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Eco-friendly fare tops dining trends

Will Middle Eastern cuisine and artisan cocktails still command our attention in 2011?

According to a survey of more than 1,500 professional chefs, hyper-local ingredient sourcing and healthy kids meals will steal their thunder in the new year.

The National Restaurant Association recently asked chefs across the country what diners can look forward to on their plates.

Using local products (that not only support local farmers but lessen the carbon footprint) and sustainable products (consciously selecting food stuffs that are not overfished or overharvested) will be front and center.

Among the other emerging trends for next year are: nutritious kids' dishes, hyper-local items (restaurants growing their own produce and, in some cases, raising their own meat), gluten-free/food allergy-conscious items, back-to-basics cuisine and farm-branded ingredients (Heritage Prairie Farm greens and Niman Ranch pork, for instance). The chefs surveyed are members of the American Culinary Federation.

“The top trends identified by these culinary professionals for 2011 are reflecting larger societal trends, underscoring that American diners are becoming more and more interested in what's on their plate,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research and knowledge group for the National Restaurant Association.

“Locally sourced food and a focus on sustainability is not just popular among certain segments of consumers anymore; it has become more mainstream,” said chef Michael Ty, ACF president, who oversees culinary operations in New York and Las Vegas. “Diners are requesting to know where their food comes from, and are concerned with how their choices affect the world around us.”

Nutrition — children's nutrition in particular — is another umbrella trend identified by the survey. Nutritionally balanced children's dishes ranked as the fourth biggest trend on menus next year. Gluten-free and food allergy-conscious items are number eight in the trends survey, with nearly eight in 10 chefs agreeing it's a hot trend.

On the drink menu, micro-distilled spirits continue to be key, with nearly three-quarters of the chefs ranking it a hot trend. Other alcohol items high on the list include locally produced beer and wine, culinary cocktails, food-beer pairings and beer dinners.

Chefs, who also see more food trucks, bite-sized desserts and quinoa in the future, aren't the only ones eyeing new trends.

Working with Mintel International and the International Food Futurists, The Food Channel (foodchannel.com) predicts sausage, home canning and eating for specific health results will gain more fans in 2011.

“One example is baby boomers wanting to age well. ... they are eating for better sex, more energy and the ability to work longer,” said Kay Logsdon, editor of The Food Channel.

The Food Channel also calls food aps for mobile devices, ice cream sandwiches and nut mixes trends to take a bite of in 2011.

  Locally grown ingredients, like the plum tomatoes and mushrooms that turn up on flatbreads at Seasons 52 in Schaumburg, will be heading to more restaurants in 2011. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com