-By Stacy Straczynski

The hot new dining spot for Americans continues to be their own kitchen, according to a survey released Tuesday by McIlhenny Company, parent company of Tabasco brand products. The study, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that more than a third (38.2 percent) of U.S. consumers changed their dining habits, now eating at home more, since the start of recession.

Over half (57.1 percent) said their dining habits haven't changed at all, while 3.9 percent say they now eat at home less. Consumers most frequently reported preparing meals at home between four and seven nights of the week (83.2 percent), and 16.4 percent eat at home zero to three nights per week.

Of particular interest to retailers is the fact that the majority of consumers (89.5 percent) plan to continue their current level of at-home cooking after the economy recovers, with 66 percent strongly agreeing and 23.5 percent somewhat agreeing. Less than one in 10 (8.8 percent) somewhat or strongly disagreed.

"We're by no means experts on consumer trends, but based on news revolving around the recent economic downturn, it seemed as though Americans headed back into the kitchen to conserve budgets," said Jan Carroll, senior brand manager for Tabasco brand. "More time at home has likely produced greater interest in cooking and at-home entertaining. Brands that cater to these simple pleasures are likely to benefit."

But "Supermarket Guru" and columnist for The Gourmet Retailer and sister publication Progressive Grocer, Phil Lempert believes that the gain would be better attributed to recent improvements, such as fewer ingredients and better packaging, in food manufacturing. "I think that the food world has really stepped up very rapidly to produce better-quality products than they have just a short period of time ago," he said. "And I think people discovered that it's not as difficult as they thought (eating at home and preparing at home)."

The recession also seems to have reignited consumers' taste for certain food staples as well as new flavors. Respondents reported that since the start of the recession, they are now consuming more meat (39.2 percent), salads (27.8 percent) and pasta (25.5 percent). Consumption of eggs (18 percent), soups (13.4 percent), casseroles (12.2 percent) and seafood (8.2 percent) showed some increase as well.

In terms of preparation, 75.5 percent of consumers felt that a single sauce or ingredient could affect the enjoyment of their overall meal, and tended to keep their homes stocked with a few essentials. Ketchup (57.6 percent), garlic or garlic powder (46.2 percent), and mustard (41.7 percent) were household favorites, followed by barbecue sauce (29.6 percent), soy sauce (23.4 percent) and hot sauce (22.6 percent).

Almost half (47.8 percent) expressed a willingness to experiment with new food options this year. Mexican (44.8 percent) was the most popular cuisine, followed by Chinese (33.1 percent), Southern (23.1 percent) and Cajun/Creole (19 percent). Least favorite were Thai and Indian foods, at 14 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively.

Lempert said that the findings are in line with a Reader's Digest entertaining survey that came out in 2008, which found that consumers voiced boredom with their food. "People buy about 80 percent of the same things every month, so it's easy to understand why people are out there searching for recipes and searching for innovation when it comes to food."