Food Trends 2015

(etcetera23 on Culinary Art)
Food Trends 2015

We went out there, we looked into the pots and blenders of some up and coming chefs. There are few things, more coming this year and others are just not making it into the the top ten list of the  "Food Trend 2015" Here our Predictions: 

1. Chia Seeds

Woah! What a Seed! Its so rich in omega acid fats, antioxidants, fiber, calcium and protein, that makes it easy to be a super food.

here nutrition chart

 2. Blended Food

Smoothies, shakes and fruit and vegetable blends. Just add all your favorite and healthy ingredients together and blend them up. Good to go in your take away cup or bottle on the way to anywhere.

3. Smoked Food

Everything gets smoked nowadays, meat, fish, cheeses, vegetable and even fruits

check this list of smoked food

4. Pickled & Fermented Food

Pickle me! Ferment me! Or get it ready to use. Kimchi, Sauerkraut and Friends.

check this List of fermented foods

5. Gluten Free

oh no… this continuous?! Yes! Unfortunately! But please don’t be bitch on a trendy run. You are not welcome in every kitchen. If you a really have a celiac disease,  you will be treated as required, but if you are just on a trendy diet, why do you bother eating this terrible alternatives , which are properly worst for you in the first place. Just order a salad instead of this terrible buns and pasta substitutes.

By the way, most of the time it’s actually not the gluten who are the evil in the wheat.

gluten-free-diet-nutrition-celiac-disease

6. Dumplings 

Stuff me! With all traditional flavors, go crazy on new combinations in sweet and savory. 

If you ever in Wellington NZ - go here for the best ones!

7. Mushrooms

Yes! There alternatives to the champions. Keep your eyes open in your nearby veggie store or farmers market. Also, there is might be a forest close by and get out there to a mushroom hunt in autumn.

8. Vegetarian / Vegan Food

Many People decide to go all the way without meat. Most of them can and don’t want to cope with the issues, of how animals get treated in our times. This is not a trend, this is reality and people usually not go back to be meat eaters. Parents are aware! This is in not a sickness, which you can healed. This is a choice.

9. Middle East Inspired Food 

Trend or not. This is coming, going and staying and also very popular in the vegan and vegetarian scene and if still don’t know, it´s very healthy and versatile.

10. Dessert French Fries

I only heard about it… let see that’s a thing.

2015 copyrights by www.etcetera23.com

Mezcal Food Pairing

(etcetera23 on Culinary Art)

Mezcal Food Pairing with Chef Andre Radke

 The very versatile Oaxaca State in Mexico has everything to offer from Mountains to Beaches, from ancient ruins to exciting food creations and of course it’s very famous for an alcoholic beverage distilled from a type of maguey (an Agave plant type) called Mezcal.

(If you want to know more about the spirit itself, please check up on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mezcal)

During my stay in Oaxaca de Juarez, I made a Food Tasting for a Beer Workshop and later I have been asked to do a Food Pairing for a Mezcal Tasting. This sounded exciting and a bit challenging. So Sign me up for that!

After a personalized tasting of different types from a very young Mezcal producer, I had to choose 4 out of 5 different Mezcals: Tepextate, Espandin, Mexicano, Arroqueno and Barrel where in my little tasting glasses. I choose the first four of the five and put them in this order.
I became total free hand of what to do and how to combine the spirit in my food. The next challenge, to research what products are available and I was not surprised how limited the vegetable and fruit produce was. I went to many mercados (markets) and tiendas (shops), until I found enough input to put a menu together. 

Tepextate was good starter into the Mezcal World, so as in my Starter. I designed a combination of a few different dishes or maybe a kind of a tasting platter. I wanted to give a little introduction and called this dish: “Fly over Oaxaca”. I served a Carrot- Ginger – Agave Soup in a Shot Glass with Mezcal Cream, Tepextate Pickled Cauliflower, a Mezcal Ceviche and I found some Dark Rye Bread in Artisanal Bakery which was a german inspired bread called “Landbrot”.

My Second course became the name “Playas de Oaxaca” because it was a refreshing Mescal Sangria which could be a delicious cocktail for the beach. I made a hierba buena (kind of a mint) Syrup, juiced very fresh lemons, limes and oranges, combined with some white wine, the ideal Cocktail Mezcal Espandin and some lime soda and served with ice, slices of Oranges and some mint leaves. This was very refreshing on the terrace with the setting sun in the background. 

My Main Course was a Mezcal - Thyme marinated charcoal grilled Beef Sirilion, Onion Jam – Mashed Potato and a Pico de Mezcal. (Like Pico de Gallo with Tomato, Red Onion, Lime Juice, Jalapeno and Cilantro but spiced up with some smoky Mezcal). This part of the pairing became the name “Campo de Oaxaca”, which was inspired by the fields and agriculture of the surrounding area. 

The final plate was influenced by the local chocolate and the mexcian rice drink Horchata. “Montañas de Oaxaca“ because of the mountain ranges in Oaxaca state.
The Idea was, to make a Pannacotta, but with Horchata instead of cream, combined with chocolate and mescal, which turned out to be an amazing combination. I created a new dish “Horchacotta”. The whole thing was served with a rich Chocolate – Arroqueno ganash and some toasted almonds.
The whole event went very successful. even I was a bit worried about the Mexican guests might be a bit scared of these food pairings. I realized that Latin Americans are usually not really open for new things, not trusting foreign chefs and are very proud of their local food. 

In the beginning they ate around the little dishes of the first course, realizing that’s something new and interesting, by the cocktail they loosen more up and enjoyed the main course a lot and with the dessert they have been totally satisfied. Provecho!

Menu

Tepextate  47% Joven

Fly over Oaxaca – Sea to Mountains

Ceviche - Carrot Ginger Agave Shot – Pickled Caulifower – Landbrot

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Espandin 47% Joven

Playas de Oaxaca

Mescal Sangria

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Mexicano 47% Joven

Campo de Oaxaca

Mezcal – Thyme Marinated Beef
with Pico de Mescal
Onion Jam - Mash Potato

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Arroqueno 47% Joven
Montanas of Oaxaca

Chocolate Horchacotta

Copyrights by www.etcetera23.com
Chef Andre Radke