Gourmet Recipes

The gourmet grilled cheese sandwich is probably the ultimate fun snack for any cheese lover. There really is so much you can do with these sandwiches. Each gourmet grilled cheese sandwich can be a delectable surprise.

Ingredients for a basic DIY gourmet grilled cheese sandwich

Of course, the basic necessities for making gourmet grilled cheese sandwich are cheese and bread. But then again, there are so many variations for these already. For your cheese, you can try gruyere, mozzarella, Swiss, Emmental, gouda, and camembert. For your bread, you can try sourdough, baguette, and focaccia. These can be good alternatives to the usual cheddar and commercial loaf bread.

Other worthy ingredients to add in your sandwich

You can spice up your gourmet grilled cheese sandwich with an additional layer of cream cheese or soft cheese. For a fruity variety, add slices of avocado, apple, or mangoes to your sandwich. Tomatoes also do wonders in spicing up your gourmet grilled sandwich.

Tips in grilling cheese sandwiches

When grilling your gourmet grilled cheese sandwich, make sure to flip your sandwich only once. Each side should already be done correctly before you flip. Make sure to grill up only until the bread is toasted enough. Do not burn and definitely do not wait for the cheese to fully melt.

Chinese gourmet dishes are noted as among the world's authentic and finest fine dining cuisines. The recipes for such excellent Chinese specialties were handed down by Chinese ancestors to the present culinary experts. The selection of delicious and appealing Chinese gourmet cuisines are not only served in fine dining establishments in China, but also by other international restaurants in the world. Moreover, Chinese gourmet dishes originated from four different regions of the country: the Teochew, Cantonese, Hokkien, and Hakka.

It has been known thousands of years ago that Chinese specialty dishes originated from the Chinese royalties, then filtered down through the homes of some powerful and rich private homes. This further spread and went on to the fine dining restaurants, where only the privileged are entertained. Today's Chinese gourmet dining is an opulent and lavish affair, which usually consists of eight to ten course meals. One dish that is specially favored by many royals or important people (like me) is the Chinese Cantonese short ribs. This is also among the preferred dish in Chinese gourmet dining.

3 pounds beef short ribs, cut in 1/2inch slices
salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Marinade Ingredients:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons plum sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 bunch cilantro, stems trimmed and chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped

When all the ingredients are ready, you need to preheat the oven to 350F. You can now season the beef ribs with pepper and salt. Lay the seasoned ribs across the baking sheet or roasting pan rack, then bake for 10 minutes. In a bowl, you need to mix the lemon juice, the red pepper flakes, and water. Afterward, you can brush the rib tops with the mixture and bake for another 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can set aside the beef ribs to cool. Moreover, you need to combine all the ingredients for marinade in a separate bowl. You need to add the roasted ribs, then toss to cover the ribs. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrapper, then refrigerate for a at least four hours. When your done grilling the ribs, you and your family can now enjoy the delicious Cantonese short ribs.

If you're thinking of a healthy gourmet meal without the usual fish treat, I think the first thing that pops up in your mind is a healthy fat-assed chicken to go with an equally healthy gourmet meal. Chicken has been one of our prime choices when it comes to healthy gourmet meals, and adding just a few healthy spices would add a little dimension to your bland idea of a chicken gourmet meal, you know. Just stay clear from those genetically-modified chickens, mind you, which is usually served in those greasy fast food chains. I know they would neither deny, nor confirm this fact, but do some research on the matter if you think I'm just pulling your leg.

So, here's one gourmet recipe that's as tasty as it is healthy. In short, you'd need:

-chicken - 4 ounces
-vinegar - 1 teaspoon
-soy sauce - 2 tablespoons
-chicken broth - 1 cup
-ginger - 1 teaspoon
-cornstarch - 1 tablespoon
-mushrooms - 1 cup
-garlic clove
-water

About 4 ounces of chicken would do, but you'd better take those bones out of that fat-assed chicken and better skin it, too. After all, a healthy gourmet meal is what you're looking for, right? No, you wouldn't be needing a Japanese chicken for this Teriyaki recipe. An American-born chicken would do, you know. Then add about a teaspoonful or so of vinegar, two tablespoonfuls of soy sauce and about a cup of tasty chicken broth, both the low-sodium type, about 4 cups of fresh water, a teaspoonful of dried ginger, a clove of minced garlic, a tablespoonful of cornstarch, a fourth-cup of damn cold water, and you have everything that is needed to make a tasty Teriyaki chicken meal. But you should not forget to add about a cup of edible mushrooms. I think you should take the non-psychedelic type, you know, for you might think that damn chicken is walking out of your plate!

