Not only do you need to start with the basics when it comes to learning to cook, you almost need to start again when learning to cook a new type of cuisine such as Chinese, Thai, or Indian food.

This is why at any time while you are still learning to cook, there is always someone, somewhere that is better or worse at cooking than you. Even the best cooks have bad days when it comes to cooking, and are also continuosly learning.

Many people cook for different reasons. Some cook just to eat and survive, some actually enjoy the process of cooking, and some cook to please others and show off their skills. Sometimes people will cook during times of emotional upheaval and others cook out of complete boredom.

Whatever your reason for cooking or learning to cook you should always begin with the basics.

Cooking Terminology

The first thing you will need to know is the different cooking terms used in many recipes. There is a lot of different terminology used out there. The “French” language is often used and is the most common. For example ‘a bouquet garni’ is a French term and means a bundle of herbs tied together using string or traditionally, Leeks.

These terms can mean the difference in recipe success or failure. There should be a section in most good cookbooks that explains the different definitions for unfamiliar terms. If you aren’t sure what is meant by ‘Slicing Julienne’, Google “cooking terminolgy” and you will find many lists with everything you need to know.

Keep It Simple

Another thing to consider is when it comes to the basics is to try simpler recipes for a while and then experiment with your more complex recipes. Most recipes will have a little note about their degree of difficulty and you can read through the recipe to see whether or not it is something you are interested in preparing or confident that you can prepare. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day and it will take quite some time to build a reliable ‘repertoire’ of recipes to work into your meal planning rotation.

You will also discover as your experience and confidence grows, that you will find yourself more and more often improvising as you go and adjusting certain recipes to meet your personal preferences. If you like more or less of an ingredient, or you want to make a recipe with a little more spice, you can make simple adjustments along the way in order to achieve this. In other words you will, in time, create recipes of your very own. And that is something you won’t necessarily learn at the beginning with basic cooking skills, but you will never learn it if you don’t master those basic cooking skills first.

The good news is that once you’ve learnt the basics of cooking, it is unlikely that you will ever need to re-learn them. This means that you can constantly build up and expand your cooking skills. As you learn new recipes and improve your culinary skills and talents you will discover that preparing your own meals from scratch is so much more rewarding than preparing prepackaged meals that are purchased from the shelves of your local supermarkets.

Anyone can become a better cook, but true gourmet cooking is an art form. A style of food preparation that uses the freshest and highest quality ingredients. To enjoy authentic gourmet food, it’s good to prepare your food soon after after purchasing the ingredients. Not only do you want to purchase the freshest ingredients when cooking gourmet meals but you also want to ensure that you are purchasing ingredients of superior quality.

Those who can master gourmet cooking and food preparation have a lot of career options available to them. From cafes to catering, or opening up their own restaurant, talented individuals who are entrepreneurial in spirit often do quite well in the world of business if their skills are sufficient.

When it comes to cooking gourmet food the two rules mentioned above are the only hard and fast rules. Everything else is purely a matter of adventure and taste. Not everyone can become a gourmet cook simply by going out and purchasing the finest and freshest of ingredients and throwing them into a pot. As mentioned above, it is an art form, so there is some degree of art involved when it comes to gourmet cooking. A good amount of skill is necessary in order to achieve these culinary masterpieces.

In saying that, anyone can learns these skills.

Know your herbs and spices

One important quality when it comes to cooking gourmet food is the layering of flavors. You should be able to taste the meat or seafood as well as the vegetables, herbs and spices that make up your skillfully prepared meal.

Knowing your Herbs and Spices will give you an upper hand in getting more flavour and depth in your meals. They are also the secret to making healthy food taste delicious, naturally.

The quickest way to get to know them is to get yourself a well stocked collection and start playing around. Pick up some basic herbs and spices in your next supermarket run, and go from there. Basics include parsley, basil, oregano, bay leaves, coriander, paprika, cumin, chilli powder, just to name a few, and of course the most basic, salt and pepper.

Better still, grow some of your own for freshness and seasonality.

Experimenting with herbs and spices will, in time, improve your palate. This in turn helps you to become a better gourmet cook.

Have the Right Kitchen Tools

You don’t need to break the bank buying kitchen tools; have the basics and you’re off to a good start. You can start collecting fancier items as you learn. Of course, the better the equipment, the easier it is to experiment with many different types of foods.

