Are you tired of offering beef or chicken in the same old way? Are your salads a little bland? Maybe you want to kick up your usual sandwiches or noodle dishes. These versatile staples can take on a whole new life when you add a pop of different flavour. Chipotle chillies and mango salsa are so 2010. What are the emerging flavour trends for 2011 and beyond? Here’s a sneak peek into what’s hot in the top chef’s kitchens across North America.
Global exotic tastes: Spark up the taste buds with new seasonings. Mix up some berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend that contains cayenne pepper, allspice, cardamom, cloves, fenugreek, ginger, black pepper and salt. Or spice things up with harissa, a North African hot chili sauce made with piri piri or serano chili peppers and olive oil. Speaking of hot, aged cayenne pepper, which originated in the Cayenne region of France, is the spice du jour in the best restaurant kitchens. Use it to perk up chicken wings or turkey. Chinese five-spice blend gives a wonderful zing to beef and chicken and encompasses all five flavours: sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and salty. It is a blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper and ground fennel seeds.
New dimensions in sandwiches: Take the idea of “bread and filling” to a whole new level with a Mexican cemeta or French tartine. A cemeta is made up of avocado, beef or pork, cheese, onions and a red sauce. It’s served on sesame seed-topped egg bread that’s a cross between challah and brioche. A tartine is an open-faced sandwich topped with a variety of different deli meats, cheeses or vegetables. It usually starts with a spreadable ingredient, such as goat cheese or hummus. Or, try a traditional Vietnamese bahn mi. It’s a Vietnamese baguette made with both wheat and rice flour, topped with thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon radish, cucumber, cilantro, chili peppers, mayo and various meat fillings – usually roasted pork or chicken.
Green goodness: Purslane is a delicate leafy green vegetable that is slightly sour and salty. It makes a great addition to salads, or can be used in stir-fries or cooked like spinach and served as a side dish. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible. Because it has a gel-like quality similar to okra, it is also used to add texture to soups and stews. It is nutritious too! Purslane contains more omega-3 fats than any other leafy green. It is also a source of vitamin A, calcium and potassium. Kale is another popular leafy green on many restaurant menus. A member of the cabbage family, kale has dense, bright green leaves that are hearty enough for soups and stews, but also make a yummy side dish. Kale is loaded with folate, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.
The dark side of garlic: With a rich and complex flavour, sweet meets savoury in black garlic. When garlic undergoes weeks of fermentation, the sugar and amino acids produce melanoidin, a dark-coloured substance that is responsible for the black color in this unique garlic. Black garlic has a molasses-like richness with tangy garlic undertones. Its almost jelly-like texture and melt-in-your-mouth consistency is similar to a soft dried fruit. Black garlic pairs well with steak, lamb and veal, but it subtle enough to use in risotto and other rice dishes or in vegetable stir-fries.
It’s always a good time to experiment with new flavours and shake things up. With these ideas, you can turn the ordinary into something extraordinary.