Next thing for you to do is reheat that damn oven of yours to about 350 degrees or so. Then, prepare a non-stick pan in which to heat the tasty olive oil, as well as brown the damn chicken you got there for about three minutes or less, without missing any portion of that damn chicken of yours. Then bake that chicken for about 40 minutes or so. While that fat-assed chicken is cooking itself, combine what you got left in a medium to large saucepan, leaving out the cold fresh water and the cornstarch for later. Heat that saucepan of spices, and decrease the heat after about 3 minutes or so. Mix the cornstarch with the cold fresh water, and flush it in the saucepan of spices after it's about the time the cornstarch fully dissolves in the cold fresh water. Heat up that saucepan for about a minute or so, then pour it on that baked chicken of yours. What you got there is a Teriyaki chicken, complete with mushrooms, a nice and healthy gourmet meal, my friend. Enjoy!

The historical Indian culture is one of the most interesting topic in history. It is very diverse and complex, yet very intriguing to know. One aspect of it that I certainly love to explore is the Indian cuisine. Because of that, I am eager to know and learn to cook Indian recipes. One Indian recipe that I learned is the so-called Carrot Soup.





8 cups water
6 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 celery, chopped, with leaves
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 teaspoons curry powder
2 1/2 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons dry potato flakes

Boil water in a large cooking pot and add carrots, potatoes, celery and onion; return to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender. Remove soup from heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then, puree in blender or food processor in batches until smooth; return pureed soup back to pot. Next, add soy sauce, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, curry powder and stir well. Add whole milk and stir constantly, stir in potato flakes before bringing to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 about minutes, then stir occasionally. Add seasonings depending on your preference; serve hot.

I have always been addicted to bittersweet chocolates. Thus, it is no big news that I devour everything that has the said chocolate included in any recipe. Just recently, I was able to taste a delectable dish prepared by my brother's girlfriend. Needless to say, I asked for the recipe of the dessert that is currently a favorite of mine.


Ingredients:

2 cups of confectioner's sugar
1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon of salt
5/8 cup of melted unsalted butter
6 eggs, white part only
1 tablespoon of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons of light corn syrup
4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup of unsalted butter

The steps in making this luscious dessert are quite simple. First thing to do is to mix the flour, salt, and confectioner's sugar in a big bowl. Create a well at the center of the mixture. Next, you can add in the egg whites, heavy cream, vanilla, and melted butter. Blend all of them very well. Refrigerate this at least 2 hours; better yet, keep it overnight in the refrigerator. Afterwards, you can grease 2 baking sheets with some vegetable oil spray. You can also use shortening if you want. Make sure the that you preheat the oven at 220 degrees Celscius. A heapful of teaspoon containing dough should be placed on 1 of the baking sheets. Spread the said batter into an oval measuring 6x3 1/2. You can produce 4 ovals in one baking sheet. 6 minutes should be enough to bake the batter, or you can wait until you see that the edges of the cookies are brown in color. The, you can use a spatula to transfer the batter to another clean surface. When rolling the cookie, a chopstick may be used. If you sense that the cookies are stiff, place the cookies back in the oven for 30 seconds. Prepare another baking sheet while the first batch is being baked. Lastly, mix corn syrup, remaining 1/4 cup of butter, and chocolate in a bowl. The bowl should be placed atop simmering water. Stir the mixture until it is smooth. When the chocolate mixture is done, dip the ends of the cookies in it. Set the cookies up on some waxed paper.

Undoubtedly, the historical Indian culture is one of the most interesting cultures to study. Because of that, I did some research on their culture particularly on their food. What I found out is a recipe that is so easy and so fast to do, the rice noodles.

