| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | That brings us to our next category, food. Do you |
| What exactly does it mean to be a gourmet? Does | | | | know terms such as foie gras, sevruga, gravlax, fleur |
| watching public television cooking shows on Saturday | | | | de sel, truffles (not the chocolate kind) and herbes |
| morning while folding the laundry count? How about | | | | de provence? Have you ever eaten any of them? If |
| being fascinated with Julia Child and having all of her | | | | you can answer yes to most of these, you are a |
| cookbooks on your Amazon wish list? Knowing what | | | | definite gourmet. A good gourmet kitchen will be |
| zest, garam marsala and charcuterie mean, does this | | | | stocked with the finest wines, caviars, cheeses, |
| qualify you as being a gourmet? Where did the term | | | | produce, meats, breads and pastries. It will also have |
| come from and what exactly does it mean? | | | | multitudes of herbs and spices as well as liqueurs and |
| A gourmet is someone with a discriminating palate | | | | natural extracts. Hundreds of volumes of cookbooks |
| who is savvy when it comes to fine food and drink. | | | | are also a necessity and must include authors such as |
| The word comes from the French word groumet | | | | Jacques Pepin, Simone Beck, James Beard and of |
| which defines a person in charge of the wines at a | | | | course, Julia. |
| meal. While this definition is a start, most people think | | | | The last area that defines a gourmet is drive. This |
| they have a discriminating palate, but discriminating | | | | means wanting to constantly learn more about fine |
| between a Big Mac and a Whopper probably doesn't | | | | foods and wines. Taking vacations to France and |
| count. What exactly are gourmets discriminating | | | | Italy are a start as well as visiting wineries, fish |
| about? Who decides what is and isn't gourmet? From | | | | markets and farmers markets everywhere you go. |
| my research, I have come up with three things that | | | | Food should be an obsession, not just a past time. |
| qualify a person to call themselves a gourmet. While | | | | Magazines such as Saveur, Cuisine, Cook's Illustrated, |
| not an exhaustive list, qualifying in each of these | | | | Fine Cooking, Gourmet and Bon Appetit should dot |
| three categories is a good indication that you can call | | | | the landscape of your home. You should also have a |
| yourself a gourmet. | | | | strong desire to take cooking classes and cooking |
| If you still don't own a blender because you are | | | | vacations and your ultimate dream would be to one |
| saving up for a Waring or refuse to brown your | | | | day attend "Le Cordon Bleu" cooking school in Paris. |
| bagels in anything other than a Dualit toaster, you are | | | | Yes, knowing French is a strong plus. |
| good in the first category of gourmet, knowing your | | | | If you can say you qualify in even two of these |
| equipment. Note that I don't say you need to own | | | | categories, I would say you are a budding gourmet. |
| this equipment to be a gourmet, just know what it is | | | | Three would mean you are definitely a gourmet. Now |
| and have a sincere desire to own it all someday, like | | | | that you have qualified yourself as such, don't |
| when you win the lottery and can actually afford it. | | | | hesitate to share it with others. Remember, |
| A few of the necessities in a gourmet kitchen include | | | | however, that they may want you to actually cook |
| a Cuisinart food processor, Emilie Henry bakers, | | | | something for them since they assume all gourmets |
| All-Clad pots and pans, Viking range, SubZero built in | | | | can cook. This, however, was not one of the |
| refrigerator, Kitchenaid mixer, Espressione espresso | | | | qualifying factors, so don't feel pressured if actually |
| machine, Wusthof knives, and a Polder thermometer | | | | using your gourmet items scares you. Instead invite |
| and timer. You will also need to include fine china, | | | | them to a gourmet restaurant and correct their |
| silver cutlery and beautiful table linens. Doing some | | | | pronunciations of items on the menu. Knowing the |
| calculations from the Williams Sonoma site (which | | | | equipment, understanding the names and tastes of |
| should be one of your favorite places to shop), a | | | | the foods and having the desire to cook someday is |
| fully equipped gourmet kitchen including service for 8 | | | | all you need to be a gourmet. Besides, who has time |
| would come to over $25,000.00 This figure doesn't | | | | to cook when you are so busy learning to be a |
| even start to cover the many food items you should | | | | gourmet? |
| have. | | | | |