Commentary on this year's food trends (2012)

During a recent scan of the Internet, I saw what some are saying about what's going to be hot in food this year. Here's my take on what I learned:

• People who like cooking with maple syrup will want to try using birch syrup in their favorite recipes. It's quite popular in the Yukon and Alaska because of its bolder, more savory taste, so for anyone wanting to experiment,  La Bottega in the Byward Market has been carrying this product since 2007.
• This will be the year pasta makes its comeback against the anti-carbs movement. I'm a bit skeptical of this as I didn't think eating pasta ever went out of style, and I haven't heard anyone talking about the Atkins diet in ages.
•  Petite produce, or baby vegetables, will take farmer's markets by storm this year. 
  
  This is not trick photography, these are actual vegetables that were either fully ripe and miniature-size, or cultivated to be small. All the same nutritional value but packed with more flavour and more tender than regular vegetables. I imagine these tiny fruits and vegetables could be put to excellent use in soups, platters, and in baking. I will have to keep an eye out for petite produce the next time I feel like having grilled vegetables this summer.
• Rejoice gluten intolerant, there will be more choices for people who want gluten-free foods.
• You know those single bite servings you see being served to "Top Chef" judges during challenges- they will be coming to everyday restaurants for you to enjoy. The presentation and flavour of the dish aside, I want a bit more than one mouthful of great food when I go out for my fine dining experience.
• As someone who regularly skips either breakfast or lunch, I'm not surprised that the idea of eating three meals a day is starting to be phased out. What with work, family, sleep, Food Channel On Demand, and Playstation3, it goes without saying that something's got to give.
• Whether it's to reduce one's carbon footprint, support local farmers, or a preference for fresh produce, the local food trend shows no sign of slowing down. Check out the Ottawa Farmer's Market website to see where the closest market is to you.
• Korean cuisine, along with high-end Indian food are the new Thai, as Asian food will continue to be popular. I've never tried Korean food before, but I'm sure I can find something to my tastes on a menu largely based upon rice, vegetables, and meats. I'm not sure if it qualifies as "high-end" in terms of Indian food, but I had the food over at Haveli's when a couple my wife and I know invited us out to dinner there a few years ago. It was the first time for me and my wife trying Indian food, so we played it safe and ordered mild versions of the chicken tika masala, and butter chicken respectively. Our friends love Indian food, and raved about their meal choices. My wife found even the mild flavoring too hot for her palette, and I regretted going with the less spicy version. I will have to remember to go big or home in terms of spices the next time I have Indian.
• Taste sensations such as pizza topped with hummus and wasabi peas, and hamburger-filled sushi are projected to be popular. I can see how something garlicky and spicy would go good with pizza, but I'm having trouble wrapping my head around hamburger sushi. Not that I'm a sushi connoisseur. The idea of even eating raw fish didn't appeal to me until some friend's of mine made some for me before they went to teach English in Japan. I didn't want to offend them by wussing out of eating the rolls they made, and I'm glad I didn't. The freshness of the fish; the texture of the nori; the stickiness of the rice the saltiness of the soya sauce, the hotness of the wasabi. Very tasty.
• The idea of raising chickens in your backyard continues to gain steam. This seems like more trouble than it's worth for a supply of fresh eggs or meat, but if people are willing to take the necessary precautions to ensure the coops are clean, and that the spread of diseases like salmonella and bird flu are minimized, I say go for it. It's not as if the city would become overrun with chickens overnight. The city would have to change its bylaw to allow residents to keep poultry, and Urban Hen Ottawa is leading the charge to make this happen.
• I'm surprised this hasn't been done already, but wine on tap may be appearing in more bars and restaurants soon. The wine is kept in stainless-steel kegs where pressurized nitrogen is use to push the wine through a draft-beer line system. I'm sure traditionalists will balk at this manner at first, but they say keeping the wine in kegs prevents it from going funky and flat, and the wine actually tastes better on tap than it does in a bottle, as the nose become more intense due to a lack of bottle shock. I'll take their word on that. I still have to read the label on the bottle to know what food goes well with it.
•  "Xue hua bing" (pronounced SHY-A wap-Bing), or "snowflake ice" is a hot new frozen treat coming out of Taiwan. Essentially, it's large flavored blocks of skim milk and fruit placed in a snow machine and shaved into delicate layers of creamy, airy goodness. How great does that sound? Probably as good as it looks.