As we prepare for this evening when the Jamaica OBSERVER CELEBRATES FASHION’S NIGHT OUT, one might not make the connection between food and fashion. But being “in fashion” connotes a trend and the world of food is no exception. Fad foods have come and gone, while others have stood the test of time. Cast your mind back to the mini in the ’60s, bell-foot bottomed trousers in the ’70s, big shoulder pads in the ’80s, minimalist chic in the ’90s, and look at all the revivals nowadays. The food world has had its own fashionable hits and misses. Today let us look at fashionable dishes of the past in the Western world and what is hot now.

Microwaveable meals were all the rage in the late ’60s when this technology became available. The burger also became more commercially available and was a hit at barbecues, and the club sandwich was popular at hotel restaurants for a lunchtime treat. In the 1970s comfort food and one-pot meals such as casseroles, lasagna and pies became more popular, as well as desserts such as baked Alaska and apple strudel. The 1980s were a prosperous time: people had money, were more adventurous, and ethnic cuisines such as Mexican, Italian and Chinese food became the rage; we witnessed a pasta and pizza explosion, tiramisu was the rage for dessert, we snacked on convenient tacos and stir fries and made use of restaurant take-away services.

In the 1990s we became more health-conscious and had more or less the same foods, but lighter versions. This era also saw the rise of fusion cuisine and innovative chefs being more experimental in the kitchen. The Japanese export sushi became a huge hit and is now a staple in most countries. Currently meat-free meals are the rage, even for meat eaters who embrace a flexible dietary lifestyle, not constrained by the “carnivore” or “vegetarian” labels. People are also better travelled or if not, the exposure comes through food television shows and networks such as the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, and a bigger interest in cookbooks as well as food columns and blogs. Supermarkets offer more variety of not only staples, but on trend ingredients such as exotic spices and rare fruits and vegetables.

I want to state clearly that fashionable food is not necessarily expensive food. For me personally, fashionable food should be fresh and full of flavour, but most of all it should be made with love. Have fun with your food. Freshly baked bread and butter sandwich in its simplicity is for me one of the most fashionable foods because no matter where in the world you are, everyone loves a decent bread and butter sandwich, some classic foods never ever go out of style! Below is my list of some of the fashionable trends in food now:

Caramel Popcorn: instead of full-on dessert and in a bid for budget consciousness due to the recession, this is fun to serve as a sweet treat at a finger foods party.

Macaroons: once restricted to the hallowed halls of Parisian tea salons, macaroons are the fashionista’s sweet treat and are replacing cupcakes in popularity for their elegant round shapes and light-as-air chewy delights. Tricky to make, but the end result is worth it!

Gourmet Hot Dogs: comfort food gone posh, whether your “dog” is beef, pork, chicken or turkey, you need not be restricted to the typical ketchup, mustard and pickle accompaniments, but, you can try salsa relishes and more grown-up accruements.

Ethnic Sandwiches: Middle Eastern falafel, Vietnamese Banh Mi, French Baguettes, American submarine sandwiches are all commonplace in big cities across the globe. They are convenient and packed with flavour.

Tacos: still very accessible and loved, cheap, convenient and delicious with a variety of choice fillings, these are always a crowd pleaser.

Crostini/Bruschetta: a no-fail appetiser for a dinner party, crostinis never go out of fashion due to their versatility

Cheese: there is a variety for everyone; a cheese platter never goes out of fashion.

Gluten-Free Meals: people with allergies need never feel excluded again, it’s trendy for food to be democratic and cater for all.

Meat-Free Meals: healthy is always fashionable, and like I mentioned earlier, you don’t have to be a vegan or vegetarian to include plant-based meals in your diet. Meatless Mondays is the most fashionable food movement right now.

I came across these photos using food to form iconic fashion logos and thought it would be a special treat to share for FNO. They are from top Swedish photographer Linus Morales’s Fabulous Food Series. Enjoy!

Tasty Treats FNO Eats

With Fashion’s Night Out on in the Big Apple, we’re sure shopaholics in the area will work up an appetite after taking advantage of the massive discounts. Thursday F o o d shares a few trendy, and, of course, appropriately themed eats to indulge in around the city.

Source: www.nyc.popsugar.com

Tuxedo cupcake

Crumbs Bake Shops across New York City will have the Tuxedo cupcake on offer for FNO. This decadent treat is topped with vanilla cream frosting decorated with white chocolate chips, blondie pieces and melted white and dark chocolate.

Savoury cones

Designed by mixologist Ryan Maerz, these savoury cones at the Levi’s locations are offered in a variety of flavours like basil ice cream and micro greens, tomato sorbet with Turkish salt and olive oil ice cream with black chocolate nibs. There are also sno-cones and mini sweet cones spiked with bourbon pecan, Kahlua and Guinness.

Deconstructed buffalo wings

Levi’s stores will be serving tasty Deconstructed Buffalo Wings with Roquefort dip and celery stick skewers and Rib-eye Steak in a Chili Coffee Spice Rub with barbecued onion jam. They will also have a mac-n-cheese bar for their shoppers.

Contact me at juicycheffoodmedia@gmail.com

Much gratitude to my weekly food sponsors MegaMart. Have a wonderful Fashion’s Night Out and remember you can eat fashionably!

Bon Appétit!