gourmet food

Yes
even you can cook up wonderful meals and impress your loved ones!

Ever thought that gourmet cooking is not for you
or that you do not cook well? Then it’s time to totally change your mindset from today . . .

Anyone and everyone can easily pick up cooking skills; younger or older
ladies and even the guys. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is today; you can do much better and make great dishes like the chefs at your favorite restaurants. And what’s more
the meals you cook will be done to perfection – your kind of perfection. And you know what the best part is? You already have the most important ingredient . . . you know what great food is!

Let's show you the way . . . Xperimental Cooking is putting YOU in charge – you’re the boss of the kitchen! You choose the ingredients you like and whip up meals to suit your specific tastes. Forget about strictly following recipes that are complicated . . . that requires you to buy special ingredients you will only use once then store till they expire . . . that calls for you to measure out precise amounts of each ingredient. All that is required is for you to have fun and Xperiment with blending ingredients that you like. Let your imagination rule . . . pick the items and create your masterpiece; from types of meats and vegetables
to how they are cooked
to what beautiful arrangement on your dinner plate. Xperimental Cooking is also about you and the people you are preparing a meal for. You know that each person has their unique preferences
so Xperimental Cooking is about helping you fulfill those preferences. Sounds complicated
you may think? But actually
it is rather simple; especially after you develop the basics that will forever change your mindset on cooking and open up a whole new dimension of creativity you never knew you already had within yourself.

Now let us share with you the little secrets of Xperimental Cooking . . . the A
B
Cs if you will . . .

A. INGREDIENTS – The first key is for you to build on your knowledge of ingredients
as they are the basic building blocks for a good meal. You already know of many ingredients
now go and take a closer look; experience each ingredient individually and Xperiment with it. Everything edible can be an ingredient in your creation
so you need to know and understand each ingredient; from how it looks and tastes
to its texture
to how it behaves when cooked in different ways
to which other ingredients it is compatible with
to what happens if you add more or less of it to your food
etc. Since individuals experience things differently
you are your own expert; find out what you like and what you can do without. As you have your meals each day
take the opportunity to study the ingredients. Involve your family & friends and make it fun as you experience & Xperiment. At restaurants
and when you travel
question the chefs if you have a chance and gain perspectives into new ingredients you come across. For the computer savvy
you can also surf the web and quickly gain insight; there is tons of information online. Try typing the ingredient you’re interested in on your favorite search engine and discover a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. As you get to know about more ingredients and become more aware of the characteristics of each ingredient
you will be able to expertly combine them to expand the number of new dishes in your cooking repertoire. There are endless combinations
so keep Xperimenting; you will discover many winners to surprise your guests. Have fun building up your own database of ingredients.

B. QUALITY – When you begin with great quality ingredients
you are certain to produce top quality meals; if you start with poor quality ingredients
it won’t come as a surprise that the results will naturally be disappointing. Quality can easily be determined when you use all your senses . . . Use your sense of Sight to look carefully at the ingredients. Check the color to see if it is bright or dull
consistent or has blemishes. Is the shape evenly symmetrical or distorted. Look also at the texture of the items. Your sense of Sight is the first sense that you will usually use when checking anything; and it is a powerful tool in determining the Quality of any ingredient. Practice and see if you can tell what the Quality of an item is
just by looking at it. You will quickly be able to use your Sight to initially screen ingredients to determine if they are worth a closer inspection or to move on. Use your sense of Hearing to listen to the tone when gently tapping or shaking an item. Does it sound hollow or solid
is there a rattling sound? Hearing is not frequently used
but can be helpful in a closer inspection of certain fruits
nuts and vegetables. Use your sense of Smell to sniff out fragrant fruits and the aroma of fresh herbs. You can also detect items to avoid when they emit off smelling odors. Train up your nose and your sense of Smell will come in handy when you search for Quality foods. If you have the opportunity
sample the items before making your decision. Besides checking that the Taste is what it should be
also observe the texture or feel it has in your mouth
when you chew on it
and when it slides down your throat. This is also your chance to confirm that you really like the Taste of the ingredient before buying. Your sense of Taste will be your most important tool when it comes to blending ingredients. With a well developed sense of Taste
you will be able to determine what ingredients
and in what quantities
will go well together. Finally is your sense of Touch. Go ahead
pick up and handle the ingredients you are inspecting. How does it feel in your hands? Is it heavy or light
hard or soft
firm or supple
smooth or rough
dry or moist? You can tell a good deal about the Quality of an ingredient by how it feels; you just need a little practice to fine tune and “get the feel” of things. Practice using all your senses to fully examine ingredients and learn how to pick Top Quality items for your specific needs. It is now time for you to exercise your senses whenever you go shopping for food. Have a good time tuning up your skills in search of Quality at the markets and stores.

