It's 2013!! Eat like it.

So…

It’s 2013!! I think that I wrote on this blog slightly more in 2012 than I did in 2011 so with good measure I will yet again begin the quest to write more.

With that; what is it that I have on tap for us 2013? I am glad you asked. So far I have a few personal goals but the majority of my planning has come into the line of professional. I figure if I put it out there it may come to me quickly…

The first and possibly most important goal is to create a Digital Cookbook. This goal will develop over many months and it will take a lot patience, but I feel that I am up for the task. With this goal there are many sub-goals.

A.) Write and publish more recipes using my hot sauce line NW Elixirs (www.nwelixirs.com)

B.) Create much more YouTube traffic and interest via visual media

C.) Gain more exposer via social media

Ah you don’t really want to hear about all of that fun stuff. So let’s stick to what we know and what we will soon know.

Do you know what some of the major food trends of 2013 will be? Let us take a quick glance and see where we may be able to expand on these trends.

Barrel Aged Hot Sauce: This is something I have looked into over the last year and have some wine barrels coming my way. I am not really sure if there is really a huge difference in barrel aged hot sauce vs. your everyday hot sauce, and since I am not one to exploit the public with “theories” of food until I am convinced that it makes a difference I won’t make the move.

Sugar Free all Natural Condiments: I have already been working on some of these products, if you have not already heard of these of fantastic products check them out here (https://trinityhillfarms.com/store/categories/Trinity-Hill-Farms-Dressings/) not only are the dressings spot on delicious but so are the other sugar free condiments. These are products I stand by and they have not been created by large corporations in order to keep your hard earned money. This company wants to deliver the best possible products at the most affordable price.

Hot Sauce: In general the hot sauce market is set to expand by almost $100M. This is crazy to me. And at the same time it is very exciting, as we have been building our company for two years now. According to the countries economists this is due to Americans desire to expand their palate and become more adventurous with food. This is great!! We are starting to eat better, not only are we expanding our range of food but we are seeking products that are well made with good intentions. I am very excited about this.

Natural Foods: Now this where we get into the “grey” area. If you get a chance take a look at what the FDA requires for natural foods. (http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/default.htm) This is as boring a read as you can imagine a Government website could be, but it will open your eyes when you start reading labels. I will summarize the nutritional labeling requirements.

A.) Ingredients; the statement in which ingredients are listed have to be in order of the most prominent ingredients. So when the first four ingredients listed are words you’ve never seen it may not be a good sign.

B.) If there are ingredients that are less than 2% of the total weight you don’t have to mention it here! This is scary, just because it’s less than 2% doesn’t mean it won’t eventually kill you with over consumption.

C.) Even though it’s “natural” it may still be bad for you. Corn Syrup is comprised of “natural” ingredients, but the process in which it is made is awful. When you consume corn syrup you may be consuming traces of Hydrochloric Acid which is used to separate the starch from the sugar in dried corn kernels. Yeah that’s gross.

Well enough, of my "don’t eat this fun." You should make decisions on your own behalf.  Just because a celebrity says it’s ok to consume or a sports team is sponsored by a product, it does not mean that they are looking out for your best interest. They are being PAID!!  To very often lie to you. Would you LIE to 100 people you had no personal contact with for $2 million? Sure you would, just keep that in mind. Your best interest is not in their best interest.

All the best in 2013 and as always, happy cooking.