qift guide

New Trends
In Cuisine

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By contrast, satisfying "com-
fort foods," despite their less-
than-healthy reputation, are
hotter than ever. And overall,
consumer interest in reducing
fat intake has lessened signifi-
cantly since last year.
Studies have found that teens
and younger Americans are
more likely to opt for meatless
meals more often than older in-
dividuals, even if they are not
BARING UP BUSINESS
You've probably already no- st rict vegans. In fact, some who
ticed that bagels are booming. consider themselves vegetari-
With specialty shops in almost ans may eat meatless most of
every neighborhood and nu- the time, but also eat fish or
merous varieties on supermar- poultry regularly.
The result is a proliferation
ket shelves (including
store-baked), they're hard to of food products and menu
miss. They come in lots of vari- changes orchestrated with this
eties, from chocolate chip to in mind. A majority of colleges
cranberry, and are low in fat, and universities offer vegetari-
which makes them a healthier an options at every meal. Most
choice in the morning than pas- restaurants have also intro-
tries, croissants, doughnuts or duced some meatless entrees.
just about any other breakfast Even the freezer section in the
supermarket offers extensive
bread.
Also on the rise is a fascina- choices for those who prefer veg-
tion for quality specialty breads etarian frozen entrees.
Similarly, shops that whip up
in general. Competing with
mass-produced brands that are fresh juice blends and smooth-
starting to lose our interest, spe- ies - fortified with healthy addi-
cialty bread shops are baking up tives like vitamins, minerals,
ethnic and rustic varieties that protein powders, ginseng or
are just plain tastier. In-store wheat germ - are popping up in
bakeries have begun to follow shopping malls everywhere, and
suit with their own versions of have long lines full of young peo-
challah, fougasse, ficelle, focac- ple to justify their presence.
Meat sources like buffalo and
cia and other homey favorites.
Low-fat and fat-free baked ostrich are picking up speed as
goods and snacks have also gar- notable replacements for beef in
nered the approval of the health many delis, restaurants and oth-
conscious. Packaged cookies, er food service outlets - includ-
snack cakes and brownies with ing airlines - in the wake of the
little or no fat take some of the "mad cow" hysteria. Ostrich
guilt - but certainly not all of the growers claim it contains 40 per-
cent less fat than beef, and it has
calories - out of snacking.
In addition, a new fat substi- been made available as steaks
tute called Olestra has been ap- and roasts, sausage or pepper-
proved by the Food and Drug oni, ground or in strips.
Buffalo boasts only half the
Administration and will soon be
found in fried snack foods like fat and cholesterol of beef, so
potato chips. Other fat replac- splurge on a buffalo dog, burg-
er or a thick and juicy steak cut.
ers are also in the works.

can count on both
science and the
food industry to
serve up new foods
- and reintroduce old ones - on
a regular basis. Those that fit
best into our lifestyle and satis-
fy our discriminating tastes be-
come noticeably trendy, if not
outrageously popular.

We

MEAT OR VEGGIES
A pair of trends seem to
demonstrate the ambiguity of
human nature in general. On
one hand, many restaurants
continue to change their menus
to include healthier low-fat/low-
calorie selections, including veg-
etarian entrees.

Jennifer Plantier is a writer with
Copley News Service.

AND LOOK FOR ...
Americans are also spicing up
their lives with dishes that are
hotter than ever. Sales of spicy
foods continue to increase
steadily, as does the popularity
of spicy flavor sauces for home
cooking and condiments - like
tomato salsas, fruit-based
sauces (like sweet-and-sour hot
sauces) and even hotter pepper
sauces. ❑