Cooking fads/trends?

[Jessi]

Do you keep up with and participate in the latest cooking fads? Or do they annoy you?

Over the last few years, things like bacon and cake pops became so over-created and used in recipes that I got really sick of hearing about them. Yes, bacon is delicious sometimes....but does it have to become an obsession with so many people? And sure, cake pops are adorable and taste delicious....but I am SO sick of seeing them.

 

[OhioTom76]

The bacon trend is annoying. I was speculating that perhaps it had to do with the renewed interest in the Paleo diet - most Paleo recipes I've come across use bacon a lot. It's kind of like their comfort ingredient equivalent to cheese.

I'm beyond sick of the Kale frenzy - people are putting it in just about everything these days. When I worked at restaurants 20 years ago we used to use it as a garnish on the buffet between the dishes and pans of food, lol, not in them. I love greens and all, but Kale doesn't need to be in *everything*. Plus it gives you major gas, which the news outlets fail to mention.

It seems like the bloggers and food publications are already ramping up Cauliflower to be the next food craze - which means we can look forward to the price on that skyrocketing too. I'm sorry, but a cauliflower "steak" in no way compares to the real thing. It doesn't even sound appetizing on it's own.

 

[Jessi]

I'm beyond sick of the Kale frenzy - people are putting it in just about everything these days. When I worked at restaurants 20 years ago we used to use it as a garnish on the buffet between the dishes and pans of food, lol, not in them.

Oh geez. I haven't seen it as much as you have in dishes themselves. Instead, what I remember from the kale fad is the viral spread of "kale chips." Every food blogger out there was raving about them, whether it was a fitness blogger, a vegetarian blogger, or a mommy blogger who was raving about how "even my toddler loves them!!!" Sigh.

 

[crimsonghost747]

No, I don't follow any of these trends. I cook what I want... that's pretty much it. I also don't follow any food blogs, so if I get new ideas it's mainly from this forum and you people seem level headed!

 

[Isabella V]

I try to avoid the latest cooking fads.
The reason ? They ARE that annoying.
I don't try to be exactly like others in others sectors of my life, why should cooking be any different ?
Although, I do understand the people that feel like they need to try them because everyone else does, at the time.
They are fads for a reason , there must be something good about them (like bacon, hello? ) if so many people are raving about them. I just don't understand the forced contemporaneity.

 

[janineaa]

I think Ramen noodles is such a fad in our country. Restaurants dedicated to only ramen started popping up late last year and this year. Wherever I go there's a new ramen place. Whenever I go online, someone is posting about ramen. I don't know. I don't see how it' such a fad now. It has always been around and now everyone seems to be joining the bandwagon.

 

[Jade]

I watch a good amount of food shows on TV, so I do sometimes see a pattern or trend when it pops up into mainstream culture. I personally don't mind it and I'm actually pretty fascinated by it when it happens, but admittedly, I probably just don't get annoyed because the trends to me are just on TV and rarely do I see them in our local restaurants and shops. The trend that's got me curious recently is Sriracha sauce. All the TV chefs seem to love it, and it's made me curious as to what it really tastes like because it doesn't look like ordinary hot sauce to me.