"Toast" news and stories

Food is like fashion: full of trends that are hot plates one moment and cold leftovers the next.

Sure, there are fundamentals that will never go out of style, like a well-cooked steak or a creamy bisque. But then there are fads -- Chilean sea bass, sous vide, molecular gastronomy. Like fashion's flashes in the pan, some are gaudy extravaganzas meant to attract attention and instant gratification. On the other hand, some become classics passed down through generations to come. No one can truly predict what the public will embrace, either in the short or long term.

What does the future hold for food trends? What exciting, silly, over-the-top surprises await us tomorrow, besides jet-pack pizza delivery? Drool over these epicurean prognostications and tremble at our ability to peer into the unknown. Here are food trends that we 110 percent guarantee will be served at any point between this new year and 500 years from now.

Next time you are bringing lunch to work, you can bring along this amazing portable hand-held toaster. Just this Wednesday, the Telegraph had an article explaining that the device is in its preliminary stages and should be available in shops in Britain at the end of the year. The concept was created by Korean designer Kim Been.

What appears to be a ceramic cake slice, is actually a device that spreads heat created thanks to nanotechnology. You know when the bread is toasted because heat-sensitive illustrations of vines and butterflies appear and multiply as the bread becomes browner. It takes two to three minutes to toast the bread. The only setback is that only one side can be toasted at a time.

This portable ceramic bread iron will be perfect for campers. As Daily Mail states, "You need never burn your toast in the office canteen again thanks to the invention of the world's first portable toaster." This portable device actually contains highly-durable CarbonNano tubes that will not over-heat and will protect users from any skin burns. The cost of this device has not been announced. Depending on when it comes out, this could be a great gift for the holiday season.

After a day of travel, Scott and I got home to our apartment last night just before 1 am. The changing time zones and the hours spent locked in a fast-moving metal tube had us totally thrown off and we were both ravenous when we walked in the door. Getting to bed was high on my mind, but I knew that we both needed to eat something or sleep would be impossible.

Opening the fridge, I saw that I had done a good job of emptying it out prior to the trip. Thankfully though, I had had the good sense to leave behind half a done eggs and the tail end of a loaf of bread. Pulling out a cereal bowl and a small frying pan, I quickly beat the eggs and poured them out into the pan. I shoved the bread bag in Scott's direction and said, "Toast, please." I stood at the stove, barely conscious, stirring the eggs with a silicone spatula. As I moved the eggs around the pan, I realized that it had been a week since I cooked a thing, a rare occasion in my life.

Soon enough, the toast popped and the eggs were done. We sat at the table for a few moments, eating eggs in companionable silence. It was a meal that took no more than 15 minutes from conception to completion and yet it was still warm, filling and lovely welcome home.

The worst things about religious portents is that they are so hard to interpret. When Mary shows up in a tortilla or Jesus makes Himself known in a sliced cantaloupe, are these divine figures endorsing the food or warning that we should probably not eat it? Is an Elvis portrait in a ham steak a sign that he wants us to enjoy pork or is it a veiled commentary on the King's acting skills? If Judy Garland talks to me through my Rice Krispies, is this a sign that I should become a female impersonator or just a warning that I need to start taking my medication again?

Tough questions.

These sorts of conundrums recently gained further relevance with the emergence of a slab of toast that bears the image of Sarah Palin. The starchy message from heaven, which is currently going for $31 on eBay, is not particularly easy to interpret. Does it mean that the famed moose-hunter and Republican vice presidential candidate is divinely inspired, or is it a sign that her message is full of empty calories? Are we supposed to consume her platform, making it part of us, or is the universe telling us that she is toast? Either way, I'm taking a good, hard look at my waffle tomorrow--just in case John McCain decides to make an appearance!

I love this picture. I love how the leaves on the toast mimic the pattern on the tablecloth. It's breakfast that also happens to be doubling as art. For more pictures of gorgeous, creative breakfasts, make sure to check out Cesca's entire breakfast set.

Thanks Cesca, for adding this beautiful picture to the Slashfood Flickr pool.

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