It’s already several weeks into the new year, the holiday cookies are just about gone, the gifts that weren’t quite what you wanted have been exchanged, and, for many, the Christmas tree is in the street, waiting to be picked up. Those that have made new year’s resolutions might be evaluating how they are doing so far. Some are contemplating how they are going to get through the winter, many are planning a winter vacation (I’ll share with you in another column a getaway to a warm hidden gem).
Me… It is the time of year I think about the food trends we will see in 2022. I’ve also been penciling in the ideas for food and culinary travel columns I look forward to sharing with you this year.
My own “crystal ball” and research shows:
• Plant based foods will become mainstream with specialty mushrooms becoming popular, perhaps because of its meaty texture and taste. There is an increased number of vendors at the farmers markets selling a plethora of mushrooms including enoki, morel, oyster and shitake.
• Better tasting and a wider variety of gluten-free products will be hitting the market
• Zucchini, eggplant, asparagus and other vegetable fries will join potato and sweet potato fries on menus
• We will see more refrigerated plant-based meat and milk alternatives in both the supermarket and on restaurant menus.
• With home cooking on the increase, online grocery purchases and delivery will increase.
• The prepared food section in supermarkets will expand their offerings, competing with restaurant takeout meals
• An increase in urban farming providing city residents with fresh produce
• According to an article in Storebrands.com, “As charcuterie boards continue to trend, online searches about charcuterie are up nearly 300 percent in the past 12 months, according to Aldi. New and creative charcuterie boards have been extremely popular this year, and Aldi predicts this will continue to grow throughout 2022.” With the number of cookbooks devoted to making beautiful food boards, I am not surprised. Check out my column about food boards that was published here https://bit.ly/3K4GwFU
• The National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast” reports, “The top five regions influencing menus next year are: 1. Southeast Asian (e.g., Vietnamese, Singaporean, Philippine) 2. South American (e.g., Argentinian, Brazilian, Chilean) 3. Caribbean (e.g., Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican) 4. North African (e.g., Moroccan, Algerian, Libyan) 5. Western African (e.g., Nigerian, Ghanan, Western Saharan)
The association also writes, “Traditional proteins continue to rank hot, but this year, chefs indicate the less expensive cuts—thighs vs. wings, chuck vs. loin—will show up more often on menus. Whether the trend is due to supply issues, rising food costs, culinary exploration or all these influences combined, expect the trend in ’22.”
• As I do each year, I asked food expert Priscilla Martel (www.priscillamartel.com) what her crystal ball shows for 2022.
Martel, of “All About Food” and co-author of the award-winning culinary textbooks, “On Baking: A Textbook of Baking and Pastry Fundamentals” and “On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals,” is a lifelong ambassador for the almond industry, flavor maven, baker and chef. A few of Martel’s thoughts on food trends…..
• More brands offering pasta from grains such as black rice, pumpkin seeds or red lentil flour, many of which are gluten free such as Barilla’s lentil flour pasta.
• Hibiscus is back. It’s been popular in teas and beverages for its very tart, brilliant red color and slightly sweet aroma and taste. Whole hibiscus blossoms look smashing in a glass of champagne, prosecco of other sparkling drink with or without alcohol. New uses include in mixing it into yogurt and fruit spreads.
• Sober Curious Non buzzy brews have been cited as the largest growing segment of the beverage industry. According to reporting in Business Insider, sales of non-alcoholic beverages grew 33% last year. If you’re a fan of nonalcoholic beers from Athletic Brewing Company or Sam Adams, then you might love some of the inspired “spirits” available, such as those from Pentire, Seedlip, Ritual and others. The nonalcoholic brews appear in many grocery and package stores. Other products are sold online at companies such as Better Rhoades, a startup based in Madison, Connecticut.
• For cooking gadget trends, I see air fryers continuing to be popular with innovative dishes being prepared in them. Just look at the number of air fryer cookbooks that have been published. I don’t find it surprising that air fryers have taken the home cooking by storm. For those who enjoy the texture of fried food without the calories, it is the perfect solution. It’s moving away from a novelty device to a staple in the kitchen. It cooks a variety of foods using very little oil and it cooks with little mess. It is estimated that 40% of U.S. homes own one, according to America’s Test Kitchen. Will it become as popular as the Instant Pot?
The air fryer feature on my multi- purpose countertop oven has become the workhorse in my kitchen. I was so pleased when America’s Test Kitchen editors published “Healthy Air Fryer: 75 Feel Good Recipes. Any Meal. Any Air Fryer” (2022, $24.99) It is a follow-up to their “Air Fryer Perfection” cookbook, another air fryer title in my collection.