14 ounces rice noodles
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seed
2 dried red chile peppers, chopped
4 tablespoons roasted peanuts
3/4 cup shredded or flaked coconut
1/4 cup water
fresh cilantro, for garnish

To start preparing rice noodles, place noodles in a medium size pot and add water, just to cover. Next, put some salt and boil. Then, after boiling 1 to 2 minutes, transfer the noodles to a colander and let cold water run through it for about 3 seconds. Drain the noodles and set aside. Afterwards, heat oil in a wok. When it is warm already, add the mustard seed, chile peppers and lentils and stir-fry until lentils start getting light brown. After that, add peanuts and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Then, stir in coconut and fry it until light brown and add cooked noodles and 1/4 cup water. Allow it to stir over heat for 10 to 20 seconds or until well mixed. Finally, garnish with cilantro and serve.

I love trying new dessert recipes. I just saw this in a magazine that also features actress Nicole Kidman and her Academy-award winning peformance for The Hours. I immediately went to a store to buy the ingredients and went back home to cook. Funny it may seem but I really love desserts.

2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
2 drops red food coloring

To prepare this delicious and sweet dessert, line a 7 x 7 inch pan with parchment or waxed paper. Then in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, put sugar and water and heat gently until the sugar is dissolve already. After that, bring to a boil and cook until it reaches 240 degrees F or 120 degrees C on a candy thermometer, or a little syrup dropped in a glass of cold water forms a soft ball. Afterwards, remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla and coconut. Allow it to stir for 5 to 10 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Then, pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan and level the surface with a knife or spatula.

Next, tint the other half of the mixture by stirring in the food coloring and pour the pink mixture on top of other layer, and level the surface. After, press all down firmly with the back of a spoon and allow to harden. If firm already, turn out of the pan and remove the paper and cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Are you the typ eof person who likes the mixed taste of sourness and sweetness? Then this recipe called Scrunchy Sweet and Sour Chicken is perfect for you. I was vacationing in Spain when I met a chef who taught me how to cook this dish. At first, I cannot master how to blend the two opposing taste but after two weeks of trying, I was able to do it finally.









2 egg yolks
2 tbsp cornstarch
salt and ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
vegetable oil

For the sweet and sour sauce:
1 onion, sliced
1 small red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small orange pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb can pineapple cubes in natural juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
handful of fresh cilantro leaves, to garnish

To start everything, mix together the egg yolks, with a tbsp of water, the cornstarch, and some salt and pepper. Then, heat 2 inches of oil in a wok or deep frying pan and toss the chicken in the cornstarch mixture and deep-fry in batches for 5 minutes or until crisp and golden. After that, drain on paper towels. Next, empty the oil from the wok to leave a thin coating in the pan and stir-fry the onion and peppers over a high heat for 3 minutes. Then, drain the pineapple cubes add to the pan, and cook for a minute ot two. Reserve the pineapple juice in a container. Afterwards, combine together the cornstarch and a little of the pineapple juice to form a paste, stir in the remaining juice, the ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water. Then, pour this into the pan and bring to a boil and stir until the mixture thickens. Stir the chicken pieces into the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes until cooked through. Do not forget to check the seasoning then divide between bowls. Finally, scatter the cilantro on top and serve.

We only see mushrooms in our surroundings. Some might thought that they are useless except for their biological purposes. However, there are mushrooms that can be eaten by humans. Accordingly, mushrooms have an array of flavors, aromas, and textures. From mushrooms, this soup will definitely suit your taste and will brighten up your day. This soup showcases the amazing taste of wild mushrooms. This taste creates a very interesting flavor that is comforting and at the same time delicious.

1 large shallot, peeled and sliced thin
8 Ounces Porcini Mushrooms, sliced
8 Ounces Chanterelle Mushrooms, sliced
8 Ounces Oyster Mushrooms, sliced
2 Quarts Chicken Stock
1 Pound Yukon Potatoes, peeled and diced large
2 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme, chopped
2 Tablespoons Butter, unsalted
1 Teaspoon Fresh Oregano, chopped
1/2 Cup Madeira
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper

To begin, put the butter to a large heavy pot and melt over medium heat. Then, add the shallots and cook or for about 5 minutes or until they are soft. Next, add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. After that, you can now add the stock, potatoes, thyme, and oregano. Have it boiled, then simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.

Next to that, puree the mixture in a food processor or a blender and return to the pot. Then, stir in the Madeira and add salt and pepper. Finally, stir in the heavy cream just before serving. Now your wild mushroom soup is ready. Enjoy it with the whole family.

Lemon Meringue is a perfect dessert for the whole family. This recipe is divided into two main steps, making the lemon filling and doing the meringue toppings.

