Trending Simple For 2011

Well, it's been quite some time since my last post, but with good reason. Along with my wife, I've been extremely busy. You see, on December 8, at 2:30 a.m. we were blessed with the arrival of our little girl, Grace Helen Kronenwetter. So much like with our son, Max just shy of two years ago, our lives have been turned upside down a bit. Her arrival was a nice way to end 2010.

And so what will the new year bring us in the world of food? As a restaurant manager, I have been watching what trusted sources and industry "in-the-knows" have been predicting, and they're all pretty close together.

Among the most talked about trends are home canning and pickling, sustainability, and impact on the environment, and the continued rise of ethnic foods.

But my favorite trend that seemingly all analysts are talking about is something that I preach day in and day out: SIMPLICITY.

In an economy that is about as uncertain as it has ever been, diners are still reluctant to move away from the unfamiliar. I think the most successful restaurants of this year and even for a few years to come will be the ones serving straight-forward, no frills, no "look how freaking creative our chef is" food. Just take a look for example at a couple of the food magazines out there like bon appetit and Food and Wine. Only a couple of years ago you could pick any issue, and the picture on the cover would be something like squid ink pasta with steamed cockles, or some unrecognisable meat or poultry carefully made up to look more like a museum piece than something you would eat.

Look at recent issues by these same magazines, and you will see things like beautiful roasted chickens, and simply grilled thick pieces of fish.

That's not to say that chefs shouldn't be creative. After all, it's the creative passion for food that I hope we all got into this business for anyway. But I think that what is going to set chefs and restaurants apart in the upcoming year is not necessarily what innovative and new products they bring in their back door, but how creative they can be with the "common" foods diners are used to and more importantly how well they are prepared.

With all of that in mind, I'm excited to be presenting my next cooking class at "The Seasoned Gourmet" which will feature simple French Bistro fare. The evening's menu will include:

French Vegetable Soup

Mussels Sauteed In Wine, Garlic And Fresh Herbs

Curly Endive Salad With Champagne Vinaigrette

Pan Roasted Pork Medallions With Tarragon Mustard Sauce

Grand Marnier Chocolate Mousse

Sounds good, doesn't it. Once again, the focus will be how easy it can be to take simple preparations and making them into an elegant meal. Hope to see you there.

For more information go to: www.theseasonedgourmet.com