To get started with air frying, a new food trend, check out these recipes. For the recipe for sesame salmon with roasted kimchi, broccoli, and shitakes visit https://bit.ly/3ng8DIq
Lemon-Pepper Chicken Wings
The headnote says: “Why This Recipe Works: Once you make chicken wings in your air fryer, you may never go back to conventional frying or oven roasting again. With their delicate skin and paper-thin layer of fat, chicken wings are a perfect candidate for air frying. In the intense, evenly circulating heat, the fat renders as the skin crisps, then conveniently accumulates at the bottom of the air fryer without smoking up your kitchen. Rather than toss our wings in gloppy, sugar- or fat-heavy sauces, we tossed them with our choice of super flavorful combinations: simple lemon and pepper with herbs, slightly more complex Parmesan and garlic (to round out the lemon, pepper, and herbs), and feisty cilantro and lime with jalapeño. These added a lot of zing to the wings without compromising their perfectly crisped exteriors. If you buy chicken wings that are already split, with the tips removed, you will need only 1 pound.
1 ¼ pounds chicken wings, halved at joints, wingtips discarded
1/8 teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, dill, and/or tarragon
Pat wings dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange wings in even layer in air-fryer basket. Place basket into air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until wings are golden brown and crisp, 18 to 24 minutes, flipping wings halfway through cooking.
Combine lemon zest and parsley in large bowl. Add wings and toss until evenly coated. Serve with lemon wedges. parmesan-garlic chicken wings: Add 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese and 1 minced garlic clove to lemon zest–parsley mixture. cilantro-lime chicken wings: Substitute lime zest and wedges for lemon and cilantro for parsley. Add 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño chile to lime zest–cilantro mixture.
Serves 2 Total Time: 30 minutes
Asparagus Fries with Yogurt Sauce
The headnote says: “Why This Recipe Works: In the spring, asparagus is plentiful, and we like to cook it in myriad ways. Here we air-fry this sweet, grassy vegetable and turn it into fries for a deliciously quick and easy appetizer or side. A combination of toasted panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan gave a delightfully crackly and delicate exterior to the asparagus. To make the panko mixture stick to the vegetable, we used a combination of flour and egg seasoned with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Arranging the coated asparagus pieces in a “Lincoln Log” pattern (see page 5) in the basket allowed for maximum air circulation. Look for asparagus that is approximately ½ inch at the base.
½ cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and halved crosswise
Lemon wedges
Whisk yogurt and mustard together in small bowl; set aside for serving. Toss panko with oil in shallow dish until evenly coated. Microwave, stirring frequently, until light golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Let cool slightly, then stir in Parmesan. Whisk egg, flour, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper together in second shallow dish. Working with several asparagus pieces at a time, dredge in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then coat with panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere; transfer to large plate.
Lightly spray base of air-fryer basket with canola oil spray. Arrange half of asparagus pieces parallel to each other in prepared basket, spaced evenly apart. Arrange remaining asparagus pieces on top, perpendicular to first layer. Place basket into air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until asparagus are tender and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes, shaking basket gently to loosen pieces halfway through cooking. Serve with yogurt sauce and lemon wedges.
Serves 2 Total Time: 30 minutes
Crispy Baked Potato Fans
The headnote says: “Why This Recipe Works: Essentially baked potatoes but par-sliced into thin, even segments that create a fanlike shape, our air-fried potato fans become extra-crispy on the outside while their interiors remain fluffy and moist. This impressive potato dish—believed to have originated in Sweden at the Hasselbacken restaurant—is surprisingly easy to prepare. For a healthy take on a classic often loaded with butter, sour cream, cheese, or other rich toppings, we turned to heart-healthy olive oil to help crisp the segments and added flavor with aromatic smoked paprika and garlic powder instead. We found that using the right kind of potato was key. The russet, or Idaho, potato was the best choice because of its starchy flesh and creamy texture. Taking the time to rinse the potatoes of surface starch after they were sliced prevented them from sticking together and trimming off the ends of each potato gave the slices room to fan out. To prevent overcooking or burning our spuds in the heat of the air fryer, we precooked them briefly in the microwave. To ensure that the potatoes fan out evenly, look for uniformly shaped potatoes. Chopsticks or thick skewers provide a foolproof guide for slicing the potato petals without cutting all the way through the potato in step 1
2 russet potatoes, unpeeled
2 tablespoons extra‑virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon table salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons minced scallions, fresh chives, fresh dill, and/or fresh
parsley
Lemon wedges
1. Cut ¼ inch from bottoms and ends of potatoes. Place 1 chopstick or thick skewer lengthwise on each side of 1 potato, then slice potato crosswise at 1/4-inch intervals, stopping ¼ inch from bottom of potato. Repeat with second potato. Rinse potatoes gently under running water, let drain, and transfer to plate. Microwave until slightly tender when squeezed gently, 6 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking.
2. Combine oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in bowl. Brush potatoes with portion of oil mixture, then drizzle remaining oil in between slices. Arrange potatoes cut side up in air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart. Place basket into air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook until potato skins are crisp and golden brown and potato interiors register 205 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle potatoes with scallions and serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 2 Total Time: 45 minutes
Stephen Fries, is a professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, in New Haven, CT. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 13 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, CT. Stephen@stephenfries.com For more, go to stephenfries.com.
