On Trend?

At the beginning of the year I made several trend predictions and promised updates.  I already have an update and not a happy one from a "pure foods" perspective.

Stonyfield's recent decision to discontinue its iconic line of Cream Top Yogurt flags the hard facts of life for brands and groceries trying to determine whether we really want good food or just good-sounding food.  While my prediction that groceries will be offering more artisanal foods holds, old standbys are at risk of leaving us including Stonyfield's very first product, Cream Top yogurt.

Their iconic yogurt with cream on top and lower fat, real yogurt below has been replaced by a "creamier" homogenized version that they call "stirred in," not wanting to stir up alarm with the word homogenized.

While I have no personal complaint against homogenization, it is a problem for many lactose-sensitive eaters who can digest non-homogenized dairy more easily. For myself and my family, I am sad to see a great example of pure foods that was so delicious leave store shelves in favor of a new yogurt blend that tastes much like every other one in the dairy case.  To stay current with America's taste for a creamier mouth-feel in many ready-to-eat foods,  Stonyfield felt they needed to change their base brand to improve sales.

After a week of complaints, Stonyfield posted an open letter on facebook under a newly created tab, Cream Top.  It reads in part," ... we owe our success to loyal fans...." then goes on to discuss the marketing decision to look away from those early days of sales support and discontinue the Cream Top line.  It also asks for feedback to help them monitor their decision.  (See full letter here.  Also see Stonyfield's wall under Stonyfield + others for consumer comments on the issue.)
 
 One commenter, to whom I am related (full disclosure),  notes:

Stonyfield is a for-profit company and that means is it market driven. When a product line trends lower in sales it is discontinued in favor of other products that will provide higher profits. It is not important to Stonyfield that the Cream Top Yogurt line is as quintessential as all the "organic" efforts they... hold so dear, for now. 

 It is arguable that all those efforts actually made the "COT" product line more susceptible to discontinuance due to their higher costs, and thus, lower profit margins. So, yes organics are great by themselves but they make companies have to be stricter on the shelves. Since American tastes are trending towards sweeter, already flavored, homogenized, thicker, individually packaged pablum that is exactly what you will see from Stonyfield. Heck, it probably won't be long before they put out a French-Fried flavored, thicker, creamier yogurt-like substance that you eat out of a bag! Don't get any ideas Stonyfield :-)   

The way I read the official "dear John" letter from Eric is: Thanks for starting and keeping our business going in hard times, but you are not numerous enough now to take up our shelf space so your services are no longer needed.

Stonyfield, I posit: There is nothing more "Organic" than a 32 oz container of plain, non-Homogenized yogurt that the consumer can flavor or sweeten or bake or mix to taste.

Smaller producers may fill gaps left by larger ones.  In fact, I have been hearing from readers confirming the increasing availability of organic and artisinal food of all kinds, including dairy.  One group in Vermont, Graze (www.grazedelivered.com), has used its market knowledge to create a New England-wide delivery system of organic and artisinal meat, dairy, baked goods and vegetables and will even deliver cooked meals to your ski house on weekends and holidays.  It's a great opportunity for local farmers but leaves me wondering if this food trend is, as often suspected, limited to those of higher means.  

When large suppliers like Stonyfield are moved by consumer demand for creamier, thicker, cheaper to produce yogurt and abandon widely available pure products, we have only ourselves to blame. Stonyfield has to listen to sales to survive and grow.  What will Stonyfield and other brands conclude from our marketplace actions next?

Baked Oatmeal Sqaures

This is the pure on-the-go oatmeal breakfast I have been dreaming of for many years.  Oatmeal muffins, cookies and breakfast bars are good but have too many other ingredients to really qualify as a breakfast that can kick off a morning.  Baked oatmeal squares taste like oatmeal in the bowl, and now, in your hand.

I made the first batch plain and the second with dried fruit and nuts (cherries and almonds).  Both were so tasty, not too sweet and pleasantly moist.  The squares and wedges can be cut and eaten right out of the oven, topped with some yogurt and sliced fruit, or cooled and then cut into portions for the road.  Keep individually wrapped portions refrigerated (or frozen) then put them in your bag on the way out the door.  They are really good room temperature and even better warmed in the microwave when you get to work. 

