Food Crystal Ball

Who wouldn’t want to know the future?  Well, MSLGROUP’s Food and Beverage marketing team crunched the data and looked into the ether to foretell 2015’s new trends in edibles! 

For example, the Scoville Scale becomes increasingly popular as peppers are added to  more recipes,  even candy!  Ghost pepper…haven’t heard of it?  You will in 2015!

Or, perhaps you’ve heard about the success and popularity Starz’s Outlander TV series has brought to the historic drink Mead.  The newest craft beverage craze will be a throw back to the ancient mix of fermented honey and water.

And, one of the trends predicted is the continued upward trajectory of 3D printing in food!  I’ve been watching the popularity of this Jetsons-like machine and even wrote about it in July.  Can’t wait to see where this will go…will we end up with instantly created food in all our homes? 

You can read about more trends below:

Art in a Whiskey Glass

While most of my exploration in the realm of how food, art and science meet has been with 3D foods, I’ve never given much thought to the amazing liquids out there.  The way that drinkables dry on the bottom of a glass is actually a fascinating area of hard research…the shape of the particles left can determine the shape left behind.  For instance, those pesky coffee lines at the bottom of our mugs are quite unique in that the water drying at the edges is replenished from the center of the droplet, and the fluid flow carries particles to the edge—forming the dark ring.

In the case of whiskey, especially aged whiskey, the rings left behind have been photographed by Phoenix photographer Ernie Button, and are captivating and otherworldly.

While the science behind these images reminds me of my own terracibusseries, Ernie does a great job of exploring another facet of what most people leave behind on the dinner table (or in this case, at the bar).

You can read more at these links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/science/art-in-a-whisky-glass-neatly-explained.html

http://erniebutton.com/?portfolio=vanishing-spirits-the-dried-remains-of-singlemalt-scotch

http://www.princeton.edu/mae/people/faculty/stone/

http://carenalpertfineart.com/gallery.html

The Wonderful World of Blueberries

Blueberries are one of my favorite summer fruits, in fact—I even photographed one under a scanning electron microscope as part of my terra cibus series.

This summer infographic illustrates how to store and use them—in all their wonderful sweetly tart forms.  Consider this your public service announcement for how to make the most of your precious little gems.

For instance, when there is a silvery bloom to the berry, you’ll want to eat the berries fresh within 10 days…rinsing them only before you eat them.

The already washed flash-frozen ones last about 10x times longer…10 months!  These are delicious in fruit smoothies, sorbets and pancakes.

The glossy infused-dried berries are best in trail mixes, baked goods and salads.

The crunchy freeze-dried versions last up to 10 YEARS.  Yes, years!  They can be reconstituted with liquids, or used dried.

Powdered, liquid and pureed versions are all wonderful in sauces, dressings and desserts.

Have a gander of your own, and big thanks to PadillaCRT for this great infographic.