folara's Profile
Can someone be a true budget gourmet?
Like everyone else, I'm going to say that so much depends on what you consider "gourmet". For me, gourmet means simple combinations of fresh flavor. It's not about creating a really complex palette as much as it is showcasing the best parts of the meal. To this end, you can make a meal out of a single expensive ingredient (say, asparagus, or a good cut of meat) and build the rest around it.
Normal foods can go gourmet (who has tried beecher's mac and cheese? http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/shop_macncheese.html with the substitution of higher-quality ingredients, but still be relatively inexpensive.
I agree with everyone else who says that you need to find sources for good ingredients. Trader Joe's has great cheese (and apparently good supercheap wine, too--I'm underage, though). My boyfreind found a great little produce stand by accident and we've been going back religiously ever since. We don't eat much meat, so that saves money. And one of my favorite things to do on a weekend is to go downtown, grab some pears at the market, some cheese at the aforementioned Beecher's, and a big baguette and have a picnic. There is nothing more delicious than that.