C. DESIGNING – Now comes the fun part of Designing your meals. The first consideration is who you are cooking for and what are their likes and dislikes. Do take some time to ask your family
friends
or guests about their eating preferences
especially if they require special diets for health reasons
or are allergic to certain foods. From this mini survey
you can plan a meal that will delight everyone. You can now begin to narrow down your choices; consider if you want to do appetizers and/or soup
what are the best choice for your main courses
and if you wish to make desert? Design a simple meal or an elaborate feast: it's all up to you. Use your knowledge of ingredients to decide on what blend of ingredients will achieve the unique flavors you want. Also consider how the ingredients will look together
and how you can make your dishes visually appealing. At the beginning
you may feel more comfortable sticking to traditional flavors and cooking tried and tested recipes. But as you gain confidence after Xperimenting with traditional foods by altering their taste to suit your preferences better
then its time to be bold and creative; try to design something totally new once in a while. It is also fairly easy for you to design meals to take into account differing preferences among your guests; simply separate your ingredients and add or withhold them into individual portions of your dishes. In the Design phase
you may wish to consider the cooking style as well
since the way food is cooked will make a difference in the outcome in terms of taste and texture.

D. COOKING STYLES – Mastering many Cooking Styles is another way to increase the diversity of your meals. Brush up on your cooking skills by not only practicing the various Styles of Cooking
but also by paying close attention to the details of the cooking process
what each Cooking Style does to your food and the resulting appearance
taste & texture. Xperiment with variations to the standard method (different temperature
time
sequence
combinations
etc.) and observe the results. Learn new Styles as you come across them
and also try your hand at inventing new ways to cook. There are many methods of cooking your food; some more conventional like Baking
Barbecuing
Braising
Roasting
Stewing and Steaming. Some are more exotic like cooking meat on a slab of hot stone. So do try out the various cooking styles on your favorite foods and discover which are to your liking. Also Xperiment with combinations; for example you can first steam a lobster
then cut it open and put some cheese in before grilling for a short while to melt and brown the cheese sauce. Think of new ways to cook
after all its just applying heat to food. You can also broaden your knowledge and skills by observing how people of various lands cook their meals in special ways when you travel.

E. PRESENTATION – The final element is how you serve up the feast that you have prepared. Food Presentation is the art of making your meals visually appealing. Since the objective is to serve up something that will look good
Xperiment with what you think will look nice when assembled together. If you want to keep it simple
just focus on the dish and what is to be put on it. If you want to pull out all the stops
then go with a theme of your choice and dress up everything
including the dining room. Let’s run through some ideas to move you along . . . On the simple end of the scale
all you need to do is select a suitable bowl or plate and arrange your food on it
then add something to garnish. The easiest is to place all your food onto serving plates for your guest to help themselves. Select large enough bowls and plates
matching if desired
that can hold the amount of food you have prepared. You can fill a serving bowl with soup and sprinkle some chopped spring onions on top to garnish. Fish can be served on an oval plate
or one of those fish shaped dishes
and you can arrange some lettuce and round slices of lemon to decorate. For prawns
try arranging them in a circle on a round plate
and put sauce for dipping right in the center. You can be more creative when you do individual servings. For the main course
you can simply lay out the meat
potatoes and vegetables on different sectors of the plate in a traditional manner; just remember to include ingredients with nice colors and arrange them in your chosen pattern. Try using carrots or tomatoes to add bright orange or red to your dish. Use corn
pasta or potatoes for a dose of yellow. How about tri-color pasta to really mix up the colors? Appetizers and deserts are my favorites as you can really let your imagination go . . . and come up with really delightful creations. Try using a Burgundy wine glass for your shrimp cocktail
then plant a stick of celery with the leafy end up on one side and garnish the lip of the glass with a circular slice of lemon for a lovely presentation of this favorite appetizer. Now go forth and create visual masterpieces to serve your guests; they will surely be astonished at your work of art. If you need more ideas
you can always look at how the chefs at your local restaurants present their dishes
or you can flip thru food magazines
or surf the internet for tons of ideas to get you on your way.

Now that you know the Secrets to Xperimental Cooking
all you need to do is to start cooking; after all
as the saying goes . . . “Practice Makes Perfect”.

BBQ sauce is generally a basic mixture of tomatoes
sugar and vinegar. Tomatoes used can be in various forms such as tomato sauce
paste
puree and even ketchup. Sugar adds sweetness to the barbecue sauce and can either be corn syrup
honey or molasses. The addition of vinegar
on the other hand
lends a sour flavor to the bbq sauce and can be in the form of beer
white or flavored vinegar
wine or citrus juices. In general
bbq sauces can be used throughout the barbecue process from preparation to cooking.

