The Wall Street Journal declared 2011 the year of the vegetable. This gives me reason to believe that the Vegetarian Food Fest might reveal a few upcoming food trends in 2011. Based on my amateur observations at the tofu laden celebration, here’s a stab at a few:

1. Raw Food is on the rise.  
There’s something sexy (and trendy) about charcuterie with its simple ruggedness, but the vegetarian equivalent is probably raw food. The movement celebrates how seeds and nuts and veggies are a thing of beauty in and of themselves. In Toronto, Chef Doug McNish is the poster boy for raw food. He lost 100 pounds when he went raw, and has since dedicated his career to making raw eats in the GTA. He hosted a gourmet vegan dinner at Didier Restaurant to kick off the veg festival, offering a fine dining experience at one of the city’s most well-regarded French restaurants, but with an organic, vegan menu. McNish maintains that Toronto should have more high-end vegan restaurants where you don’t have to compromise sophistication just because you want to eat like a hippie. Rumour has it that Didier might make some of McNish’s raw eats a permanent menu staple.

2. Vitamix blenders will change the way we cook (and party).
It seems like everything I read about Gwenyth Paltrow these days has something to do with a Vitamix Blender. (A lot of the recipes in her cookbook, My Fathers Daughter, require one, and Chris Martin apparently is a smoothie fiend.) The biggest advantage to the Vitamix is its powerful motor (it can grind an avocado pit into a fine powder), 2L jug and 1 minute cleaning time. The kicker is, it will run you about 500 dollars. This is probably the reason those who left the festival lugging Vitamix boxes onto the streetcar were the source of some snickers. At any rate, wouldn’t it be a sweet party trick to make daiquiris for 10 people and have the place spotless in a single drunken minute?

3. It’s time for cupcakes to retire. Let’s go crazy for cookies.
The most enduring of vegan desserts was in no short supply at the vegetarian food fest. I like a cupcake as much as the next lady, but as far as trendy desserts go, it’s about time it got stomped out. Next up: Bring back the humble cookie, I say. Simple and underappreciated, no one hates a cookie. Especially when it’s from New Moon Kitchen. Their cult classic Moka is a fair trade espresso infused dream that will conjure tears in the eyes of even the most discerning tofu hater.

4. Vegan bakeries are about to become a dime a dozen in the city. This is a good thing.
Why should vegans have to go out of their way to find a coffee and a vegan muffin in the morning? Unfortunately, in a city sprinkled with Starbucks at virtually every intersection, hunting down a vegan snack can be about as convenient as having scissorhands. Srsly. Oh, but Sweets from the Earth! Bloomers! Bunners! The growing list of options for a sugar fix at the veg fest provided an encouraging glimpse of an abundant future in vegan treats.

5. Organic produce delivery companies will either make us really healthy, or really lazy.
… and I’m leaning toward really healthy. For one thing, getting a box of seasonal produce delivered to your door forces you to shake up your cooking routines and be creative with what you get. It’s great for those who can’t make it to a farmers market, but like to support local. You subscribe to it like a magazine and it gets delivered to your doorstep. Front Door Organics is a family-run, 12-employee business that will bring you a box for 37 bones, about the price of 3 premium pitchers. And THAT is money well spent, sister.

6. Artisan snack companies will cultivate more mindful snacking habits.
Toronto is a bubbling cauldron of artisan snack companies owned and operated by babe-matic 20 somethings. One that really stood out at the fest was Nud Fud, a Thornhill based line of raw chips and bars made from seeds and cacao and other nerdy ingredients that not everyone gets down with – but try it and you’ll be hooked. With snack lines like these, each package is like a little piece of art and the treats inside are tiny morsels that will have you coveting them all “my precious” style. I’m tempted to call it a “precious-snacking movement” because a single serving is so rich and satisfying it is virtually impossible to scarf the whole bag. On that note, Larabar unveiled their new flavour at the fest: chocolate chip cherry torte. Hopefully this one makes it to Canadian stores and stays there!

~ Kait Fowlie