How to Cook Budget Gourmet Meals at Home

Sometimes thinking the possibility of cooking gourmet at home may just be an illusion, but if you understand the basic significance of gourmet cooking, you will realize that it doesn't always need the most exotic spices or very expensive ingredients to make a classy meal. In short, ingredients don't have to be luxurious to taste like an expensive fine dish.

You may oftentimes consider routine as gourmet or unusual fare, but remember that no matter what you prepare, or whether you're cooking beef, seafood, or vegetables, there are always new bits and pieces to try and create a brand new dish. The mission is to find the best and unique recipes using the best food bargains like organic or free-range meat, eggs, herbs and spices possible.

Take a Look at Other Main Ingredients

Cooking gourmet stands for as many different things and creative ideas as there are several different ingredients that you can use. It isn't always about adding only the most exotic or expensive spices, but finding a way to make the best out of the least. Taking a look at other main ingredients may even help spawn interest in trying new cuisines from ingredients that you can afford. Take tilapia for example. It may sound an ordinary fish, but imagine how you can create different kinds of tilapia dishes in different ingredients and garnishes to make your family a fresh fish dish.

Mixing Up Flavors

By using the main ingredients that you have in new ways, you will bump up new combinations of spices and seasonings. Instead of using canned tomato sauce for spaghetti why not make your own fresh sauce from your garden tomatoes, or why not use fennel seed instead of the usual basil or oregano? Adding chili powder in your chocolate frosting and nutmeg in your eggs is a fantastic home gourmet idea. Flakes and rice crispies instead of cornflakes in a crunchy coconut chicken will turn out great, or turning a can of tuna incredibly satisfying in tomato, avocado, olives, lettuce, cheese and Dijon mustard.

Resourcefulness in using spices and seasonings can help bring you a surprise victory when it comes to gourmet cooking on a budget. Have you tried using pureed pumpkin to your black bean soup yet? The smooth creaminess is unquestionably gourmet. How about sun dried tomatoes and herbs on Rigatoni pasta? Try finalizing your most ordinary pasta recipe with Italian olive oil. The richer blend of flavors added with Parmesan cheese will make you an appetizing gourmet-style on a tight budget meal.

Look to Quality Ingredients

A well-stocked pantry filled with budget staple items is your best tool towards home-style gourmet cooking. Canned tomatoes, peas and mushrooms, dried beans, dried leaves and spices, black peppercorns sound common but they can enhance even your simplest dish to taste expensive. Seasonings, vinegar, oil particularly olive oil can intensify flavors of your pasta dishes. Milk, eggs, cheese, butter, and other perishables items like organic ingredients are also among the budget ingredients necessary. Don't forget garlic, onions, organic vegetables, and of course a bottle of red and white wine.

Patronize Local Items

If you have enough space in the yard, growing vegetables and herbs such as tomatoes, parsley, basil or chives, rosemary or thyme, celery, lettuce and greens is an incredible way to save money on perishable items. You can visit local farms and cooperatives and ask about new varieties of crops for you to try. They are also interested in finding new ways to cook and serve their crops so more people will buy from them.

Share Your Sophistication

So how does the home cook eat well on a budget? Along with impressing your family with sophisticated healthy and affordable meals, you can prepare to entertain guests over the holidays by looking for gourmet recipe ideas that can also be easy, fun, inexpensive and relatively guilt-free too. Having a good gourmet cookbook can be your secret guide to budget epicurean cooking. Cajun-cooking for example, the regional ingredients cooked in the way their ancestors did using what was available to them became a tradition of taste. Another is the Indian chutneys prepared using the most exotic spices, and the Filipino Adobo known very delicious cooked in the mixture of local seasonings. All these are examples of how every spice have the ability to make a least dish to taste expensive.

If you love eating fine but hate spending for luxury, get to fashionable cooking along the way. You'll find delectable recipes from different cuisines recipe books and websites for people with limited budgets, but sophisticated tastes. This could be the way for you to find the ingredients that are fresher, cheaper, easier to find and of course, affordable.

I invite you to visit Your Smart Kitchen. The online location for quality cookware, cutlery, appliances and related kitchenware at reasonable prices. Featuring the new product Terracotta Clay Cookware. For more healthy cooking tips and seasonal recipes, subscribe to Your Smart Kitchen Newsletter.

