Fifty tidbits about Nigella Lawson, predicting the food trends of 2010, Anthony Bourdain as a teenager

Fifty tidbits about Nigella Lawson, predicting the food trends of 2010, Anthony Bourdain as a teenager

Going smokeless: Nigella Lawson (Photo by Phile Guest)

• Food Network Humour has published a series of photos of famous cooking show hosts in their salad days. Our favourites are Paula Deen and her enormous bouffant hair, Nigella Lawson attempting Audrey Hepburn, and Anthony Bourdain’s long hippie hair. [Food Network Humor]

• Speaking of Nigella Lawson, the Daily Mail presents 50 tidbits about the kitchen kitten in celebration of her upcoming 50th birthday. Among the revelations: she washes her hair only once a week, she doesn’t wear “knickers,” she has a 32G bust, and her favourite recent purchase is a Slanket, to keep her warm on planes. We have more in common with the domestic goddess than we ever knew. [Daily Mail]

• The first few days of January is that magical time when year-end lists blossom into predictions for the months ahead. The Star’s Jennifer Bain examines foodie forecasts for 2010, including Bon Appetit’s notion that sriracha, the spicy condiment beloved by all, will be this year’s—wait for it—“hot” ingredient. Bon Appetit also anticipates a year of meatballs and homemade beer. [Toronto Star]

• Rebecca Tucker also does a little soothsaying, predicting in the Post that in 2010, tipplers will learn more about their whisky, gin and scotch. She hopes people will learn the difference between Canadian and American whisky and that diners will enjoy fresher eggs, a better knowledge of meat, a consistently good baguette in Toronto, and “authenticity.” [National Post]

• Al Bernardin, inventor of the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder, passed away this week, the victim of a stroke. The Massachusetts native was a prolific speed-food innovator, having a hand in creating the Filet-o-Fish, french fries, and the apple and cherry pies. Truly a sad day for fast food junkies the world over, but as long as food technicians out there are coming up with stuff like KFC’s Double Down, we think they’ll get by. [Chicago Tribune]