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| Hamachi with Vietnamese Chili-Fish Sauce |
Have you had enough of the Year End Lists? In case you haven’t been paying
attention, there have been a few. I’ve
seen Best Restaurants, Best Dishes, Top Food Trends, Best Fast Food, not to
mention psychic predictions as to what we can all expect to be eating, trending, and “besting” in 2013.
I’ll leave the “Best of” lists to the professionals. But even in my own universe, food seems to
cycle, each year bringing its own personal set of top eats. 2010, for example, would certainly have been
The Year of the Duck. Once John found
out I could sear a mean Muscovy, he put in a request for said duck dinner at
least once a month.
2011 could have been a few things, but I’ll give a special
mention to the clay pot. A simple unglazed bean pot inspired many a long
simmered dish from Jamaican goat curry to rabbit ragu.
Which brings me to the Top Trends in My Kitchen of 2012.
Saturday Fish
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| Hamachi Collar |
Once John learned how to navigate the tourists and
overwhelming selection of fish and seafood at The Lobster Place, our fish
consumption skyrocketed. Walking home from
a Friday night or Saturday morning workout, he might swing through and pick
up whatever was looking good at that moment.
Opah belly, ahi tuna, hamachi collar, fresh Florida shrimp- we threw the
net wide. I'd prepare the fish simply and we'd eat it alongside a salad. Our Saturday lunches became infinitely healthier.
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| Grilled pork with Japanese Sweet Potatoes |
It all started with John’s famous sweet potatoes, roasted
with garlic and rosemary, and the occasional dollop of duck fat. Feeling bold one day, we swapped out the
sweets for Purple Peruvian potatoes. The
entrance of Foragers Market to our neighborhood brought the discovery of
sublime, creamy Red Bliss potatoes from a local farm, so far removed from the
typical grocery store variety it was like I was discovering the potato for the
first time. Then came the revelation of
the Japanese variety from BodhiTree Farm at Abingdon Square Farmer’sMarket. These tiny, misshapen tubers
were so intensely sweet I could eat them practically by themselves with little
more than salt and pepper.
Ice Cream on Hand
New best practice for dinner parties: always have homemade
ice cream in the freezer. The gift of a
Cuisinart ice cream maker last Christmas turned into the unexpected dinner
party savior I never knew I needed but apparently did. Keeping ice cream on hand
saved me from having to make one more dish on the day of the party, while still
reaping the benefits of serving a homemade dessert. From milk chocolate with Oreos, to lemon
sorbet, to pumpkin with candied ginger, there was an ice cream recipe to fit
any season and every menu.
What will be trending in the months to come? Will John start adding pineapple to his berry
smoothies? Will coriander replace cumin
as my favorite spice in the cabinet?
Will potatoes take a backseat as we sample the international rainbow of
rice? Only time will tell. But if it happens in my kitchen, you will
probably be reading about it right here, on Pho the Love of Food.
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| Happy New Year! With Vietnamese Duck and Rice Noodles |
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