Each year, I scan the food press to see what’s hot and what’s not in the food world. The global recession really impacted the way we eat. Many a restaurant closed its doors, menus were scaled back, and chefs had to rethink their approach without losing their creativity. After all, when we go out to eat, we still want an experience that is different from what we have at home.

First, I will focus on what was happening overseas. Foraging was big in 2010 and is expected to continue. By foraging, I mean searching for mushrooms and wild edible plants, herbs and the like in forests. People are having fun sourcing their food the way our ancestors did. Some unusual ingredients also turned up on dishes at restaurants abroad including hay, which horses graze on. Comfort foods like fried chicken, bacon and burgers were also popular. Cocktails also took a back seat to micro-brewed beer. Food trucks were also truly coming into their own; gourmet food for half the prices, plus they were conveniently located on major roads for lunchtime fixes.

Locally, wellness is becoming more popular and for those of us who have been preaching it for years, this is a beautiful thing to witness. Locals are becoming more aware of how blessed we are in terms of our own produce and its rich nutrient qualities. Top local chefs serve gourmet meals showcasing our native fare. Raw food is also growing in popularity. Indigenous produce with international elements and flair is becoming more respected.

Here are some popular food trends touted to happen this year which I’m so excited about because although I am not a professional analyst, I’ve been mentioning many of these things in my column for years. I feel so vindicated and happy that Thursday Food readers and the Jamaica Observer have supported me every step of the way to write about my passion.

Men in the Kitchen: Due to job losses, women becoming higher income earners and plain economics, men are embracing cooking for themselves and their families. Studies are showing that men are returning to the kitchen, whether to provide meals for their families or impress in typical macho fashion.

Goat Meat: You’ve heard me say it right on these pages a couple of years ago that I couldn’t understand why this meat wasn’t better utilised when I created my Red Goat recipe for Red Stripe at the Jamaica Observer Food Awards in 2009. Africans and Jamaicans have

been a step ahead with our beloved goat, and now top chefs are praising its qualities.

Vegetables: The continuous rise of the Slow Food and Meatless Monday movements are huge internationally and I’m proud to be a part of them. Both support good health, sustainable farming and protection of the environment for real people. More chefs are including vegetarian meals on their menus. Now, being meat-free occasionally even if you are not a Vegetarian is perfectly acceptable since the health benefits are so great. Vegetables are sexy!

Kids in the Kitchen: Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic. School cafeterias abroad are changing their menus and children are learning to cook. Let’s hope we can do that here in our schools.

Urban Gardens: Living in a city is not an acceptable excuse to not grow your own fruits and vegetables. Plant those seeds, people!

Butchery: This lost art is gaining traction as more people are going to butchery classes to understand the anatomy of meat… hmm, regular readers, remember I mentioned this too quite recently.

Other trends are Asian food such as Korean and Malaysian, Nordic cuisine, rabbit meat, lamb, pies (both sweet and savoury), amongst many others. I gleaned the above information from top food trend-watcher Andrew Freeman,

Bon Appétit’s BA Foodist Andrew Knowlton and The Food Channel, with my own sprinklings.

JuicyChef’s Honey Jerk Goat Kebabs

Goat is one of the healthiest red meats to eat. Jamaica’s curry goat is a world-famous dish. It tastes great brown-stewed, so I thought why not jerked — our other famous style of preparing meat.

This is one of my personal favourite ways of preparing goat; I developed this when I lived in Paris when my Moroccan butcher gave me some extra meat as “brawta” and I was hosting a kebab night for friends.

Ingredients:

500g/ 1lb goat meat, cut into cubes

2 tbsps jerk marinade

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch of black mint, stripped and roughly chopped

2 tbsps vegetable oil

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

Jamaican honey for brushing

Method:

In a large bowl, add jerk marinade, garlic, mint, oil and vinegar and mix well.

Add goat pieces and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Add goat pieces to skewer and alternate with your preferred vegetables.

Grill on a BBQ until desired doneness; towards the end brush with honey to glaze.

Creamy Herbed Mushrooms with Parmesan Polenta

I love mushrooms and they are especially good with polenta. You can make a ragu (sauce) with a tomato or cream base. Either way it’s delicious. This is an indulgent vegetarian dish, ideal for entertaining. Make a light version by using low-fat options for the dairy products to have all the taste with less guilt.

Ingredients:

250g/ 1 cup polenta

500ml/ 2 cups water

500ml/ 2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

Handful of freshly grated Parmesan (forgive me, I eyeballed it)

250g/ mixed varieties of mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

150ml/ 1 glass white wine

150ml/ 1 /2 cup cream (use light or reduced fat)

1 tbsp butter (or substitute)

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 375•F.

Butter or spray a baking dish.

Bring water and milk to a boil in a saucepan and slowly pour in the polenta, mixing constantly for a few minutes until thicker and smooth.

Mix in Parmesan then pour hot mixture into the baking dish and bake until firm and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool then cut into squares or round shapes with a cutter. Heat oil and butter in frying pan and cook onions until translucent and soft.

Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are tender, about three minutes. Pour in white wine and reduce by half, then stir in the cream and cook until heated through.

Season mushrooms to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

Please contact me at: info@juicychef.com

Thanks to my sponsor MegaMart

Bon Appétit!