There are as many flavor variations as you can think of but one thing is not negotiable.  The oats have to soak over night (or eight hours) so you have to plan ahead to enjoy these.  The key to the recipe’s moisture and texture is that the oats are soft and have absorbed the liquid before the batter goes in the oven. On the bright side, it took me less than five minutes to mix the ingredients together last night for this morning’s treat.  In fact I did it during a commercial break.  This morning, while the oven heated to 350˚F, I poured the batter into an oil-sprayed metal pie plate and then baked it for thirty minutes. 

Try this simple version first.  If you like it you can double the recipe and have baked oatmeal squares all week long.  You can also experiment with your favorite flavors.  I’ve listed a few suggestions. 

Baked Oatmeal Squares
Makes 4 large squares or wedges

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk (go for the buttermilk if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Combine all ingredients together in the vessel you’ll be soaking it in.  A bowl covered with plastic wrap, a 1-quart plastic food storage container, etc.  
2. Place covered container in refrigerator and let it sit at least 8 hours.  Note: Oats absorb liquid best in more acidic environments.  If you think you’ll remember, you can wait to add the baking powder and salt after soaking the rest of the ingredients to keep the ph-level acidic.  
3. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350˚F.  Spray an 8” pie plate or baking pan with oil.  
4. If you are adding fruit, nuts or other goodies, stir them into the batter at this stage.  (If you haven’t added the baking powder and salt yet, do this now.)  
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  I like to sprinkle on a little cinnamon sugar just before it goes in the oven for a little brûlée effect.   
6. Bake oatmeal at 350˚F for 30 minutes, until oatmeal is firm in the center.  Remove from oven and enjoy. 

Mix-Ins:
1/4 cup dried cherries and 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 small apple or pear, chopped in small pieces
1/4 cup blueberries or sliced strawberries
1/4 cup fruit jam (fig, raspberry, apricot, etc) or nut butter swirled into batter
Replace half the brown sugar with 1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup raisins and chopped peanuts
1/2 cup total of chopped dried fruit—try apricots, cranberries, mango, orange peel
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (it will still have less sugar than a pop tart)
1/2 sliced banana

Can’t wait until tomorrow morning.  Wish I had bananas in the house.

Acknowledgments:
I started with the recipe for baked oatmeal from Pattycake (http://pattycake.ca/node/382) who in turn adapted it from Macheesemo (http://www.macheesmo.com/2010/06/baked-oatmeal/).  Quaker Oats has a version using instant rolled oats that doesn’t require soaking but it doesn’t travel.  I’ll be working on a version using ground oats (a Scottish version of pinhead oats) that will likely take much more soaking time but will be extraordinary.

Freezer Fish Chowders

Far away from the seashore or in the middle of a snowy winter that frosts over the sea and brings fisherman to shore, it’s nice to know that a warming seafood meal can be created quickly with pure ingredients from you freezer and pantry. The first recipe for fish chowder is made with any firm fish like cod, flounder or orange roughy.  The second is a recipe for shellfish bisque that you can make with frozen shrimp.  Neither of these takes as long as meat based stocks and soups so they are viable weeknight meals. 

Make the bisque if you usually have frozen shrimp, V-8 or tomato juice and canned clam juice on hand.  (Brandy and water can stand in for clam juice in a pinch) If you keep potatoes, frozen fish, potatoes and chicken or clam juice in the house, you can make the chowder. 

Frozen Fish Chowder
Serves 4

Ingredients
4 six-ounce frozen fish steaks or filets (cod, orange roughy, flounder, even salmon)
1 large onion
4 medium sized potatoes
1-2 celery stalks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon flour
14 ounces clam juice, chicken broth or water or a combination. 
6 ounces milk
optional:
1 cup frozen corn or other frozen vegetable (spinach is good)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Method

