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THAT ROSY GLOW: MAGENTA MADNESS

abstract of red color drink or juice surface, close-up macro of beverage or smoothie texture, full frame background

Magenta, the 2023 Pantone color of the year is dominating creative menus this summer, attracting diners that want beautiful, tasty food—especially Gen Z! Chefs are skipping chemical-based food dyes and using natural ingredients to impart healthy, antioxidant-rich tones.

BEVERAGES

Cocktails, mocktails, smoothies, and fresh-pressed juices look and taste delicious with the intense shades in pomegranates, cranberries, and hibiscus leaves. Currant berries, lingonberries, and goji berries are also flavorful and gorgeous additions.

SAVORY

Give neutral-colored dishes like hummus, deviled eggs, handmade pasta, and pizza dough a deep red hue with ruby-toned beets and/or red cabbage. Glaze proteins with pomegranate syrup and intensify the look of bagels and breads!

DESSERTS

Brilliant strawberries, red dragon fruits, and cherries work well in cold summer desserts like semifreddo, gelato, sorbet, and house-made ice cream. Make frostings and cakes with beets, and puddings and panna cotti with raspberries.

Diners are increasingly hyper-focused on high-protein and plant-based foods. Alongside all of the new-fangled, lab-based, cell-cultured options out there is the humble bean. A staple food for millenia, beans are being re-examined as a healthy, versatile ingredient worthy of menu inclusion.

  • Retro and heirloom recipes—like Southern succotash, French cassoulet, and Cajun red beans and rice—fit the bill for those in search of authenticity.
  • Most world cuisines incorporate some type of bean in their classic dishes. Think feijoada in Brazil, black beans and rice with plantains in Puerto Rico, and garbanzo beans in Israel. Modern interpretations of these recipes are packed with produce and herbs.
  • The creamy texture of mung beans is proving an ideal substitute for those that are eliminating soy from their diets.