Tips to Help You Select the Perfect Gourmet Coffee on a Budget

The most recent economic woes have caused most of us to start cutting the fat from our budget. Some of the most painful things to part with are the things we tend to spoil ourselves with. The little things that aren't necessities but we've come to enjoy and look forward to. Don't cheat yourself out of your favorite things; make room for them.

Your inner money critic may be telling you to cut out things like gourmet coffee from your favorite treats. While it may cut a sizeable portion from your budget, your taste buds are probably arguing with your inner critic. This feeling leaves you torn between great taste and saving money.

Fortunately you don't have to give up the great taste of your favorite Mediterranean or Sicilian gourmet coffee to save money. Invest in a gourmet style coffee maker and order high quality beans from a trusted source. Search online for the best place to order. Don't let price be the deciding factor.

3 Tips to Help You Choose the Perfect Gourmet Beans

Understand Gourmet Beans: Coffee beans are grown in many areas around the world. The qualities that give gourmet beans their name depends greatly on where they are grown and the work put into growing, gathering and processing them. The word "gourmet" is used to define the rarity or special values of a food or drink.

Discover Bean Types: Of the more than 6,000 variations of coffee beans, about 25 are considered "gourmet". Two such beans are the Arabica and Robusta. We use these two types as an example because they're the most commonly used gourmet beans.

Arabica beans are known for their body and delicate flavor. They are grown in Central and South America. The Arabica bush is susceptible to disease, pests and frost; therefore requires more attention than other bean types.

Robusta beans are most known for their strong flavor and incredible aroma. They are grown in Indonesia, Africa, Brazil and Vietnam. The Robusta plant is very hardy and yields a much more caffeinated bean.

These are just two of the most popular bean types. Each individual bean type brings something new to the coffee enjoyment experience. Once you discover the type of bean you enjoy the most, look for discounts.

Order Online: Gourmet coffee beans will cost more than your average grocery store beans. Fortunately they're not nearly as expensive as going to Starbucks on a daily basis for your gourmet-powered caffeine fix. Order your gourmet beans online for the best deal on the freshest beans. On average, people report saving about $50 per month brewing at home as compared to visiting the coffee house each day.

5 Tips to Help You Brew the Perfect Gourmet Coffee

Clean Your Machine Often: A perfectly clean coffee maker will provide a better tasting brew. Sediment and oils can build up in your coffee maker and produce a stale or bitter taste. Over time your coffee drinking experience can become less pleasant.

Choose the Perfect Gourmet Beans: Whether you use the methods we outline here or you already know your favorite gourmet coffee bean, always use quality beans. Brewing the perfect cup of gourmet coffee starts with the perfect bean.

Use Filtered Water: Water free of impurities will ultimately brew a better tasting cup of coffee. If you use tap water, be sure it doesn't leave an odd taste in your mouth. Any strange tastes in the water will leave an odd taste in your finished product as well.

Properly Measure the Coffee to Water Ratio: It is relatively easy to make coffee too strong or too weak. Properly measuring the amount of grounds per ounce of water will ensure a better tasting cup'o joe.

Stir Coffee before Serving: After the pot stops brewing and before you pour that first aromatic cup, stir the brew carefully. Stirring distributes particles evenly so they're not confined to the bottom of the pot. Settling while brewing can cause the first cups to be too weak and last cups too strong. Stir before each cup.

Lili Rousso is a coffee aficionada who reviews Gourmet coffees from all around the world. This month she features the Lavazza Gourmet Coffee brand from http://www.aromacafeculture.com

Wedding Reception Food Ideas: Stretch Your Budget With A Gourmet Salsa and Chip Station

Wedding reception foods do not have to be expensive. A gourmet salsa and chip station is a fun way to stretch your wedding reception food dollars.

If you are looking for some help with stretching your food dollars for your wedding reception, you might want to consider offering a gourmet salsa and chip station at your wedding reception. Not only is this idea very inexpensive, it is super easy.

Perhaps you are thinking, "Chips and salsa at my wedding... are you kidding?"

No, I am not kidding at all!

The truth is chips and salsa can be dressed up to appear quite appropriate for wedding reception fare. By designing an attractive multi-tiered station - you will have the makings of a crowd pleasing snack without using more than maybe $25.00 or so of your reception budget.