Essential items include a good knife set, decent chopping board, several types of pots and pans, a baking dish, baking trays, food thermometer, mesh strainer, kitchen scales, mixing bowls, and a variety of utensils or a good utensil set. With a few good tools you can cook just about anything.

Having the appropriate cooking equipment is important to achieve gourmet cooking success and with so many great kitchen gadgets and utensils out there, it’s almost too easy to find a kitchen tool that makes your life easier.

Simplicity and Presentation

You can not rely on taste or aroma alone when cooking gourmet foods. As I mentioned above gourmet cooking requires a large degree of skill and there is an art involved. For this reason, presentation is a key component of the gourmet dining experience. Something simple can also be gourmet, depending on many things.

With proper presentation even foods that were simple to prepare can take on the flavor of a gourmet feast. This is something you should keep in mind whether your cooking plans for the evening are to be gourmet or in your everyday cooking. The thing about gourmet cooking is that it is to some degree, more art than science. This means that there is always room to improve your skills and stretch your limits as a cook. There will always be the next great challenge or the ‘what if’ when it comes to flavour combinations.

Placing a few freshly chopped herbs on the plate before placing the food, or on top of the food with appealing and aromatic herbs, will compliment the flavour of the meal you have prepared. Also, present any fruits and vegetable sides in a visually appealing fashion rather than simply tossing them onto a plate.

Some of the greatest foods began with someone asking, “What would happen if I added this?” Always ask what if, play around, and always seek to improve your skills.

While fresh ingredients are not always available, there are times when compromises must be made when cooking gourmet meals. So choose what is in season and plan your meals accordingly whenever possible. Growing your own can be a great way to learn what’s in season when, and to top up your knowledge on fresh produce.

Whether this is your first time considering gourmet cooking or you are an old pro, keep in mind that skills can be learned over time with the proper motivation and an open and honest desire to learn. If you want to learn more about gourmet cooking there is really nothing to stop you from doing so other than yourself. The Internet, your local library, and many bookstores out there have countless volumes of information that can help you get started on your journey to gourmet cooking bliss.

When it comes to your saucepans and frypans etc., you should keep in mind that conductivity is extremely important. You should also choose pots and pans that are made of a heavier gauge. This allows your pans to heat evenly avoiding hot spots, which can lead to food that may ‘stick’ to your pan or burn during the cooking process. This means that simply stopping in at your cheap shop or local mass market retailer and purchasing any old set of pots and pans is probably not the best course of action for the best possible quality in your kitchen.

Kitchen knives are probably the most important tool in the kitchen. If you plan to prepare many meals in your kitchen, then the quality of your knives is of the utmost importance. Your knives are an investment you shouldn’t have to make too often in your lifetime. For this reason, select a really good set and be prepared to make a decent investment in your knives. You will never understand, unless you’ve tried to prepare foods with knives of inferior quality, just how important it is to purchase good quality and well-balanced knives for your kitchen.

If you plan on cooking a great deal of meat then you should also invest in a needle tenderiser. This useful tool not only helps when it comes to tenderizing tougher cuts of meat but also pierces the surface so that rubs and marinades can penetrate for a more flavorful experience. This is by far one of our favorite kitchen gadgets and it isn’t a sizeable investment for the added value it provides to meals.

A good quality grater is another tool that no kitchen should be complete without. There are many who feel that with all the pre shredded cheese products on the market today this tool is obsolete but nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, pre grated and pre packaged cheese simply doesn’t touch the quality or flavor that freshly grated cheese provides. (Not to mention added chemicals) Second, cheese isn’t the only thing that these graters are useful for grating. Graters are excellent tools for grating citrus fruits, spices, garlic, chocolate, and even onions. If you do a good deal of baking in addition to your cooking you should not overlook the value of having a quality grater in your kitchen.

Of course there are many more cooking tools than we could possibly mention here. Those mentioned above simply happen to be among our personal favorites. There are all kinds of appliances and gadgets no kitchen is truly complete without. In addition to these great appliances there are many tools that are simple matters of preference. Do you peel enough potatoes to warrant a special device for doing so or do you simply opt to purchase an ergonomically designed potato peeler and peel them by hand? There are no one size fits all answers when it comes to kitchen tools and many of us are often limited by serious budget constraints and restrictions. Our best advice if this is the situation for you is to purchase the best possible quality you can afford and build from there. Even if it means replacing one pot or knife at a time until you can manage a complete set of superior quality cooking tools you will find it well worth the price you’ve paid in the long run.