Eitan Bernath Predicts The Next Big Food Trend - Exclusive

Food and cooking trends are something that have always come and gone, but they've never been so news-worthy and fascinating as they have been in recent years. First, there was the rise of social media cooking, followed by a near global lockdown and restaurants being forced to prioritize convenience. Later, people would once again return to traveling, shopping, eating out, and exploring. Add to that the constantly evolving ways people are looking to eat healthier while still indulging themselves, and it's no wonder that the flow of trends never slows down.

Thanks to social media superstars like Eitan Bernath, home cooks will never run out of new ways to make magic in the kitchen. Bernath reaches more than 350 million people a year, using his channel to show how simple and fun cooking can be and partaking firsthand in all the food trends that make it from TikTok to the table. This year promises to be no different.

Speaking exclusively in an interview with Tasting Table, Bernath opened up about how the pandemic continues to impact cooking behaviors in the kitchen. The food influencer said he hopes this year brings more people back into the kitchen more often, and he thinks everyone could do with a little more comfort food. These are the biggest kitchen trends Bernath thinks are going to happen in 2023.

The aftermath of the 2020 lockdowns have seen more and more people getting back to restaurants, meal prepping for busy weeks, and generally spending less time in the kitchen. Despite this, Eitan Bernath predicts people are going to get back in the kitchen again this year, leaning into tried and true dishes but in new ways as combining dishes becomes the next big food trend.

"If you love two dishes and you could think of a way to make them together, double the love," Bernath said. "I don't know if it's caught on yet. Maybe I need to get this going more." 

Essentially, this potential trend is about leaning into what one loves and getting creative about how they can enjoy their favorite things without worrying about the culinary guidelines of yesteryear. An already existing example of this is cheeseburger mac. Perhaps a trend like this will see home cooks thinking outside the box, combining lasagna and enchiladas, pizza and pancakes, or thai curry and fish tacos. The possibilities are endless, and the results will probably be better than one can imagine. 

"I did a recipe for the Washington Post that was a risotto alla vodka," Bernath said. "'Decadent' doesn't even begin to describe it. It was absolute heaven." 

Eitan Bernath also thinks more people are going to return to the kitchen on a regular basis during the week. This likely won't be to make elaborate projects, nor will it be to heat up a bowl of takeout. 

"Once people shifted back to more normal life ... I've definitely seen a lot more people getting into easier dinners," Bernath said. The foodie thinks home cooks and the content that inspires them will turn to easier meals to cook for the night as opposed to meal prepping in advance.

"I always talk about how cooking can be therapeutic and something that's fun," Bernath said. "Meal prep is great, but I want to see more [cooking that is] still easy, so people can do it on a busy weeknight, that's approachable for people."

Click here to learn more about the World Food Program and how you can join the fight to end hunger. See the latest from Eitan Bernath by following him on TikTok.