Lemon Filling:
4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell
1 recipe Meringue, recipe follows

Meringue Topping:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar

For lemon filling, we have to adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Then preheat the oven up to 375 degrees F. Next, whisk the egg yolks in a medium size bowl and set aside. Afterwards, combine cornstarch, water, salt and sugar in a medium pan. Then, turn the heat on medium, stir frequently and bring mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Now, it is time to add hot mixture to egg yolks and stir until you have added at least half of the mixture.

Then, you have to return the egg mixture to saucepan, turn heat down to low and cook and stir for 1 more minute. Again, remove it from heat and gently stir in butter, lemon juice, and zest until well combined. Next, pour mixture into pie shell and top with meringue while filling is still hot. Make sure that meringue completely covers filling and that it goes right up to the edge of the crust. Then, bake it for 10 to 12 minutes or until meringue is golden. Afterwards, remove it from the oven and cool on a wire rack. It is recommended that slicing muct be done if the pie is cooled completely.

For meringue toppings, you have to place the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Then, beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then gradually add sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.

So you think only fancy restaurants have the right to make your favorite dish? Wrong. Even rice lovers out there could rejoice at the prospect of creating their very own gourmet rice at the comfort of their nice homes. Trust me, there is no way you would get it wrong because it is too easy.

Rice is an excellent alternative for the pasta or any kind of carbohydrate dish. Gourmet restaurants are known to be an expert in making different variants of rice. This includes Rice Pilaf, which you could easily cook for your friends.

Ingredients:

-1/2 oz. butter
-2 shallots (chopped, of course)
-half celery stick (that's chopped)
-1 tbsp. fresh basil
-1 tbsp. fresh parsley
-1/4 tsp. cayenne
-7 oz. rinsed rice (long grain)
-13 oz. chicken stock (heated one)
-salt
-pepper


While preheating oven to 180 degrees Celsius, cook butter, shallots, and celery in casserole over medium heat. Add the seasonings and after 3 minutes, put the rice into the casserole and mix with salt and pepper. Cook until the rice gets sticky, then pour the chicken stock. Stir occasionally and let mixture boil. Cover and finish cooking in oven for 18 minutes. Now, you can be proud of yourself for cooking up a healthy and tasty gourmet rice.

Eating out in fast-food restaurant chains like McDonald's sometimes takes away the fun of enjoying the food itself. You don't get to have that rich, well-blended ingredients in the food and the dessert usually comes in small packages. I this case, I prefer to eat my dessert in gourmet restaurants. At least, in these establishments, I am assured that I pay for what I eat, no matter how little the serving portion may seem. In these settings, you do not only pay for the amount served, but also for the rich ingredients used in making the food.

On the other hand, some of the recipes used in gourmet restaurants can also be a DIY. That is what I am thankful for because this would really save money. One example is Fruit in Zabaglione and this is a must-try for all fruit and dessert lovers out there. Ingredients?

4 yolks (of eggs, of course)
4 tablespoon of sugar (granulated)
5 tablespoon white wine (medium-dry)
4 ounces of double cream
fresh fruit pick of the season

Beat egg yolks in a bowl with an electric mixer until it thickens and then, set the bowl over a saucepan half-filled with hot water set over low heat. Put wine in the mixture and beat until it thickens. Remove the bowl from the pan and resume beating until mixture cools. Add the cream and do the whisking. The zabaglione dessert is now ready to be served in large glasses and be topped with fresh fruits.

Mustard and cheese go along each other. You do not believe me? I can see your eye brows raising. Well, for gourmet lovers, mixing our favorite condiment mustard with cheese would be a delightful attempt. Indeed, if you try this one, you will definitely crave for it.

I am talking of a recipe, a cracker recipe to be precise, wherein the main ingredients are mustard, and cheese. Before I forget, this recipe is considered as a gourmet dish. Ordinary crackers, you might say, but you will love at the first bite.

We need the following ingredients for the crackers:

1/2 a cup of butter
2 cups grated cheese
1 cup of flour
3 tablespoons of mustard
2 teaspoons of mustard (dry)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
salt

I would suggest that you choose Swiss cheese and the mustard exported from the French Dijon region. The mustard seeds there are superb. Now, in making the dough, just process the cheese and the butter along with the other ingredients. Divide the dough into two. Roll them to make a log of about eight inches long. Wrapped in foil, keep them in the freezer for two hours. Afterward, cut slices from the logs. Make sure that the thickest slice measures up to quarter of an inch to maintain the consistency of the cracker. Cook them for about fifteen minutes under 350°F.