A gourmet salsa and chip station is as simple as:

1. Determining the look of the station. You will want the station to compliment the look you are trying to achieve. Keep that in mind as you consider the design of the station.

2. Collecting interesting tablecloths, beautiful rustic baskets and bowls, interesting props, and some lifts to raise food to varying levels. Your lifts can either be covered by fabric or if they are attractive and match the mood, they can be used as part of the overall design.

3. Playing with the different pieces. Have fun! You can set the pieces up on your dining room table or kitchen table months in advance as you work on coming up with a look you like. Then just snap a picture, take some notes, and store the details away in a file folder.

4. Packing a box with everything you need for recreating the station at the wedding reception venue. If you don't need to use the decorative items and dishes you have collected until the wedding, then go ahead and save yourself some time later and put everything for your gourmet salsa and chips station in a box that will be delivered to the reception site at the appropriate time. If it is several months in advance, hold off on buying your salsa and chips. You will want to buy those closer to the wedding month.

5. Buying the chips and salsa in bulk at a wholesale warehouse like Sams or Costco will help you save additional money.

6. Adding to the visual appeal of the salsa is so easy. Shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, confetti chopped fresh veggies and iced baby shrimp are a few gourmet touches you can add to the top of the salsa. Send along a cooler to the wedding reception with ziplock bags of each garnish that you are offering. You can limit the garnish to an inexpensive sprinkle or if you prefer, you can offer your guests bowls of options for hands-on sprinkling. If you want your guests to sprinkle their own toppings, keep in my mind that you will need to buy considerably more quantity of each item.

This station is based on a very simple concept of designing, collecting, packaging, transporting and ultimately pouring, sprinkling and serving. How easy is that?

A wedding reception station does not get much easier or less expensive than this. When a food station such as this is so rich with personality and panache, no one will even realize that this station cost you somewhere around $25.00 or so, depending on the quantity of chips, salsa, and toppings you purchased.

© 2006 Kathi Dameron, Kathi Dameron and Associates

Note To Publishers: You are invited to share this article through your ezine, website or print publication provided you publish this article in its entirety and include the copyright statement, bio information, active website links and contact information for Kathi Dameron and Associates as provided in the resource section at the bottom of the article.

Abundant Blessings!

Kathi Dameron

Wedding Reception Teleseminars For Brides

Learn How To Self-Cater or Semi-Cater Your Own Wedding Reception

http://www.kathidameron.com 850-422-3599

Kathi Dameron teaches brides-to-be how to create beautiful and affordable wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, bridesmaid luncheons and other festive soirees that pop with personality and panache.

Today, Kathi shares her wedding reception expertise that she gained during her tenure as the owner, chef, and event designer of Canopy Rose Catering, a high end catering and special event company that was located in Tallahassee, Florida. Brides and other interested individuals who want to learn the secrets to creating a dream wedding on any budget can attend Kathi's Wedding Reception Teleseminars.

Brides can learn more about attending these teleseminars from the comfort of their own home by visiting http://www.kathidameron.com or contacting Kathi Dameron at 850-422-3599

Enjoy Gourmet Meals For Singles Or Couples Prepared Easily, Quickly and Under Budget

Hey, singles and couples, do you want to dine like Emeril Lagasse on a Boston Market budget? As a self avowed foodie, I highly recommend a subscription to Gourmet Magazine. You cannot imagine how easy it is to prepare small portion, fabulous and delicious meals or huge feasts, fit for royalty, all in one gorgeously presented magazine! Let's consider a few small changes in how we plan and shop.

Guess what, cooking for only one or two people doesn't doom you to TV and prepared, corporate designed food. A little planning can change your dining experience from pre-made, easy, soulless heat and eat grub to easy and exciting dishes that are nutritious, tasty and easy on the pocketbook.

If you usually cook for only one or two people - or if members of your family rarely have time to eat together, here's how to plan healthy meals for one or two, reduce the wasted food, and discover delicious and fun ways that small-quantity cooking can be made easier, healthier and more interesting and cost effective.

