Taste of things to come: 10 food trends for 2009

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - It's time to settle in and try our hand at what 2009 is bringing in the way of food trends. This year, the big picture, at least, is very clear.

1. Cooking at home

All the trend-spotters agree that the main theme this year will be a return to the kitchen. We've already seen people cutting back on dining out, and we can expect the economic pinch to push more people away from buying expensive convenience foods and into doing more cooking from scratch.

2. Cooking with a conscience

The local-food movement, one of the big stories of recent years, is still gaining momentum. We should see more local produce in supermarkets and on restaurant tables and more home cooks planting gardens. Some intrepid urban souls will even be exploring whether their cities allow them to raise poultry.

In restaurants, look for more local sourcing and chef-grown gardens, as well as "greener" restaurant practices.

3. Steaming, braising and sous vide

We're sure to be doing a lot of steaming in 2009, with a plethora of microwave steaming-bag products hitting shelves.

But braising _ low, slow cooking with liquid in a covered pot _ is the big story. It's ideal for the times, because it can transform cheaper, tougher cuts of meat _ often the most flavorful _ into meltingly tender main dishes with a minimum of hands-on attention in the kitchen. Think pot roasts, chicken and dumplings, smothered steaks.

Slow cookers will continue their comeback, along with Dutch ovens. Look for clay pots _ Moroccan "tagines", Spanish "cazuelas" and even the Romertopf clay bakers popular in the '70s _ to be trendy among food-forward types. And we may see more home-kitchen experimentation with the sous-vide process of cooking under vacuum, with retailers such as Sur La Table beginning to sell home sous-vide equipment and the recent publication of uber-chef Thomas Keller's new "Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide" (Artisan Books, $75).

4. New ingredients and "functional foods"

The zero-calorie South American plant-based sweetener stevia got FDA clearance for use in processed products this month. New stevia-sweetened soft drinks from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple are being rushed into distribution, as well as individual packets of stevia sweetener from the folks who make Sugar in the Raw. Yacon, a tuber that also originated in South America, is another sweetener that's beginning to generate some buzz.

Also, look for a landslide of low-sodium products and gluten-free items. The functional-food boom hasn't peaked yet, either; in 2009, the new direction will be relaxation drinks and products, "detoxifying" products and "brain" food and drink.

5. Global cuisines

Peru, India, Morocco and more Mediterranean; Spain continues very strong.

6. Trendy flavors

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Persimmon, hibiscus, lavender, the African hot sauce "piri-piri" and the Argentine salsa "chimichurri".

7. Sherry, viognier and classic drinks

Wine-wise, we're predicting that sherry will be shedding its slightly fusty image to become the next big thing among oenophiles. Among varietals, look for viognier to be the hot grape.

As for spirits, look for more classic cocktails, made current by the use of savory ingredients and flavorings such as ginger, cucumber and chiles. Cocktail addition of the year: St. Germain elderflower liqueur.

8. Frugal entertaining

Expect the year of the potluck, as hosts seek to spread the financial burden of hosting a dinner. For weddings and other large-scale events, punch _ cheaper than offering an open bar _ will be making a comeback, though with contemporary ingredients rather than the '50s recipes.

9. Comfort foods in restaurants

High-end restaurateurs beleaguered by the economy will be embracing the comfort-food-with-a-twist trend more vigorously and coming up with more deals and promotions to lure back shell-shocked spenders. This may finally be the year that caps soaring sticker-shock prices, and homey, economical neighborhood spots may find themselves ruling the roost.

In upscale restaurants, we're seeing a lot of hot air, with lofty popovers, souffles and gougeres making a comeback.

10. Nutty ingredients

Nuts and seeds are enjoying a real boost from a series of good nutritional reports. We're picking pumpkin seeds and pistachios as the foodie faves.

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© 2009, Fort Worth Star-Telegram.