What's the new food trend?

[Claudia1]

Is the charcuterie fad over or is it still strong? Any new menu ideas for a ladies lunch or light dinner?

 

[_19disnA]

Always thought it was just a fancy French term for a 'snack tray'. Years ago when we were growing up, long before I had ever heard of that term, my mom used to serve cheese/crackers/snacks when friends/relatives were visiting. It didn't have any fancy culinary name, was just something she did.

 

[kymom99]

I think they look so unappetizing with all those things mixed together. We always used sectioned dishes for our snacks.

 

[mjkacmom]

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Avocado? I like it but no one else in my household does.

Sorry, think I misunderstood the assignment.

 

[GreatLakes]

At this point it isn't really new but the need to add aioli to everything.

One food trend I am a big fan of is more side options at places. I like having some vegetable options instead of just fries everywhere.

 

[Moliphino]

Always thought it was just a fancy French term for a 'snack tray'. Years ago when we were growing up, long before I had ever heard of that term, my mom used to serve cheese/crackers/snacks when friends/relatives were visiting. It didn't have any fancy culinary name, was just something she did.

If there's no meat, it's not charcuterie.

 

[ronandannette]

OP, I tried to help you out by googling for “ladies’ luncheon” but all the recipes that came up were salads and booze. I guess if you have enough of one, you don’t mind the other. Perhaps the newest trend is day-drinking?

 

[kanerf]

At places that have good apps, I will often just do a couple of those vs an entre. Usually cheaper as well.

 

[mjkacmom]

Hot honey on everything.

 

[fly girl]

Vegan options seem to be the biggest trend I am seeing.

 

[Claudia1]

I’m 68 yrs old and I contributed to the charcuterie phenomenon while raising my family!

Thanks for all of the responses. I’m needing a very nice 3 course meal that will be easy to serve for a church ladies light dinner so alcohol is not an option for this group. I’m asking a few ladies to set tables as if they were in there own homes to “welcome” guests to their tables and will be using their China from home. Looking for something unique but adaptable to different table settings.

Love everyone’s thoughts and comments!

 

[mjkacmom]

This is trending now in my house due to our zucchini harvest, delicious, added some crumbled cooked breakfast sausage but not needed. https://ifoodreal.com/zucchini-quiche/

 

[Mysterian]

Random ingredients slapped on a plate without any actual cooking involved? How did I not invent this?

Let's get real for a moment.

The original Charcuterie was actually an old Thai dish involving char-broiled cucumbers in teriyaki. Char-Cu-Teri-e. The final "E" was added by the French during the Franco-Thai war.
I would like you all to regale your friends with that story and see how far it goes.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Biggest trend I'm seeing is eating seasonally and affordably...and since it's summer, that does involve a stronger emphasis on produce than protein...

 

[AndreaDM]

I would go with quiche, either individual small ones, or slices from larger ones, depending on the size of the group. Served with a nice summer salad, and some kind of cobbler or crumble for dessert. If you wanted to do a starter, caprese skewers are always a hit, especially in the summer.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Do you have a lot of dietary restrictions in your group (salt/sugar/allergies/etc)?

If it were me, I'd probably do a fruit salad opening course (for this, I'd do Macedonia to keep the Italian theme), then I'd serve a grilled chicken and/or grilled portobello with bruschetta topping (which can be left off) and a green salad, and then I'd do a candy or cookie for dessert (Nutella fudge, even though I can't eat it, would be nice)...my mom always wanted "something small" for dessert, so the 2 bite dessert would be my push with a nice cup of coffee or tea...

 

[DLgal]

I think the new food trend is "flights", but not alcoholic ones. I'm seeing flights of: fries, desserts, side dishes, liege style waffles, etc.

And "hot chicken" is definitely a trend now too. It's everywhere.

 

[barkley]

Is the charcuterie fad over or is it still strong?

i am just surprised that this 'fad' (i'm 61-i remember these being a thing when i was a kid and some of the meats had to be smuggled into the united states) stayed strong during the pandemic. the idea of a group shared platter of food has never been appealing to me let alone when people were trying to maintain safe distancing. i think even in the best of times i'm always concerned when i see one done on a wooden cutting board b/c unless someone knows the correct way to clean one it can be dangerous to use as a repeated eating surface (and since it's not via a dishwasher or some other quick and done method i always wonder when i see them used in restaurants that purport to be grossly understaffed ).


if it's a 'church lady luncheon' with china and such i would go for food options that avoid eating with one's hands (unless it's tea sandwiches)-things that use a fork/spoon/knife. maybe a cold soup or salad (watermelon works well for both), something easy to serve/plate (so not casserole, more like grilled chicken which can be served warm or cold with a veggie and maybe a rice or couscous), some attractive/tasty dessert (something that can be made in individual servings so you're not cutting up pieces).


have a great time!

 

[Frozen Canuck]

I would do a spinach salad with poppyseed dressing and fresh strawberries, blueberries, and toasted pecans. I like to cheat and use Briana's Poppyseed Dressing. Everything can be prepped and tossed ahead of time, with the exception of the dressing, which should be added right before serving.

For the main dish, you could do chicken kebabs (see Wolfgang Puck's Lemon Chicken Thyme Kebabs) and a simple rice pilaf with a bit of grated carrot for colour.

Other, easier and make-ahead options would be things like grilled chicken Caesar wraps, California Chicken Wraps, or a vegetarian wrap for those who would prefer.

For dessert, you could just set out trays of dainties...mini tarts, lemon squares, brownies, etc., which can be arranged on plates ahead of time. This is what I did when I made a "Canadian" dessert bar for my son's wedding a few years back. It was a bit of work to make a selection of items (even three different things would be great...I think I had seven or eight options for the 100 or so guests), but it is worth it when you can just pull the plastic wrap off the top and sit back to enjoy coffee/tea with your guests.

I recently made a batch of rosemary shortbread, which was easy and turned out really nice. It would be a nice addition to trays. (I think the recipe I used came from the NY Times. I added a bit of lemon zest as well.)

As one more option for dessert, especially if you want to keep it light and simple, may I introduce you to strawberry peach white balsamic vinegar? This stuff is amazing drizzled over fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries, sliced peaches, etc. You could offer either just a small fruit nappy of fruit with white balsamic vinegar or offer a scoop of vanilla ice cream with fruit/vinegar. I purchase my balsamic online, but you might be able to find it in a specialty store, especially if you have an olive oil shop near you.

These are just some suggestions. Obviously you wouldn't want to pair strawberry spinach salad with Chicken Caesar wraps, giving people salad twice, or serving both strawberry spinach salad AND fresh fruit with balsamic. Hopefully you get some more good suggestions for things that will work for your situation.