasty.
I am now off to attack that growing stack of magazines. Good night!
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
I made cupcakes with cinnamon and bacon over the Summer. I love being on top of things, unlike my schoolwork…
ooh coconut and pumpkin pie spice– i love that!! i can see a pancake in the works…
enjoyu the magazines
I think coconut and pumpkin would make me swoon. Just sayin
I am SO into the last pairing– coconut and pumpkin. Ummm, hello, two of my favorite combos and loves. I made a pumpkin- coconut smoothie recently that turned out quite excellent. I’m excited to see what natural products will come out!
THAT PIZZA LOOKS AMAZING!
and i agreee- pumpkin + pb + oatmeal + banana = best combo everrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Mmmm, bacon…sorry, what were we talking about again?
I’ve been thinking about cooking up a coconut pumpkin bread, so obviously I’m on top of these food flavour trends.
I’m right with you there on bacon – even at age 6, my mother couldn’t get me to eat it and that was long before my vegetarian days! But lately it seems to be the add-on of choice for that boost of flavor (for example, remember Food Network’s spotlight of Brian Boitano aka the man who loves bacon more than any other person on the planet). Perhaps faux-bacon is something worth looking into…? You’ll have to post on how it goes!
yesss! i´m already on the pumpkin coconut flavour, but savory..baked pumpkin with coconut oil…yummy! i i pepared some banana oats yesterday but cooked them in water and honestly…nit good at all! your oats always seem so tasty but i don´t get mine to be very good ..any tips?
coconut pumpkin spice is the only combo that I’d try… the other sounds weird to me.
your pita pizza combo looks delish~~
I like ALL the flavor combinations listed!
As I type this comment, “What Would Brian Boitano Make?” is on Food Network…
I’m not a big fan of bacon. Especially when it’s sweet but I would use the sage citrus on chicken. And I agree that I already find pumpkin/coconut a great combo!
pumpkin and coconut sound like suuuuuch a fabulous combo! i hate bacon haha like hate it as much as sausage so i’m out for the count on that one but the p&c sound like the new pb&j
Sage and citrus screams bread to me. But that’s just me. They all sounds good. Feel like I’ve read the Vogue forward trend report for food. Lol.
id totally go for the tempeh bacon and cinnamon version.. at least it would be more satisfying than what i think reg. bacon and cinnamon would be like. tempeh would help make it more of a sweet and savory combo than over powering. you should definitely try it out, id love to see what u think of it!! xo
Mmm…sage and citrus really are great combinations! I’ve had it on poultry before, and I imagine it would be good in other things too (maybe biscuits or even a sweet, crispy cookie!)
(p.s. coconut + pumpkin = perfection! I couldn’t agree more.
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Oh, the thought of ruining cinnamon with bacon is so sad…;-)
Pumpkin + Coconut doesn’t surprise me one bit, and marketers are really milking it this season! I’ll have to try the sage + citrus… I love the both!
Any idea what the title of the article was that your professor shared? Or what publication it was in?
Thanks!