Here's something that works for me, if I remember to and that's to never go food shopping when you're hungry. Impulse buys such as junk food and TV dinners just seem to fall into your cart with a mind of their own, since, after all, you're only cooking for one or two and the convenience factor is an easy out. Not to mention that a lot of that stuff looks far better than it tastes when you get it home. A few key points will make a big difference in eating as well as you can without breaking your food budget.

Shop with convenience in mind. Purchase foods that are individually frozen, such as fruits, vegetables, chicken breasts or fish fillets. These foods allow you to thaw out only the amount you need. Also, low-fat frozen meals and prepackaged single-serving foods, such as ready-to-eat, low-fat, reduced-sodium canned soups are tasty as well as budget friendly.

One great way is to cook a large quantity of your favorite dish, for example, make a casserole or stew and freeze individual-size servings. Then take out only the amount of food you need. Be sure to write the date and contents on packages and move older packages forward as you add food to your freezer.

Plan meals so that you can use the extra food in new dishes, such as rice as a side dish for one meal, then using the remainder in a casserole or rice pudding. Bake chicken breasts for a meal and use the rest in sandwiches, soup or a stir-fry. I like to make a meatloaf mixture and bake some as a meatloaf and freeze the uncooked portion for later use in meatballs. Use any remaining mixture for spaghetti and or Marinara sauces or countless other meat fillers.

There are a lot of cookbooks that are geared to small meals or one or two people. Gourmet cookbooks abound as well as conventional and region specific recipes, as well as providing practical advice and helpful tips on such things as selecting healthy foods, planning menus, shopping and reading food labels. There is a big difference between eating versus dining, and it's no more extra work or expense if done right. Bon appetit' and thanks for reading.

I specialize in general interest short article content, especially for my own content sites. I love to write and I look forward to contributing many many more submissions, hoping people will find some useful or entertaining info. http://www.healthcontentsite.com

How to Make a Gourmet Fish Taco Dinner on Any Budget

Are you looking for fish taco recipes? This article will provide you with a great fish taco recipe that you can make on any budget.

Everyone loves Mexican Food

Let's face it, we all love Mexican food but sometimes recipes from Mexico can't always be recreated authentically because the ingredients don't always fit into the average families budget. What's the solution to this problem? Either you go to your local fast food burrito restaurant or you visit your local Taco Bell to satisfy your craving. Most people would rather chew through their arm than eat at Taco Bell and just ignore their craving all together if they can't afford to eat out at a decent Mexican food restaurant.

Gourmet Fish Tacos

Tacos are one of my favorite traditional Mexican foods and are the one Mexican dish that my family eats frequently whenever we get the Mexican food craving. We also love seafood tacos and love to recreate the authentic gourmet fish tacos that we found in California and Mexico by adding ingredients like salsa, avocado and lime juice. Sounds expensive right? Believe it or not you can make a yummy, authentic tasting, gourmet fish tacos on any budget.

Here's how you find bargain seafood

You can make your gourmet fish tacos on any budget by using fish like flounder, tilapia and bass.

I've found that stores like Walmart and Costco offer great deals on fish that help to satisfy my Gourmet Fish Taco craving.

Another great way to find bargain seafood is by checking out the fresh and frozen food isles of your local grocery store. You can also find great deals on fish at local fishmonger. Many cities along the coast in California have fishmongers that offer catch of the day specials from local waters.

Budget Crunching Gourmet Fish Taco Recipe

This recipe can easily serve six people and is perfect for any occasion.

Here's what you will need:

* 1/2 cup nonfat sour cream

* 1/2 cup nonfat mayonnaise

* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

* 1 package taco seasoning mix

* 1 pound of fish fillets

* 2 tablespoons lemon juice

* 1 package taco shells (Warm 6 of them)

Here are the toppings you will need:

* shredded cabbage

* chopped tomato

* lime juice

* taco sauce

Here's how to cook them:

Start by combining sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro and two tablespoons of your favorite seasoning mix in small bowl.

Next combine your fish, vegetable oil, lemon juice and remaining seasoning mix in medium bowl then pour into large skillet.

Cook by stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork.

Once the fish is cooked set everything out on your table and let your guests prepare and garnish their tacos themselves.

For the most delicious gourmet tartar sauce and gourmet cocktail sauce you will ever have click here or visit http://www.malibugourmetseafood.com