Over at Serious Eats, this thread is racking up the comments. The topic revolves around what you are tired, or not, for 2010 and what you are looking forward to in 2011 all concerning food trends. It's an interesting read and they all are valid. For me though, I'm over the following:
- Bacon - I love bacon as much as the next person but wrapping a meatloaf in it just doesn't make it look appetizing for me. I just want it next to my over medium eggs, maybe on some potatoes but that's it. Personally, I find the taste can overwhelm your dish which is why I seldom use it outside of a typical breakfast meal. You will taste nothing but the bacon.
- Offal's high prices - It used to be a secret, the yumminess of oxtails and its cheapness, now suddenly, they're $7 a pound and it's sad. I'm happy that the animal, as a whole, is being used but holy moly, it's bordering on a luxury item.
- Gourmet burgers - Just give it to me straight with cheese and some good fries. Oh, with the grease (at least a little) running off the side. Yea, that's the ticket.
- Improvement of school lunches - I still remember the menu for my school lunches a long, long time ago and they were decent. None of what Mrs. Q is chronicling over at Fed Up with Lunch. If the children of today decide to lock me up tomorrow because of the shit they are eating this morning, I would totally understand. For realsies. During my early 20's, I worked as a reading tutor for elementary children. I enjoyed my job, loved those children and ate lunch with them a lot just to develop that trust with them. However, those lunches were crap. I'm sure, 10 years later, they are worse.
- Making time - Monday, I took a day and rather than not lift a finger, I cooked all day long. I made a batch of beans to freeze for future meals as well as made some chicken soup for that evening's dinner. It was a little difficult because in the middle of it all, I really wanted to take a nap but the fear of waking up to that distinct stench of burnt beans was enough to get me to power through. Yes, I would LOVE to take the easy route and eat some ramen on a cold day BUT that stuff is super bad for me. Besides, my caldo was yums and love really is the secret ingredient; Love for body and mind, that is. I know life can be hectic but even if you put in a little effort, such as after you come home with your groceries, prep them, marinade, etc., it really will make it easier during the week when the last thing you want to do is trim the fat off the chicken after dealing with workstuffs.
- Experimentation - I know what I like and what I don't like but not before trying it myself. For example, last night I tried moroccan food. How I manage to live this long, and in Houston, without trying it is beyond me. I would like to say I came into my own during my late 20's. I started trying all sorts of food and discovering exactly what meshed and didn't with me. I'm hopeful that more people will give unknown foods a whirl. You never know. Besides, in your late 30's, things change drastically. Gone are the Jack in the Box/McDonalds days, replaced with a turkey breast sandwich on whole grain wheat and light mayo because the aforementioned make you feel lousy afterwards. No one wants to feel lousy after eating. You want to feel nourished, energized and happy. Jack makes me hate myself.
I'm amazed at how complicated food has become. The labels, the government's half-assed involvement, the high cost of eating well preventing low income homes from doing so, the high cost of prescription drugs causing low incomes homes to make tough choices on eating well or purchasing their meals thus compromising their health (an issue that bothers me immensely) and a slew of other items. I love food, I love that in the past year, I have evolved much more than I thought I would. I have broaded my horizons, investigated food ideas and cut out things I knew were bad for me but ate them regardless. What was I thinking? However, today I am. Today I look forward to going home and making my dinner and enjoying the effort I put into it and I hope so many people feel that way.
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