So what will we want in the New Year? More spice in our life! That works for me, and thanks to my favorite spicy guy, John Gregory Smith, we know to expect. John has an “in” with McCormick and what will be trending. And yes he’s an adorable Brit, so hence the spelling on flavor! I’ve also included a recipe of John’s I think I’m going to use for a holiday party. It’s a Tropical Fruit Salad with just the right spice.

   Here’s what John shared with me; “For their latest forecast they have identified 5 key trends that are then broken down into two different flavour combinations – think big guys, they have been bold!”

The 5 trends are:

1. No Apologies Necessary – making meals that remind you of somewhere exotic
2. Personally Handcrafted – every home cook’s own signature dish
3. Empowered Eating – making food work for you through healthy choices
4. Hidden Potential – getting the most out of every part of every ingredient
5. Global My Way – using an ethnic ingredient in a truly local manner

The associated flavour combinations are

1. No Apologies Necessary
   1. Bitter Chocolate, Sweet Basil and Passion Fruit
   2. Black Rum, Charred Orange and Allspice
2. Personally Handcrafted
   1. Cider, Sage and Molasses
   2. Smoked Tomato, Rosemary, Chili Peppers and Sweet Onion
3. Empowered Eating
   1. Farro Grain, Blackberry and Cove
   2. Broccoli and Dukkah
4. Hidden Potential
   1. Hearty Meat Cuts, Plantain and Cinnamon
   2. Artichoke, Paprika and Hazelnut
5. Global My Way
   1. Anise and Cajeta
   2. Japanese Katsu and Oregano

   Those are some intensely delicious trends, and I’m most interested in exploring the new one. So discovering exactly how dukkah, faro, and cove can enhance Kelly’s Kitchen will be fun. The use of local foods is also big, and with our farmers and fresh market’s in full swing, there’s literally no excuse for supporting the local growers. John will be out with a new book soon, so of course we’ll invite him back into Kelly’s Kitchen for a look-see, and if you’d like to drop him a line in the meantime just go to @mightyspice.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.  ~Mary Engelbreit