Now this is what I call food - grilled shrimps with sweet and spicy garlic sauce! I live a healthy lifestyle, but I don't sacrifice taste in the process. It's fairly easy to cook and prepare grilled shrimps, but the garlic sauce requires a little magic.

Prepare these beautiful sea creatures anyway you want, just as long as you don't marinade them in something you got from the deep trenches of your fridge. Then crush some garlic cloves, mix it with a little pinch of pepper, then put in a little sugar - just enough to suit those taste buds of yours. Finally, mix it in with your favorite ketchup and you have what you want - a real basting winner!

This basting sauce actually is readily available from your nearest grocery, but you should consider making one yourself. Cooking is what it literally is - preparing food that best suits your taste buds. Grilled shrimps are just what they were meant to be - grilled. So set up that old barbeque grill you got in your backyard, invite some friends over, buy some beer, and brace yourself for a lovely backdoor party, with you, after they've tasted some of those shrimps you got on that grill of yours, as the most talked-about host!

Perhaps you are one of the many people all over the world who loves to order pizza from your favorite fast food. Guess what? You can now make your own pizza in your house without spending too much. Here is a perfect pizza recipe that is very easy to make and could be served as a delightful appetizer or snack.










Ingredients
1 12-inch Boboli thin crust of Pizza
2 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces grated cheese
1 cup thinly sliced white onions
2 plum chopped tomatoes
2 tsps. thyme, dried
salt
1/2 tsp black peppercorns, freshly cracked

Procedure
1. Preheat the oven into 450 degrees F.
2. Put the crust on a big pizza pan or sheet ideal for baking.
3. Spread evenly over the crust the oil.
4. Add the cheese and arrange the onions on the top.
5. Add the thyme and tomatoes. Season with a small amount of pepper and salt for the taste.
6. Bake the pizza for at least 15 minutes until the crust becomes golden and the cheese melts.
7. Remove the pan in the oven and let it cool for not less than 5 minutes.
8. Cut into squares or triangles or your desired shape then serve.

Now you do not have to go or call the fast food for pizza delivery because you can create your own anytime.

I am self-confessed chocolate addict. Before I eat any meal I eat chocolate first. And after eating I will again eat chocolate. I love chocolates because they are amazingly delicious. Aside of course from the fact that they are sweet. Here is an experimental recipe of chocolate for addicts like me.

Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 tbsps. of cold milk
1 gelatin enveloped
6 tbsps. powder of cocoa, unsweetened
1 tbsp. oil
2 ounces chocolate unsweetened and finely chopped
1-1/2 cups of sugar
2 tsps. vanilla
2 cups of heavy cream




Procedure:
1. Put the milk in the saucepan then sprinkle the gelatin in it and cook for not less than 5 minutes until the gelatin become soft.
2. Mix the oil and powder of cocoa together. Make sure they blend well.
3. Add the mixture, sugar and chocolate to the mixture of milk. Cook over a medium heat while constantly stirring until the mixture is blended well and the chocolate melted.
4. Remove it from the heat and refrigerate.
5. Add vanilla. Put the cream until it forms stiff peaks then fold it to the chilled mixture of chocolate.
6. For better results chill it for not less than 4 hours.

This is very delicious and you will surely love it. If you can do it perfectly, you can even make it for business.

If you are a person who is addicted to seafoods, I am sure you will love this gourmet recipe. Aside from its delicious taste it is also very healthy because it has lesser fat, which is good for those who are dieting. This recipe is very easy to prepare and the ingredients are not hard to find. The following are the ingredients.







Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. garlic, minced
4 chopped shallots
4 cups of broth of beef
1 minced jalapeno pepper
1 minced red chili pepper
4 tomatoes, chopped coarsely
20 torn leaves of basil
2 cups of white wine
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup of light cream
5 pounds of debearded and scrubbed mussels

Procedures:
1. Put the butter in a big stockpot and let it melt.
2. Put the shallots, garlic and cook while constantly stirring.
3. Add a small amount of the beef broth, jalapeno and pepper. Let it cook for several minutes to let the flavors blend.
4. Add tomatoes, leaves of basil, white wine and the broth of beef that was left.
5. Dissolve the cornstarch into a little amount of light cream. Pour the mixture with the remaining cream in the pot.
6. Let it boil then put the mussels.
7. Cook the mussels for at least five minutes or until the shells open.