1. Thaw fish while you are preparing the chowder base.  Lay filets or steaks out side by side.  If wrapped in plastic, fish may be placed in a shallow bath of tepid water to thaw quickly.  
2. Peel and slice onion no wider than 1/4 inch thick.  Peal and thinly slice or dice potatoes. Finely chop celery.  
3. Heat olive oil in a 3-quart heavy bottomed pot over a medium heat and lightly sauté onion.  When onions begin to sweat (sending off a bit of steam) add the potatoes and celery.  Stir to coat potatoes and celery in oil. 
4. Sprinkle flour over vegetables.  Continue to cook a minute longer, stirring to prevent potatoes from sticking.  
5. Add juice or broth. If adding water instead, add a little salt at this stage. Scrape up any potato or flour from the bottom of the pan and mix it into the broth. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat and cook on low for 15 minutes, until potatoes are quite soft.  
6. While soup cooks, cut fish into bite-sized pieces.  
7. Once potatoes are cooked, add milk to soup.  Soup may be partially pureed with an immersion blender at this stage to thicken it.  You can also use a potato masher to break down some of the potatoes and thicken the soup leaving nice chunks.  
8. If using any frozen vegetables, like corn, add at this stage.  Cream can be added at this stage also.  Cook until soup is very hot and frozen vegetables are heated through, about two-three minutes longer on medium-low heat.  
9. Lower heat and stir in fish.  Cover and let fish cook gently in hot soup, about 4-5 minutes depending on size of fish pieces.  Serve soup hot garnished with fresh parsley or dried chives. 

This soup reheats well on a low flame.  If storing for more than one day, freeze in individual servings. 

Frozen Shrimp Bisque
Serves 3

The key to a bisque is to “cook” the shells before placing them in the stock water. This imparts a deeper crustacean flavor.  It is reported that this is how bisque got its name, not as is often thought, from the Bay of Biscay.  (In French, “bis cuites” refers to twice-cooked, like a biscuit or biscotti.) This is a smooth, creamy soup but it does not always require cream for its smooth and silky consistency. Here I use cooked, pureed rice and some cornstarch to thicken the broth. Though we think of bisques as elegant and expensive soups, if you are using only the shells, as older recipes direct, you are making the most of your food supplies to make an inexpensive meal.  Cooks stretched their food budgets by getting every bit of flavor from all parts of their seafood then garnishing with a bit of seafood rather than stocking the pot full of expensive shellfish.  In fact, the shells were often crushed to extract as much flavor as possible from them before straining.  This recipe also works really well with leftover lobster shells, crab and crayfish. 

Ingredients
2 cups shrimp shells plus 1/3 pound shelled thawed shrimp or 1 pound frozen shrimp, peeled and thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil and/or butter
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot , chopped or grated
1 small onion, chopped or grated
5.5 ounce can low sodium V-8 or tomato juice
1-2 cups water
1 cup clam juice or vegetable broth
Salt and black pepper
cooked rice, cornstarch as thickeners
garnishes: heavy cream, hot pepper paste or crushed red pepper, lemon, sherry

Special equipment: cheese cloth or a very fine strainer

Note: Instead of discarding shrimp shells from frozen shrimp, place them in a Ziploc bag and add to them until you have enough for a chowder.  You can also use one pound of frozen shrimp, peeled and thawed for this recipe. 

Method

1. Heat oil/butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet.  Add shrimp shells and sauté until shells turn pink and begin to brown.  
2. Add vegetables and sauté a few minutes, until lightly browned.  
3. Transfer shells and vegetables to a stockpot.  Add juice and enough water to cover shells and vegetables.  If using smaller shells, use your judgment here and add more water or broth.  
4. Bring stock to a boil them lower heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. 
5. Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth and strain soup.  
6. Taste and add seasonings as required.  Add more broth, clam juice or water as needed.  
7. Thicken soup with either or both of the following methods.  Add 1/2-1 cup cooked rice and puree.  Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 ounces cold water.  Stir cornstarch slurry into soup and cook on a low simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
8. To serve, add raw shrimp or other shellfish to hot soup and heat on low until seafood is cooked through. 

Bonus: Bisque makes a great sauce base for seafood pasta.  In a large skillet combine a cup of bisque with a bit of cream, sherry and a squeeze of lemon.  Then add cooked pasta, cooked shellfish and steamed vegetables like asparagus, broccoli or even peas. Other nice additions are chopped tomato, parsley and/or basil.  Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

2011 Food Predictions

More natural flavors in packaged foods are one of the 2011 trend predictions.

