Gourmet Cooking - Is It Really As Difficult As It Seems?

One of the very best things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. And what a pleasure it must be to be able to touch peoples lives and please them with our cooking.

Now gourmet cooking does not really mean complicated dishes presented with extravagant grandeur. The beauty of gourmet recipes is in their simplicity, their freshness and of course presentation. It incorporates creating a subtle balance of flavours and taking your guests on a culinary experience that they will never forget.

I know you may feel that that gourmet meals are beyond your reach, what with all the skill involved in preparing the food and the fast paced lifestyle that we are now resigned to follow. Where will you find the time to learn the art that is gourmet cooking and then to prepare meals that require such careful preparation and precision in the jam packed schedule that you have?

So here's something that will make you feel a lot better. ITS NOT ALL THAT DIFFICULT!

Daunting as it may seem, gourmet cooking is essentially making use of the best possible ingredients, creating a dish that pleases your senses (even if it is as simple as mashed potatoes) and presenting it with flair. There is a history behind every dish waiting to be explored. Every corner of this world, every culture, every country has something new to contribute to your food adventure. And knowing and exploring this uniqueness of each cuisine, understanding the key ingredients of every dish and just experimenting and trying new recipes is what makes you a gourmet cook. It doesn't have to be about complicated techniques, expensive ingredients and pretentious plating. Regional specialties cooked slowly with care and attention are gourmet cooking. When most food is fast food, slow food is gourmet food.

You can join a course to learn the basic skills, or refer cook-books that will offer a wide variety of content on techniques, skills and recipes, but in the end just like any other art form, gourmet cooking is instinctive. You just need to widen your horizon in term of your food experience and begin your culinary adventure that will last a lifetime. In the end cooking is about the heart. It's about love and pleasing people. It's about your passion for food. And eventually its all about YOU.

For more of Mishi's recipe picks, cooking tips and food thoughts visit her blog at http://cooking-gourmet.com/