Saturday, May 9, 2009

An Easy Guide to Gourmet Cooking

By Ashley King

To some, gourmet cooking may seem like something that is out of reach. However, no matter if you're a chef or an everyday cook, this isn't the case. There are many different gourmet cooking techniques that you can use to improve your cooking abilities.

One path to developing these skills is to sign on for a gourmet cooking class. The downside is that many of these courses can be quite costly, and you might not have the time in your schedule to make it to all the classes.

With gourmet cooking classes not an alternative for many, what are some other means of studying gourmet cooking techniques that you can integrate into day-to-day meal preparation?

Fortunately, there are several things that you can do that can help you learn gourmet cooking techniques that you can incorporate into meals that you make every day.

First off, you must plan this in a practical way. Gourmet cooking does not necessarily imply costly, out of the ordinary, or uncommon ingredients. Gourmet cooking actually entails employing the freshest ingredients of the finest quality.

A good way to think about it is to look at everyday spices. Take garlic for example. A gourmet would never use garlic powder or bottled garlic, only freshly crushed or chopped garlic would work. A gourmet would never use dried or bottled oregano, only fresh oregano from the produce section.

Some ingredients in their freshest format will be more expensive than their processed counterparts. But you'll soon recognize that the cost difference isn't unreasonable, and it's still a good deal less expensive than dining at a restaurant. When you get used to gourmet cooking, you'll lose your desire to eat out. You will be capable of making scrumptious meals in your own kitchen. This way, you'll have even more chances to hone your cooking skills.

The quickest and easiest way to incorporate gourmet cooking into your everyday cooking routine is to improve the overall quality of the ingredients that you are putting into your meals. Then you will have to learn how to cook the ingredients correctly.

The easiest way to do this is to browse through cookbooks, where you'll be able to study the basic principles and learn at your own rate. Your library will have numerous cookbooks that you can explore.

Your cookbook should deal with the basics, including what type of knife you should use for various tasks, how to prepare chicken stock, and the process for clarifying butter. These are all fundamental cooking techniques that can often seem unattainable because they are considered to be gourmet.

You will soon be able to see that gourmet cooking is something that anyone can do. You can easily bring it into your own kitchen. All it takes is a little time and effort.

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