Real Cheap Eats

Hey folks. It's been a long time since I've been here.In the words of the immortal, indomitable Dolly...

I went away from my the lights of 14th Street
And into my personal haze
But now that I'm back in the lights of 14th Street
Tomorrow will be brighter than the good old days

Well, I don't know about the lights of 14th Street, but I do know about the lights of a barbecue fire. I've been away, but the flames are slowly drawing me back. I'm not there yet, at least not in a way I can share with all of you, but I haven't been too far removed from the food world. I'm always out there.

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Top Food Predictions for 2011

The Food Channel has weighed in with what it thinks are going to be the hot "in" foods for 2011.

I'm intrigued by some of their selections, but frankly most of these items are part of my regular eating patterns already.

What do you think?

1. Small Pies. Pie, of course, has been around forever, but 2011 could be the Year of the Pie. Some are already calling it the “next cupcake.” We say, yes, pies will be hot in the coming year, but look for smaller pies to make it big—in both sweet and savory varieties.

2. Sausage. Look for a leaner, better quality sausage, sourced locally at farmers markets, to take on the role as the “new bacon.” Home butchery and the charcuterie trend that has led to renewed interest in cured meats are additional factors here as well.

3. Nutmeg. Researchers have discovered that nutmeg’s reputation as an aphrodisiac—especially for women—has some merit. Need we say more?

4. Moonshine. Moonshine has gone legit. Tennessee’s first legal moonshine distillery opened this summer, and the clear corn whiskey hootch can now be found in many liquor stores and even purchased online. It still packs a wallop.

5. Gourmet Ice Pops. Ice pops in exotic flavors like bacon, mango chile, and peanut butter are the latest to get the artisanal treatment. They’re known as paletas in Mexico. Watch for them to go mainstream north of the border in 2011.

6. Grits. Could this old southern favorite become the “new grain”? We see it moving beyond the breakfast menu and above the Mason-Dixon Line.

7. Sweet Potatoes. These super-nutritious tubers will be orange-hot in 2011. They’ll be especially molten as the alternative, better-for-you french fry.

8. Fin fish. We are still discovering so much about the benefits of fish. After all, it wasn't that long ago that we found out about Omega 3's, and we know that obtaining these nutrients directly from food is the best way to get them into our system. We're banking on more acceptance of farmed fish as it becomes more important to have a good supply of this lean protein.

9. Cupuaçu fruit. This is quite possibly the next superfruit, following in the footsteps of the acai fruit. Both are from the Brazilian rainforest. Cupuaçu has a number of antioxidants and minerals, and is considered a natural source of energy. We tasted it in a Brazilian candy that had us craving more. Speaking of candy, you might also watch for Brigadeiro. This sweet Brazilian candy is made by mixing sweetened condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder. It's usually rolled into ball and coated in granulated sugar, but it can also take on other flavors. It's the national truffle of Brazil. Look for it to come to our shores in 2011.

10. Beans. The lowly legume will step up to the spotlight in 2011, as a great source of protein and a versatile ingredient in appetizers like white bean & rosemary bruschetta. And, yes, it’s still awesome in chili.

A Taste of Chinatown

A couple of weekends ago, Chinatown New York, played host to its annual Taste of Chinatown party. For $1 or $2 a plate, depending on the restaurant, you were given a sample of the foods that make Chinatown great.

The vast majority of participating restaurants were located on Mott Street with a few scattered about the side streets. The best food was closer to Canal Street. The closer you got to Chatham Square, the food offerings became more and more mundane, almost mall like with samples of sweet and sour chicken, general Tso's chicken, pork lomein etc.

This was a great culinary adventure. Dim Sum, Chow Fun, Peking Duck, Pork Buns, all sorts of noodles, meats, fishes and poultry. It was all there for the taking. I tried all sorts of foods without even knowing what some of them were. I didn't care. I was here to eat. I even tried fish balls. Yup, they were as awful as the name suggests. I did however draw the line at vegetarian duck. That just sounds nasty. I just don't want to know what goes into vegetarian duck!

The best food, IMHO, was found at 70 Mott Street. They had some shrimp chive dumplings that were out of this world. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures. Another great food option was the Peking duck at another place just off Canal. Damn, it was good. I should have paid attention to the names of the restaurants, but the crowds made that near impossible. And I was too busy eating!

It had been a while since I'd been to Chinatown and I forgot how good and cheap the food could be. I've got to get down there more often. But even Chinatown has it's share of lousy restaurants. Here's one that tries to fit into the neighborhood, but it's just another tourist trap. Thank God my kids have learned to stay away from places like that.