Food Trends 2015: 5 Trends You Gotta Try

Credit: wwarby, Flickr.

1. Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em

Maybe it’s the eternal quest for summer, but folks are desperate to enjoy that smoky, bar-be-cue flavor year round. Traditionalists move aside. It’s not just chicken, beef and pork that are getting the smoky treatment; anything is fair game.
Tofu, cheese, bourbon and beer have all become popular items to smoke, as well as butter, vegetables, sugar and spices. Local chefs are expanding their kitchens and adding a repertoire of smoked items to their menus in an effort to impart unique flavors to old favorites.
For the home cook who wants to give this latest food trend a go without forking out the money for a pricey backyard smoker, Williams-Sonoma offers some low-cost alternatives. A double-decker smoker pan for stovetop use, wood chip ready smoker bags for the oven or grill and The Smoking Gun, a battery-operated countertop device used to impart applewood or hickory flavor into the most delicate of items.