Julie Alvin

What's the new cilantro? Is drunken goat cheese at a dinner party too 2003? If I send my kid to camp with a Capri Sun, will he be teased? Am I supposed to only be buying food harvested within, like, a mile of my house? We checked in with chefs, bloggers, and Cookie contributors to see what food trends are affecting you and your family today.

As Local as Locavore Gets

Thanks to Michelle Obama's White House backyard garden, growing your own fruits, veggies, and herbs is catching on in households countrywide. The Obama's "victory garden" was created to teach Americans about sustainable, organic foods and to offer a launching point to show children how to eat nutritiously. For a worthwhile summer outing, take your kids to the New York Botanical Garden's summer-long edible garden exhibitions, or check out PBS's garden guide for destinations across the country. To get started on your own, check out NY Times tips on creating a home garden, follow PBS's advice, or pick up Catherine Woram's Gardening with Kids (Ryland Peters & Small), or the Brooklyn Botanical Garden's own Gardening with Children.

Big Names for Little Kids

If last year's most obvious cookbook trend was food memoir meets recipes, this year it's food manifesto meets parenting. Look for Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma for Kids (Penguin), and Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals (Houghton Mifflin) out this fall. 

Quick Pickling

As we scrambled for ramps last month, we couldn’t help but wish that some of our favorite greenmarket foods had a longer growing season. Other foodies seem to feel the same, hence the trend in restaurants and homes toward quick-pickling everything from spring onions to rhubarb. To enjoy spring veggies all summer long, check out the new Well Preserved cookbook, or try this recipe from chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Arrows restaurant.

Brain Food
Gerber, Juicy Juice, and Breyers, among others, have started infusing their products with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that boosts essential brain development during the all-important ages of 6 months to 2 years. Look out for other products taking this smart step.

Recession Specials
With the economy still in the toilet, even the most food-obsessed among us probably won’t spend this year’s anniversary dinner at a $100-a-head prix fixe joint, and the powers that be at schmancy dining establishments have taken note. Pricey NYC spots like Per Se, Del Posto, and Jean Georges have accommodated for the downturn by offering previously unavailable à la carte menus or gently priced tasting menus, so you can justify dining in high style.

Hello, Pork Belly!

They say it’s in hard times that creativity really flourishes, and what’s true in literature and art can be true in your own kitchen or favorite restaurant. Expect to see restaurants executing slicker versions of down-home classics and working wonders with the cheapest ingredients and cuts of meat. On your own stove, whip up some of Cookie's most wallet-friendly recipes:  scrambled-egg pasta, Caribbean rice and beans, fagioli on toast, and braised short ribs. Care to entertain on a budget? Check out cookbook author Rick Rodgers suggestion for a four-course meal that tastes far pricier than it is, and Mark Bittman's ideas for a $20 dinner party.

Highbrow-Lowbrow
Along the same lines as the above, Caviar and Wagyu are no longer in vogue, with haute cuisine chefs instead satisfying tough-times cravings for comfort food with elevated versions of lowbrow classics. Truffled grilled cheese, pizza with radicchio and zucchini blossoms, and burgers topped with tomato confit are all high-low combos you can enjoy at your favorite gastropub or your own table. We swear by this recipe for truffled mac and cheese.

Asian Street Food
Simple, savory, and satisfying, Asian street foods will continue to cement their place in the restaurant landscape. Make your own hearty recipes for banh mi, noodle soup, bibimbap. "Peasant foods" from other cultures like coq au vin, shepherd's pie, and chicken and dumplings make for simple, cheap, and hearty meals.

Fresh Flavors
Last year it was salted caramel, and Cookie recipe developer Victoria Granof expects that “spicy sweet” will be the next trendy flavor combo. Look for it in desserts or snack food, or take matters into your own hands by adding a dash of chili powder to dark-chocolate dishes or bags of kettle corn (try our favorite momandpopcorn.com).