Predicting the flavor future

The new year is guaranteed to bring one thing: Predictions about what the new year will bring. Many of these predictions are hilarious. One fashion blog forecasts that women’s clothing will somehow be both “ladylike ‘60s” and “punk,” with “biker clothing” and “glamour” thrown in. Home designers predict “bold” colors and “unique” approaches, but with an emphasis on “simplicity” and “green” (ecologically friendly) design. Restaurant News informs us that “healthy-healthy” foods are a trend for 2011, along with “fried vegetables” and “hot dog and sausage shops.” Say what?

As for flavors, McCormick — the company that makes the spices, herbs and seasonings sold in your supermarket — forecasts “flavor pairings” like roasted curry powder and wild mushrooms, fennel and piri-piri sauce, pickling spice and rice vinegar. They’ve looked into their crystal ball, and they see goat’s milk and green peppercorns in our future. Which could be a delicious thing. The combo does, in fact, turn out to be lovely. (See the recipe at dailyherald.com/entlife/food.)

But you have to ask, “Who dreams this stuff up?” McCormick says it’s their “flavor experts,” plus a “trendsetting group of chefs and food personalities.” OK, I’m game. Bring on the ancho chile pepper and hibiscus! But I might not get to them until, say, 2012.

Here is the list of McCormick’s Top 10 Flavor Pairings, with suggested uses. Recipes are available at flavorforecast. com:

1. Fennel and piri-piri sauce (also sold as peri-peri sauce): Try in chicken wings, bloody Marys, and lamb burgers with fennel aioli, or with steamed mussels and clams.

2. Pickling spice and rice vinegar: Try in marinated shrimp with mango and radishes, brine for pork chops, or a twist on sour beef.

3. Roasted curry powder and wild mushrooms: Try in risotto, in curried mushroom quesadillas, or as a stuffing for spring rolls or samosas.

4. Caramelized honey and adzuki red beans: Try in glazed pork and beans, as the filling for baklava-inspired dessert bites, for added richness and dimension in bean soup.

5. Ancho chile pepper and hibiscus: Try in sangria or margaritas, hibiscus-frosted cupcakes, or a sweet-hot glaze for brisket.

6. Thyme and stone fruits: Try in light salsa and relishes for grilled seafood, with fresh ricotta or brie, in a peach-gin cocktail, or in a peach and prosciutto panini with thyme aioli.

7. Mustard seed and vermouth: Try in “dirty martini” steak kebabs, as the base for a braising liquid for meats, or in a barley risotto with chicken and mustard greens.

8. Cilantro and nut butters: Try in a sauce for Southeast Asian satay, in coconut-almond chicken stew, as a cashew-butter riff on the classic cookie, or Latin-inspired peanut chicken with cilantro pesto.

9. Herbes de Provence and popcorn: Try as a dressed-up snack mix, crushed to coat chicken, as a crust for a cheesecake tart, or to garnish warm soup or cool ceviche.

10. Green peppercorn and goat’s milk: Try in a savory cheese spread or dressing, in baked eggs (below) or in a goat cheese and peppercorn muffin.