Bechamel sauce or White Barbecue Sauce has a long and illustrious history. It has been a pet of the French food connoisseurs
since 1651. One of the mother sauces of French cuisine
the white sauce is nowadays made by whisking scalded milk gradually into a white flour-butter roux. However
it can also be made by whisking a kneaded flour-butter beurre mani้ into scalded milk. The thickness of the final sauce depends on the proportions of milk and flour. White Barbecue sauce
unquestionably adds a delicate flavoring to your meat dishes.

White Barbecue Sauces of Alabama are different from most other barbecue sauces in the use of their bases. These sauces are predominantly mayonnaise based
unlike the traditional and ubiquitous tomato. Chicken
turkey or pork - these white sauces are taste uppers beyond imagination. Like its tomato- and mustard-based cousins
white barbecue sauce comes in shades ranging from porcelain to putty. There are also differences in consistency. Some sauces flow like fat free milk
while others are more reminiscent of a creamy dressing. As for the ingredients
well
purists such as Myra Grissom
owner of Miss Myra's Pit Bar-B-Q in Birmingham
insists there are only four items who play the role: mayonnaise
vinegar
salt
and coarsely ground pepper. Perking up salads or topping pulled pork sandwiches or grilled fish whatever you are up to these sauces are great.

Smuggler's Run White Grilling Sauce and Big Bob Gibson White BBQ sauce are sauces that can be recommended
without any hesitation. Mayonnaise
Egg Yolks
Water
Corn Syrup
Vinegar
Salt
Spices
Calcium Disodium
Cider Vinegar
Onion
Garlic
White Pepper
Salt and Xanthium Gum are what goes into the making of this taste bud rocker.

Big Bob Gibson White BBQ sauce comprises distilled vinegar
sugar
salt
spices
egg yolks
mustard flour
paprika and garlic. Poultry
pork
seafood
and wild game-Big Bob
goes with them comfortably enough.

If you are just starting to cook
or are moving in on your own
chances are
you don't have much in terms of cooking equipment. Here is what we recommend for you to get
as you are starting out. As times goes by
you will
of course
get more kitchen gadgets. But here are five that we recommend starting out with:

- Chopping board. This is something very basic
as you can't chop anything without having a chopping board. It is very versatile
as you can chop pretty much anything on it - onions
potatoes
tomatoes
meat
herbs
etc.

Some people prefer to get separate chopping boards to meat
dairy items
vegetables
etc. Others get differently sized chopping boards
and use them depending on the volume of things they need to chop. Start out with one
and see what else you need.

- A knife. Again
this is very basic
but you will not be able to chop or cook anything without a knife. A good
sharp knife goes a long way to help you prepare food. You can go to some stores
and hold the knives in your hand
so that you know which one you are comfortable with.

- A big pot. You need a pot for pretty much anything - from boiling pastas to making soups to stewing to pretty much anything else. Some pots come with colander inserts
which makes it easier to cook pasta. Or
you may get a colander separately
and use that.

- A saute pan. We love saute pans
and use them all the time. Again
they are very versatile
and we recommend getting ones without wooden handles
so that you can put the saute in the oven as well.

Use the saute pan for preparing stir fries
sauteing meat and fish
cooking vegetables and much
much more.

- Roasting Pan. These are perfect for preparing things in the oven. From roast to roasted chicken to roasted vegetables
a roasted pan can help you cook your favorite dishes in the oven.

Don't be scared - cooking is fun. Start getting a few things that we recommended
and add to your collection of kitchen equipment as time goes.

Although gastronomy has always been deeply rooted in Lime๑os' idiosyncrasy
the last few years have seen a huge leap in Lima's dining scene. Not only Peru's capital has become tapped with restaurants
both stylish and unpretentious
but many of them seem to be at full capacity all week long.

One possible explanation for the boom
besides obvious food quality
is international recognition. The Economist magazine
for example
reported in 2004 that Peru could "lay claim to one of the world's dozen or so great cuisines". Norman Van Aken
one of Florida's most gifted chefs
acknowledged that Peruvian cuisine was possibly the most enticing of those he had studied. And Patrick Martin
academic director of Le Cordon Blue
said that one of the reasons for having a branch of the school in Lima was the excellent quality of local cuisine.

"Better late than never"
believe most Lime๑os
increasingly proud of the exceptionality of their gastronomic heritage. However
notwithstanding general contentment
they are still demanding and hard-to-please
and expect the best from their favourite restaurants and chefs. This
too
contributes to gastronomic excellence. Indeed Peruvian cuisine
though hardly noticed abroad until most recently
is one of the World's most varied and delicious.

Two aspects converge to give Peruvian cuisine an uniqueness that few other enjoy. The first is Peru's huge biodiversity. The country is home to 80 of the world's 104 different biological zones
which assures a remarkable assortment of fresh ingredients. Potatoes and hot peppers from the Andes
fish and seafood from the Pacific Ocean
mangoes and limes from the coastal valleys
bananas and manioc from the Amazon jungle: a chef's only problem is abundance of choice.

