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Joining such gastronomic prognosticators as this one and that one, NPR’s Bonny Wolf lays out her predictions for the coming year in food. Most of Wolf’s ideas have been expressed elsewhere, but this one stood out to me:
The recession has brought back home-cooked meals in a big way, Wolf says.
“It will mean an increase in cooking classes, because people will have to learn how to cook since we haven’t been cooking at home for many years,” she says.
Home cooking means more mashed potatoes, meat loaf and spaghetti and meatballs.
“But it won’t be exactly like your grandma’s,” says Wolf. “There will be slightly more sophisticated twists — artisan cheese mixed in with your mashed potatoes. And things will probably be healthier — less butter, more vegetables.”
I don’t know if I buy that—-for one simple reason: People fortunate enough to keep their jobs this year will be working longer and harder than ever. They won’t have the time or energy to cook. I think fast-food sales will soar this year. They already are at McDonald’s.