Food Trends for 2003

Looking back, I think we can all agree that 2002 was quite a year.

Who can forget such weird and wild food stories as The Featherless Chicken, the obesity lawsuit leveled against the fast food chains, McDonalds' decision to cut the fat in their fries, and my inability to get the "Clay Henry" Subway jingle out of my head?

Come on, sing it with me... "His name is Henry, Clay Henry, he's a fireman and a Jared fan..."

Okay, how about the continued popularity of The Iron Chef television show (cooking shows in general, actually) and the growing fascination with unique cooking methods like Beer Can Chicken? (A topic we cover in the latest issue of Carbon 14 magazine)

But enough about the past? What does the future hold in store for food and drink fans? According to this Gastronomic Nostradamus, we'll be on the move – forwards and backwards – in the months to come. Here are my picks for the Food Trends to Watch for 2003.

1. THE WILD WORLD OF SNACKS
Snacks continue to be a fascinating trend to watch. Each week seems to bring new chip flavors, sizes and shapes to my supermarket aisle. With the continued "on the go" nature of our country, snacks with portability will also continue to be hot tickets. For instance, you can now purchase go packs of Pringles, Fritos with chili, and microwaveable cups of Campbell's soup. For those of us that like our pork rinds Hot & Crispy Lowrey's now makes microwave packets of Pork Rinds, just like popcorn!

Thanks to the internet, look for regional and specialty chips – like Cheeseburger Flavor, Old Bay Seasoned, and Sour Cream and Clam – to become exposed to a much wider audience. Okay, Sour Cream and Clam might be stretching it...

2. COMFORT FOOD RETURNS
With talk of war and fear of terrorism filling the airwaves each and every night, look for Americans to return to family dinners filled with comfort foods like Mom used to make. With obesity in Americans on the rise, one can only hope that the recipes will feature some low-fat ingredients before we ALL need to go on the Subway diet! ("His name is Taylor, Dan Taylor...")

3. HOME ENTERTAINING
When times are tight – as they are now – people spend less time going out to socialize and more time doing low-budget entertaining at home. This should be good news for grill manufacturers, fondue pot makers, and breweries! I smell a grilling renaissance in the air, thanks to the continuing popularity of the Food Network, magazines like Barbecue & Beverage, and the envelope-pushing books of Steve Raichlen (whose Beer Can Chicken book is a must have).

As for fondue, don't spend a fortune for some fancy schmancy "retro" looking pot and fondue forks – visit your nearest thrift store or flea market and you're sure to find everything from 1960s fondue cookbooks to any other accessories you might need. Just don't buy anything in the thrift store that looks – or smells – like cheese.

4. VIVA MEXICO!
Our country's Hispanic population continues to grow, as does our fascination with and love of anything hot, hotter, and hottest. Which can only mean more Mexican eateries, and I don't just mean another Taco Bell or Burger King's addition of tacos to their value menu. Look for chains like Chipotle to appear more frequently, offering Mexican food that's more upscale than your usual fast-food nachos and Mexican pizza. They might be heavily owned by the Golden Arches, but the food's about as far from a McRib Sandwich or Filet-O-Fish as you're gonna get!

5. THE SCIENCE OF COOKING
One of the most popular shows on the Food Network and one of the best selling cookbooks of last year both feature Alton Brown. Brown, a former TV producer/director, hosts the fun and fascinating GOOD EATS!, a show which demystifies the science of cooking for us novices and has fun with the cooking show concept at the same time. His first cookbook (I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking) has been a big hit for those tired with celebrity chefs that have become, well, tiresome (It's currently #177 on the amazon.com bestseller list). I would not be surprised if Brown's mix of science and the culinary arts leads to an explosion of teens and youngsters who discover the joy of cooking in their own way.

Well, those are my picks for some trends to watch out for over the next few months. Have some thoughts of your own about trends to watch in 2003? Drop a line to gourmet@dantenet.com or visit our food forum and sound off!