A pear-gorgonzola Salad and a Vienna lager are on the menu at the Big River Grille.Chefs and other culinary enthusiasts are always looking for new ways to please diners with the latest foods and spirits. So it's no wonder that food marketing experts spend time studying the latest trends in the food world. Thus, it's the season for food prophets to release their annual predictions.
Ann Mack, director of trend-spotting at JWT, an international marketing company, said its forecasts are the result of a year's worth of research, looking backward and forward and interviewing experts in the field.
"It's always a difficult task separating the wheat from the chaff - making calls on what will be hot and what will be not. And I'm constantly surprised," she said.
Last year's predictions ranged from coconut water to organic fast food, though only one really made an impression locally - and it startled some folks.
"Only a year ago, the idea that bacon would show up in everything from cocktails to desserts seemed a bit far-fetched, but now it's indeed everywhere," Mack said.
Whipped Cupcakes on the North Shore realized the bacon craze and created a Maple Bacon Chocolate Ganache cupcake. "It scared some people off, though, so we took off the bacon, then the cupcake sold really well," said baker Sunny Burden. But, she said, they're not giving up. Bacon may appear in other cupcakes in the future.
Here's a look at predictions from JWT for 2011:
1. National prediction: Cicerones (beer sommeliers).
Beer and food pairings will continue to draw interest as beer sales climb. And more beer experts will pass a certification program and earn their cicerone title.
On the homefront: Bill Heckler, corporate chef for Craft Works, parent company of Big River Grille, said he's heard of beer sommeliers, but there are none at Big River.
However, he said, "We're always having all kinds of discussions on beer and food pairings and analyze the flavors of beer and see how they best pair with food." And, he added, an increasing number of people are coming in with an interest in learning more about beer and how it can be matched with foods.
Examples of some of the most popular food-beer pairings are:
• Vienna beer, a copper-colored beer with medium body, paired with Gorgonzola Pear Salad.
• IPA (Indian Pale Ale), light in color but heavy with hops, paired with heavier foods, such as pizza.
2. National prediction: Heirloom apples.
Heirloom tomatoes took the spotlight a couple of years ago; now it's time for apples. A new movement aims to rediscover the flavors of older apple varieties. While some are irregular in size and shape with discoloring and spots, the taste is richer than many modern varieties.
On the homefront: Joel Houser, executive director at Crabtree Farms, said the urban farm grows several varieties of heirloom apple trees -- and the names are quite whimsical: Black Limber Twig and Yellow Banana, for example.
"In spite of its unusual name, it's one of the best apples ever," Houser said of the latter.
"We don't have a lot [of heirloom apples], but each year we are seeing an increased interest in them," he said.
3. National prediction: Local cuisine.
Creative chefs will have their eyes on local foods.
On the homefront: This is nothing new in the Scenic City. Menus are filled with local products, and the trend is only getting stronger.
Signal Mountain Farm owner Thomas O'Neal sells to restaurants in Chattanooga and Atlanta and said chefs are enjoying the relationships they build with local farmers.
"When crops are in season, they buy as much as they can," he said. "It's important to them because of quality, price and freshness."
Melissa Siragusa, spokeswoman for Chattanooga Market, said home cooks are also increasingly interested in buying local.
"That trend started a couple of years ago and is building, in part because of all the food scares we've had. Not only do they want to support local agriculture, they want to know where their food is coming from," she said.
4. National prediction: Nanobrewers.
The do-it-yourself and buy-local movements will intersect with an increasing number of home breweries.
On the homefront: Tony Giannasi is an avid amateur brewer. In 2006, he took over as president of Barley Mob Brewers of Chattanooga, a local club open to area home-brewing enthusiasts.
At the time, there were about 25 members. Now there are 37, he said, 10 to 15 of whom are very active. And interest is growing, he said.
"One of our guys is even opening his own brew pub on Ashland Terrace. And two of our other members started their own business, Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. They market themselves as Chattanooga's weirdest brewery, making beers like Sweet Potato Pale Ale and Coffee Stout."
Giannasi said home brewing is becoming more popular as beer becomes more mainstream and people realize how much fun it is to make at home.
"It's a great hobby," he said.
5. National prediction: Smart lunchrooms.
As obesity rates continue to rise worldwide, look for experimentation in school and workplace cafeterias with offerings to encourage smarter choices.
On the homefront: BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee was in the forefront of this trend when its new cafeteria opened on Cameron Hill two years ago. Ryan Picarella, manager of corporate wellness, sees the company as a model for others to follow.
"There are strict caloric and nutritional guidelines that the nutritionist has to serve," he said.
Among them, per dish: no trans fats; at least 3 grams of fiber; fewer than 600 calories, with further restrictions of 35 percent of calories (or less) from fat, 10 percent of calories (or less) from saturated fats, 100 milligrams (or less) of cholesterol; and 800 milligrams (or less) of sodium.
"From our perspective, it was one of the first steps to take to educate employees of eating healthy and to create a strong culture of health," Picarella said. "I think a lot of businesses will follow our lead. We've been promoting it with our customers, and they are showing interest."