Last night, there was a preview party to for the IACP conference which will be in New York this March 29-April 2nd.  This year’s theme is the Fashion Of Food. It was great to see fellow food bloggers as well as cookbook authors as food makers. Sponsors include Driscolls, Bulldog Gin, Brooklyn Brewery, Jarlsberg Cheese, Jimmy’s No. 43, Voss Water.

I have been talking with food loving friends as well as consulted my gut to come up with five food trends of 2012.

Carrots. Everyone eats them raw as a snack or just as a side dish. In 2012, carrots will be more of a star than an understudy. I had to most delicious carrots with onions dish in December, and I could eat them everyday. Besides the 2012 Pantone coloris orange so it just makes sense. Here’s a recipe for Carrot Cake Jam from the blog Apron Strings.

Artisan Marshmallows. Making marshmallows is becoming really popular. Emily of Nomnivorous has made hot pepper marshmallows, red velvet ones and also cardamom. In Brooklyn, Baked and Whimsy and Spice make yummy marshmallows. Eater spotted the trend of savory marshmallows.

Feb 26 Update: Now there’s a new dessert cafe called The Mallow Bar in Rosedale, which is near Baltimore.

Flavored Salt. Sea salt has gotten everyone acclimated to coarse salt. Now salt comes in different flavors will be big in 2012. You can make your own by checking out Jaden Hair’s recipes.

Just like I don’t believe that nothing is “the new cupcake”, I don’t feel that anything can replace bacon. However, duck fat is the new ingredient to add willy nilly. In the past month, I have eaten duck fat cookies and edamame cooked sauteed in duck fat. Duck fat in doses is nice, but could be a quack.

Cornmeal.  It is not just  for cornbread or frying fish. Cornmeal cookies, cornmeal pancakes and cakes are other ways to use cornmeal.  You can chalk it up to Southern influences, but I think cornmeal is a grain that people will substitute for flour in some recipes because of its texture and corn taste.

Since spring of 2004, I have been producing events.  First it was producing Chicks and Giggles, a comedy show. Now it is monthly cupcake meetups as well as the occasional clothing swap. My next event is The Red Velvet Cake Debate on Friday, October 14.  I have a curated a panel of bakers and food writers to talk about the red velvet cake phenomenon.

Here are some of the basic steps that I have about producing events:

1. Have an idea of what the event will look like:  envision the venue, the attendees, the speakers or performers, the vibe. Is it for networking? professional? entertainment? educational?

2. Have a date in mind. Make sure it doesn’t conflict with an event that you potential audience would attend.  For example, having fundraisers benefiting the same charity on the same night is not a good idea.

3. Secure the dream venue.  Location, location, location. Having a clothing swap in a place that has lots of mirrors and is well-lit is better than having it in a dark bar.

4. If the dream venue can’t accommodate your date, be flexible.  However, don’t hesitate to seek out other places if  the date can’t be move.

5. Once date and venue are set, tell people. Even if you don’t have all the details confirmed, let people know about it by sending out a “save the date” message.  This builds anticipation.

6. Get anchors!  Vendors, sponsors, speakers, performers and the like want to be a part of something cool. However, they want to know if you already have an “anchor tenant”.  Like how Macy’s is the anchor tenant in a mall, you have to go for that marquee person or brand that will compel people to do the event.  People want to be around people they aspire to be.  Facilitating this is a great way to get people on board.

7. Promote. All the time. Offline. Online. In your sleep. The best thing is about having an upcoming event is that I always have something to say when I am a party or meeting someone new. Hopefully, they can attend or know someone who can possibly speak, sponsor, etc.

8.   Get volunteers. They can provide a hand or just make sure you don’t forget anything.

9. Sweat the details.  Day before event you have to run through anything you might have missed, and go grab anything you may need.

10. Relax. An hour before the event,  you should be chilling.  Anything that is missing or last minute cancellations are often things you can’t fix easily.  You are often at the venue so only thing is get a friend or volunteer to help you run an errand, if needed.

Update: The Red Velvet Cake Debate sold out and was featured in the New York Times Diner’s Journal.

I played Bingo last Saturday at Le Poisson Rouge. It was fun. I highly recommend it.

Three sites I am loving right now:

1. Fab. It is like Gilt Groupe for design, furniture and home accessories. It is curated very well. How did they get that domain name?

2. Speaking of Gilt, I so so so love Gilt Taste. The layout, the pictures, and the gourmet content is fantastic. Gilt Taste is what Gourmet Live should have been.

3. Did you know you can recycle your flip flops? You can if you check out UniquEco.

Buy Tickets today for the Vendy Awards which will be Saturday, September 24. I am on the social media committee for the Vendys, I am managing the Facebook Page for the Vendys. Please “like” Vendy Awards, and send tips of delicious street food from all over the city.

Let the record show that just because I run a cupcake blog doesn’t mean that I would not enjoy delicious macaroons from Sucre. Sucre is selling a holiday gift box which has chocolate mousseline or cool peppermint cream macaroons.

Photo from Rosiana Fontes’ Tumblr

Vendy Awards. I am so excited to be a volunteer on the project. Next year, there will be Vendys in Los Angeles and Philadelphia as well as New York City. The Vendys celebrates delicious ethnic street vendor food which includes trucks and carts from all over the city.

On another note, I spotted it a few weeks ago, and now it is definitely a fashion trend.  It’s Mickey/Minnie Mouse fashion. Polka dots, red bow ties, and whimsy.  Forever 21 is streets ahead with Minnie Mouse trend with their collection, Minnie Muse.

A few days ago, I got an email asking me to pass on news of a fruit CSA that will be delivering to soon this summer/fall. As I am sitting here eating lunch at ‘wichcraft, I notice that Red Jacket Orchards’ juices are being sold here. What a crazy coincidence! Anyway, to stave off any colds during the fall and keep away scurvy, you may want to join Red Jacket Orchards CSA. Deadline for entry is August 5th. You can purchase a full share for $264 ($22 per week) or a half share for $156 ($13 per week). Pickup will be at either Jimmy’s No. 43 or Brooklyn Farmacy.

I love candied apples and caramel apples, but candied strawberries is too much. Spotted this at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel festival in Williamsburg.

A new “Spike Lee Joint” is this red apple and ginger flavored vodka. I wonder what it would taste like in a martini, substituting olives for lychee.

Saturday, May 22. Mama O’s Kimchee will be at Greenpoint Food Market sharing a table with Laena from Anarchy In A Jar. It’s condiment heaven!

Saturday, May 22. HyperGender Burlesque has a show called “Diasporic Dreams” featuring the founders of Brown Girls Burlesque, Aurora Boobrealis and Dame Cuchafrita. $15 WOW Cafe Theater.

Ongoing until June 6. Cirque De Soleil OVO is now playing at Randall’s Island. I am proud to say that I know Michelle Matlock who stars in the show. She plays the Ladybug. Many moons ago, Michelle had a one-woman called The Mammy Project. Also, Michelle is in an article in the New York Times about the Dazzle Dancers who I saw at the Siren Festival ages ago. Good Times.

Chocri, a Belgian organic chocolatier, has an online site where you can design your own chocolate bar. You can pick the kind of chocolate (white, milk or dark) and the toppings you want to go in your chocolate bar. I met Carmen from Chocri at SXSW and she sent me a coupon code to sample the chocolate bars and I got them delivered this week. Yesterday, I ate the one with banana and corn flakes. It was like a breakfast chocolate bar. Yums!

I’m here in Seattle Washington to preview Cinnabon’s new line of cupcakes. I will write a full post when I get back home to Brooklyn, but wanted to post one mouthwatering, drool-worthy picture.