1. In the wide wonderful
world of gastronomy,
gourmet food is the
pinnacle of the fine-dining
experience. Unlike simple
rustic and country cuisine
or convenient fast food,
gourmet food pertains to
dishes that showcase
expensive and hard to
find ingredients prepared
with very precise cooking
methods and elaborate
equipment. Creative
presentation is given
much thought and effort
as visual appeal is as important as the food itself especially in establishments where
prices can go as high as the sky. Fine bone china, crystal, silverware are brought to
serve.
With the high cost of ingredients and time-consuming and laborious preparations
entailed, gourmet dining is usually reserved for special occasions. Tableside cooking
is a feature oftentimes associated with fine-dining cuisine.
For experienced chefs, gourmet dining is an opportunity for them to show off their
prowess in food preparation methods and use ingredients reserved for such
moments. Even health food connoisseurs are excited to showcase their skills from
advance cooking techniques like sous vide (cooking food in a vacuum sealed bag
over a water bath) to table side preparation methods like flambé.
In home-cooking, one can attempt to create a gourmet experience with unusual
but palate- and eye-pleasing ingredients. Turn off the microwave for the day and
bring out the copper pots and get ready to spend quite a bit at the delicatessen
and fine food shop buying materials. Allot ample time preparing the dishes from mis
en place to cooking and plating.
Fancy ingredients like succulent marbled
meat, fois gras (goose liver), exotic truffle oils,
and exorbitantly priced items like beluga
caviar and expensive wines are placed
against a backdrop of simpler but still high-
quality ingredients like garden vegetables,
fresh herbs, freshly-made pasta and other
complements. Though gourmet can also be
simple, it is far from average.
Gourmet meals should be an overall dining
experience whether enjoyed in a 5-star
Michelin restaurant or elsewhere. When
having such a fancy meal at home and
already spending much on the food, take the
extra effort in other elements. For table top
arrangement, bring out the best dinner and
service ware you have (or borrow if what you
have is inappropriate); have an elegant

2. centrepiece at the table, reception area and living room; lastly you may also wish to
hire entertainment or at least have a selection of appropriate music ready to
complete the mood.