Now you are ready to serve your new gourmet recipe. Share it to your friends and neighbors.

Do you think of a food that is served before the meal to inspire your appetite? Appetizers come not only in form of food but also in beverage. There are many mouthwatering appetizers that would stimulate your taste buds. Make your simple meal special by serving healthy meal with Almond-sherry Mushroom Pate.

Almond-Sherry mushroom pate is only one of thousand appetizers. Doesn’t have any idea how to prepare it? Come let's try this recipe. Collect now all your ingredients needed. Here are they;
-1/2 small onion quartered
-1/2 small clove garlic
-1/2 pound fresh mushroom halved
-2 tsbp butter
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/8 tsp tarragon crushed
-1 dash whitepaper
-10 ounches blanched whole almond toasted
-1 tbspdry sherry
-1 tbsp heavy cream

When your ingredients are read, do the following procedure of how to make an Almon-Sherry Mushroom Pate. In food processor with metal blade, process onion and garlic with on-off bursts until coarsely chopped and set aside. Process mushrooms with on-off bursts until coarsely chopped. Then, melt butter in medium skillet and add onion garlic, mushrooms, salt, tarragon and pepper. Then cook, stirring occasionally until most liquid has evaporated. Reserve 2/3 cup almonds for garnish. Process remaining almonds until coarsely chopped. Reserve 2 tbsp. Process remaining almonds to form a paste. Add mushroom mixture, sherry and cream; process until smooth. Add reserved 2 tbsp chopped almonds, process with on-off bursts. Cover and chill. Mound pate on serving table and garnish with reserved 2/3 cup almond.

Mexicans are very fond of adding side dishes to their usual meals. The reason for this is that it adds flavor and taste to the usual foods they eat. One of the very popular Mexican side dishes is the Refried Beans. This is also one of the easiest to make because it only has a few ingredients. To start making this side dish, you need to have:






- half a pound of Monterey cheese (grated)
- half a pound of pinto beans (dried)
- two tablespoons of corn oil
- two teaspoons of salt
- one tablespoon of black pepper (ground)
- garlic (chopped)
- cumin powder

When you have gathered all of these, your next step is to wash the beans. Make sure that they are clean and free of stones. After cleaning and drying them up, put them in a pan along with the pepper, cumin, salt, and garlic. Let it simmer for two hours before draining them of water. Mash them after that with the use of the reliable potato masher, and then you can put them in a Teflon frying pan. You can then put a mall amount of corn oil on the pan and fry your mashed beans. Lastly, put the Monterey cheese. Cool it for a while and serve with your meal.

Here's a food riddle: What goes well with orange, mayonnaise and red wine and makes even the non-British's mouth water? Answer? The London Broil with Soy Citrus Mayonnaise. The name alone connotes a multitude of flavors it makes me want to salivate!

This recipe is perfect for special dinners. You need to combine the seasonings such as the soy sauce, red wine, scallions, cayenne and white pepper and seal them along with the steak in a bag. The marinade is combined with mayonnaise which is then spread over the steak and served at room temperature.

A complete gourmet meal always includes soup, which is usually served as appetizer. Warm soup prepares the palate and the stomach for heavier meal to follow. Some soup recipes in themselves can stand alone as a meal that can readily relieve hunger.

A great tasting soup is also a good and nutritious snack that can be accompanied with bread. One delicious and easy soup dish to prepare is cream of mushroom soup with sherry. You will just need slice of mushrooms, chicken broth, onion, butter, flour, salt, black pepper, and sherry. You may consult a recipe book for the details in preparing this dish.

Perhaps the easiest gourmet recipe to prepare is the salad. Most salad recipes do not involve cooking but simply mixing the ingredients and giving some creative touch in the presentation. A salad usually has two main components, the salad dressing and the salad “meat.”

Salad dressing corresponds to its meat. You may use vegetables, fruits, seafood meat or ham as “meat” for your salad. My personal favorite is tuna salad which is very easy to prepare. You just need cooked tuna flakes, add some olive oil, mix some mayonnaise and condensed milk as dressing. You may also add some spices such as onion. In preparing salad recipes you can be as creative as you can.