01. Za’atar spice
From roasted cauliflower to baked chicken, this Middle Eastern spice blend will add verve to your home cooking. Consisting of oregano, thyme, sumac, ground sesame seeds and salt, za’atar is making its way into kitchen pantries around the globe. Sprinkle some on your soups too for an exotic twist.
02. Meat-free celebrations
With concern increasing on the way humanity’s ways are having a dire impact on the environment, you’ll find many family and friends who have opted to go down the vegan route – or you may have done so yourself. Satisfy those hunger pangs and celebrate the festivities with recipes such as a green bean casserole, garlic miso button mushrooms and vegan mince pies.
Vegan Club Recipe Book / Facebook
03. A taste of the Afro-Caribbean
The African diaspora in the Caribbean brought their own flavours to bear on the sunny dishes of this region in the Americas. Using plantain, lentil, fish and yams, Afro-Caribbean food melds cultures and histories in re-imaginings of popular dishes: goat curry with rice and peas, and jerk-spiced fried fish are two of the most popular. Our tummies are rumbling already!
04. Seacuterie
The next few weeks will be a flurry of entertaining, lunches and fun-filled dinners. And, while the charcuterie board always seems to make an appearance – usually as a starter set – this season, seafood will guest star. Octopus salami, shellfish sausages or swordfish ham may sound experimental, but it’s only a matter of time before they are common fixtures on our tables.
USA Today Eats / Facebook
05. Healthy kids’ menus
Those who have little ones know how difficult it is to keep them satisfied and happy, while also eschewing trashy foods. And, while parents have been continuously striving to find nutritious, fun alternatives, restaurants and food brands are only now offering delicious, healthy food for kids, such as organic chicken nuggets, salmon fish fingers and baked sweet potato wedges.
06. Makgeolli
This Korean milky, yeast-fermented rice wine – considered to be the country’s oldest alcoholic drink, dating back to some 2,000 years ago – has been rising in popularity these last few years, and its ascendance is set to continue. Its light effervescence and weak strength, at 6-7 per cent alcohol, makes it the perfect drink to imbibe night after night with family over the festivities.
Hansik The taste of Korea / Facebook
This article initially appeared in the December edition of the Commercial Courier.
