Trends in Food for 2010

With the Cast Iron Cookoff coming up this weekend and having learned a great deal about Slow Food, Farm to Table and Sustainable Agriculture in my work with the Collaborative for the 21st Century this year, I have been thinking about food lately.

Recently, I sat down with Chef Dale Hawkins. We had a chat about trends in food and what to expect for this year. We recalled past trends, including chipotle, Chilean Sea Bass, tapas, Mediterranean, and the explosion of organic foods. We agreed that Comfort Food has been a very hot recent trend, marked by the rise in popularity of such dishes as meatloaf, chicken & dumplings, pigs in blankets and other "feel good foods."

With the sluggish economy and consumer desire for "slower" more natural foods, we believe that the trend toward Comfort Food will continue in 2010. We'll likely see a lighter, more healthy twist on such dishes, as Americans are wisely becoming more aware of nutrition and health. I also think that entrees with a Tuscan feel and flavor will be hot items this year.

What do you, marketing geniuses, see as trends in food for 2010?