Second
Peruvian cuisine is the quintessence of cultural fusion. Ever since the first blending between Inca and Spanish traditions
local cooks have skilfully incorporated the flavours and techniques of the many immigrants that disembarked in Peru's ports
such as Italian and French. However
the strongest influences didn't arrive from Europe
but from Africa
China
and Japan.

Although the restaurant offer in Lima is most varied and covers a wide range of cuisines
Ceviche -diced raw fish marinated in lime juice and hot peppers- is surely number one on the list of dishes you must taste. There is at least one cevicherํa in every neighbourhood
so it won't be hard to find one. Our suggestion goes to superb Pescados Capitales
a lunch-only cevicheria in Miraflores.

A second must goes to Asian restaurants in Lima
both Chinese and Japanese
which
predictably
have a strong Peruvian influence. Chinese restaurants -known as Chifas-
can be counted by the hundreds. Usually down-to-earth neighbourhood eateries
these offer a fare rich in seafood and chicken. Japanese restaurants and sushi bars
on the contrary
are less widespread
and more upscale and expensive. Their forte is a year-round supply of the freshest and most variegated seafood
which is delightfully transformed into sushi
sashimi
and rolls. Our favourites are Wa Lok for Chinese
and Matsuei (where Nobuyuki Matsuhisa
Nobu's chef and owner
perfected his skills) for Japanese.

A last word for Lima's Criollo restaurants. Their cuisine is a vivid and tasty demonstration of the rich cultural fusion undergone by Peruvian gastronomy over the centuries. Besides the obvious Spanish and Andean fusion (a.k.a. Criollo)
in their menus you'll discover much Africa (tacu-tacu and anticuchos)
China (lomo saltado)
and Japan (ceviches and tiraditos).

Bon app้tit!

With so many different tastes how does one go about selecting the most choice gourmet gift baskets for a loved one? It's simple
make a list of classic gourmet food gift baskets
go over the list carefully
and choose the one that you think will make your loved one's mouth water the most. Almost any basket chosen with love will be a well-received gift.

You could start with a gourmet delight gift basket that includes cranberry walnut tarts
raspberry cookies
chocolate-covered macadamia nuts
raspberry-honey-mustard pretzels
spicy trail mix
almond cookies
cheese shortbread
cheese straws
potato chip cookies and other delicious treats for the person who craves sweets. It's a classy collection of unique food gift basket delicacies.

At times of bereavement a heartfelt sympathy food gift basket can be visually uplifting and convey respect. A sympathy basket will be packed full of fine gourmet foods
comforting gifts and caring words of encouragement for the broken hearted. Possible inclusions can be scented candles
Biscotti
cracked pepper water crackers
delectable cookies
chocolate crisp wafers
fine chocolates
and other delicious treats.

It's often a great idea to add non-food items to a food gift basket. And this is an especially true when it comes to a bridal shower party. Not only should your basket contain gourmet food and delicious snacks
but an assortment of bridal shower games and keepsakes. How about a party game book
cookies
crackers
cheeses
wines
herbal teas
along with a few essentials: disposable camera
photo book
and even a keepsake registry book.

Some of the most popular and unique food gift baskets combine a generous assortment of fine gourmet treats with a look that conveys your good taste and sincerity. Whether small or large they can be crammed full of fine chocolates
nuts
gourmet cookies
cheeses
crackers and other mouth-watering treats. These baskets can be enjoyed on any occasion including holidays
bridal showers
birthdays
times of bereavement
as a get-well gift or for a housewarming.

Maybe you are not into those tasty savory snacks
but are more inclined to eat from a fresh and healthy basket of fruit. If health is a concern
and junk food is out
you will be able to sink your teeth into some luscious seasonal fruits such as apples
oranges
bananas
kiwi
nectarines
peaches and pears. Or add a tropical flavor with mangos
papayas and other savory tropical fruits.

Everyone loves pasta
so why not surprise your loved ones with a three-course Italian dinner? Your food basket can contain pasta
champagne hand-poured into a wine glass
along with flavors such as extra virgin olive oil
tomato basil cheese
Nicosia coquilles olives
wine crackers and sausage. Or how about an Italian salad that combines celery
bell pepper
mushroom
black olives
onion
garlic and oregano. And it wouldn't be a true Italian basket without lots of tomato and sweet basil sauce mixed with savory vegetables

There are many types of gift baskets and it's hard to go wrong with any of them. Whether you are drooling for Italian
Scottish
Irish or Mexican food there are wonderful assortments available. Food and gift baskets are the ultimate. And as for holidays
a holiday food gift basket can make any day special.

Ordering gourmet gift baskets is always easy
but creating your own custom-made basket is special and lots of fun. A creative and unique idea
easily customized to suit any individual
the gourmet food gift basket can be a delightful expression of sentiment.