2003 was a year for belt-tightening.
The soft economy proved a downer for fine dining, forcing restaurateurs to get creative. They came up with happy hours, tapas and, yes, even low-carb meal deals.
And it seemed everyone knew someone who was on the Atkins diet. Yet while the low-carb/high-protein diets were all the rage, Americans continued to face an ever-widening obesity epidemic.
But we ended the year on a more festive note. For the first time in years, the familiar refrain at holiday parties was “Pass the party nuts!” Once on the tsk-tsk list for weight watchers, nuts, which contain “good” fats, have been upgraded to a green-light food.
Here are some other food trends to look forward to this year:
CUBAN CUISINE: Whether it’s a signature sandwich–thick slices of smoked ham and roast pork on French baguettes and toasted similar to an Italian panini–or a plate of rice and beans, true Cuban food is simple and satisfying fare.
HOT STUFF: Move over ,Naked Chef. His unscripted NBC show and his smoldering good looks were enough to make Rocco DiSpirito the newest chef hottie on the block.
TROUBLED WATERS: There was plenty of news about salmon and tuna–both high in the “good” omega-3 fats, but also, apparently, in PCBs (salmon) or mercury (tuna). Expect to see ongoing debate about the environmental risks vs. the health benefits of fish in the diet.
AMERICAN WAISTLAND: With American farmers producing an estimated 3,800 calories a day for every man, woman and child, America is undoubtedly the land of plenty. As a result, we’ve spawned an obesity epidemic responsible for an estimated 300,000 deaths and $117 billion in health-care costs.
LOW-CARB RENAISSANCE: In the ’70s, Robert Atkins was vilified before a Senate committee as a quack. He died earlier this year, but not before he saw his diet adopted by record numbers of Americans.
A FAIR FOOD FIGHT: Voting for humanitarian causes with your food dollar just got easier. Fair-trade coffees are certified to let the consumer know that the workers receive a fair wage for their beans. As a bonus: Most fair-trade coffees are grown using eco-friendly methods.
MOJITO MADNESS: From Brazilian caipirinhas to Peruvian pisco sours, Latin cocktails are changing what it means to venture south of the border. Especially popular is a zippy little Cuban cocktail known as the mojito that is sure to put a little cha-cha-cha in your step.
Serve it up small
The trend toward small plates of food will continue in 2004. Some foods that might be on them are:
– Tofu. “It’s going to be even more mainstream because of the Atkins diet,” says chef Roger Thomas of Piatto in Akron, Ohio.
– Carpaccio of salmon, tuna and beef. The fish or meat is cut into ultrathin slices and served raw, traditionally with olive oil, chopped parsley and lemon juice.
Pint-size unusual vegetables: Tiny leeks, baby daikon radishes, celery sprouts, plus root vegetables such as turnips and rutabaga. KRT.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Kris Karnopp (kkarnopp@tribune.com)