At the risk of making a fool of myself, here are a few trends I think we'll be noticing in the coming year.  I'll keep track of how I do and report back a year from now.

Watch for a more active FDA in the food zone. 
In 2010 food companies received an increase in letters from the FDA warning them about misleading labels and unsubstantiated health claims.  The FDA is also taking a more forceful stance against food supplement companies making extraordinary claims. Diet, bodybuilding and sexual enhancement claims are the most common categories found to use illegal ingredients.  At the same time, fewer inspectors have meant fewer food processing plant inspections and several alarming outbreaks of food poisoning resulted.  Expect to hear more in the coming year about the safety of our food supply and see the FDA take a closer look at food and supplement claims.  

Better availability of American-made artisanal foods.
With NYC icon Murray's Cheese Shop now set up at Kroger's and other large grocery chains upping their game at the cheese counter there is more opportunity for us to get local, regional and domestic specialty cheeses as well as charcuterie items. Farmers markets will continue to be a great supplier too.  Groceries will continue to experiment with locally grown and organic produce.  What they decide about supplying these foods long term will be up to us and how we support the trend with our grocery dollars.

“Nose to Tail” lip service
If you are not already a fan of sweetbreads, scrapple, country pates and beef and kidney pies, I doubt the new fad of using the "whole hog" will transform your tastes.  I do think that we may all find ourselves more aware of what happens to the other parts of the bird, steer, lamb and pig that are not on our tables and gain a keener understanding of how meat pricing and inventory management works. 

Eating out again
As the work force returns in larger numbers, it will mean a return to dining out, especially at casual restaurants and at quick serve restaurants (known outside the business as fast food) that offer good deals on enticing sweet-savory breakfast items.  While our grocery stores try to meet our perceived interest in local and natural foods, will we show the same consumer behavior at restaurants or will another side of our consumer personality prevail?

More food corporations will add or replace ingredients with ones that are "natural." 
Reward the trend but remember that adding whole grains (natural or not) to a food that lists various forms of sugar as its top ingredients is not really an improvement.  Junk food with a halo is still junk food.  Look for natural ingredients in more of the good foods you eat and be thankful that your sour cream & onion chips will have fewer artificial flavors and preservatives. And remember, foods like cottonseed oil in your "natural" potato chips may still be too high in saturated fat and too low in monounsaturated fats.

Spanish, Portuguese and Moroccan foods
I foresee growing access and familiarity with Mediterranean foods from the western side of the salty sea.  We already shop for manchego cheese from Spain, eat falafel from carts and packaged mixes and are mastering Portuguese salt cod dishes without even realizing their proximity both to each other and, more recently, to us.

Vegan recipes abound.  Likewise Gluten-free foods.
All good especially as it answers the needs of many who suffer from serious food allergies and celiac disease (which requires a wheat free diet).  With the improvement in labeling, some labels will look silly.  Try to contain your mirth when you see steamed broccoli labeled vegan (no eggs or dairy, duh) that is also gluten free (no wheat).  On the other hand, with all the extras in packaged foods, perhaps we should be sure our steamed broccoli is just that.

School lunches (and breakfasts) will lose out as many local budget-crunched school boards juggle union pensions, new technology needs and core programs vying for funds.  Government food programs still get in their own way by trying to serve both the large corporate farms and food industry and the nutritional needs of our nation's little ones.  Schools that are trying student-gardens may see the most benefit for the least investment.

Continued perplexity about our nation's obesity rates among many of the food elite.
Educated, slim, active foodies are in the dark about why most of our population can't just eat like them.  Until we look at this issue with compassion, good statistical information and a willingness do more than throw up our hands, we will continue to be flummoxed.  Making good meals fast and cheap is not easy without some basic training in food selection, preparation and storage for home, office and school use.  Many people get about half hour for lunch and are far from any nutritious sources.  If you are an expert and wondering about the food crisis in this country, consider volunteering to teach your cooking skills via organizations like "Share our Strength."  You may be surprised at what you learn about the realities of "food insecure homes" in your area.