What’s hot or not for 2007

It’s in with the new and out with the old as a new year approaches. The culinary world waits anxiously on what food items will make the “out� and “in� lists.

One could consult a variety of web sites to discern latest trends and practices but traditionally I have set my own food predictions for the future and gazed back on what was, could have, or should have been.

The biggest food stories of 2006 saw us living in fear of a variety of contaminants in the average food supply. From E. coli to salmonella, no animal or beast nor swimming creature was unaffected by some form of disease.

Even vegetarians could take no satisfaction or hold confidence in their dietary choices. There was the carrot-juice scare, the spinach fright and most recently a green-onion call back as Taco Bell eaters in the United States became ill. (Montreal got sick in a different way due to pesky green onions that emptied our wallets in a prohibited-parking way).

There was a short absence of Hershey chocolate products on shelves while bacterium was laid to rest. Legislated sickly-white margarine remained on shelves despite calls for colouration. We still cry, “give me yellow!� and no one is listening. People guzzled gallons and became hooked on caffeine Guarana-laden energy drinks causing diabetic overload while Coca-Cola got in the game with a new product called BlaK. Tim Hortons outlets continued to cause traffic nightmares at small-town intersections while municipal councillors looked the other way. Perhaps the most disappointing story of the year as that our farmers continue to suffer under quota and pricing debacles caused by government policies.

This year I have one request from Santa. Please bring us safe, healthy food to eat, produced locally, at a price that supports local farmers and economies. Santa, we could use some of your helper elves to infiltrate the halls of government in the night so as to write important projets de loi for our benefit.

I think in 2007 we will see more exciting food stories and some interesting adaptations of old and new culinary offerings.

Here is my annual top five-food

trend list for 2007

1- Chocolate reigns supreme. White chocolate is added to every known cheesecake and dessert while minimum 70 per cent cocoa is the rule on the dark side.

2- Raw milk and cheese is increasingly and furtively produced on “illicit farms� and procured by demanding chefs and food connoisseurs. Controversy continues while food police get foiled.

3- Upscale and “antique rustic� loaves of bread and bakery items sell for upward of $6 and consumers scramble to get as much as they can.

4- Big chain grocery stores all add sushi stations at the entrance of their stores. (I’m right, you’ll see).

5- Indian food becomes de rigueur finally while Thai food takes a back seat temporarily. Naysayers finally get the fact that there is more to Indian cuisine than curry.