The excitement of having friends over for delicious foods, fine wines and best of all grate conversations. Having a dinner party with close friends is fun, exciting and most of all the perfect opportunity to show off your cooking skills. To impress your friends here are a few things you will need to get the party started; a beautiful tablecloth, silverware, soup course, salad course, starch course, entrée, dessert and palate.

The first course is soup. Soup can have strong flavors. Try to avoid garlic and heavy herbs. Squash soup is an excellent first course soup. Squash soup has a sweet and earthy flavor that is delicious when paired with a dry white wine. Between each course a palate cleanser will stop the flavors form each course from mingling. Have a small dish filled with a lime sorbet. The next course is the salad. Each guest will be served a Caesar Salad with their favorite dressing.

The next course is the starches immediately after the salad. The best starch dish to serve is roasted potatoes tossed with herb vinaigrette. Potatoes are usually bland and using heavier seasoning and herbs will bring out the full taste of the roasted potatoes. While your guests begin to digest their roasted potatoes, this is a great time to put the final touches on the main course. Allowing the meat time to rest and redistribute its juices throughout the dish. The best part of any meal is the desserts. If you are serving fruit tarts it is best to wait at least 10 minutes. Other desserts such as cake can be served with coffee or a light wine immediately after the entrée.

To make Chicken Kiev, take four skinless chicken breasts and remove all fat. Slice a horizontal pocket into them. Mix three cloves of finely minced garlic, the juice of half a lemon, one tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley, and eight ounces of softened butter. Spoon mixture into chicken pockets. Using three bowls, dip chicken into one beaten egg, then twelve tablespoons of fine bread crumbs, then a mixture of three tablespoons of flour and two tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan, seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry for five minutes per side in three to four tablespoons of olive oil until golden brown. A more detailed version of the recipe can be found at http://www.gourmet-food-revolution.com/chicken-kiev-recipe.html.

For beef bourguignon, remove fat from two pounds of good braising steak. Cut into one inch cubes. Toss in three tablespoons of flour seasoned with salt and pepper, coating evenly. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil over high heat; brown meat in small batches, stirring frequently. Remove with slotted spoon into large casserole dish. Fry six ounces of diced bacon until it starts to crisp; add to casserole. Saute one finely chopped medium onion, two peeled cloves of garlic, and eight small peeled shallots until slightly browned and softened. Saute four ounces of dark-gilled mushrooms until lightly browned; set aside.

Add fifteen ounces of red Burgundy wine, two sprigs of thyme, two bay leaves, Worchestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. Mix well, cover, and braise in a 275-degree oven for two hours. In the last fifteen minutes, add mushrooms and re-cover. When finished, remove bay leaves and thyme, and serve. The complete recipe can be found at http://www.gourmet-food-revolution.com/beef-bourguignon-recipe.html.

French haute cuisine is the term used to describe the five course meal eaten in the western culture. The courses included in a five course meal are the appetizer or soup course. This course has no red meat and is a small offering. A fish and vegetable combination is usually served afterward. The next course is the entrée or main course. This course usually followed by a salad course. While this course may be fresh greens it is sometimes a cooked vegetable.

A desert course is served at this juncture. The desert may be hot or cold depending on the preference of the hostess. Following the desert some serve cheese, fruit and nuts. These snacks are a great idea as guests visit after a fabulous meal. While the task of preparing such a culinary feast may seem daunting do not give up hope. There are many resources available to aid you as you journey through your first dinner party. For example, instructions are given from the basics to which pots serve what purpose to defining cooking terms.

If you already have a menu and need recipes for a certain ingredient you are in luck. The choices are as endless as your culinary imagination. If you are a foodie and enjoy watching cooking shows on television and have a favorite chef recipes for many are easily obtained. Another great feature regards the division of recipes by difficulty level. By using these sections a great meal can be composed in minutes. No matter what the menu choice have a great time and enjoy your guests.

There are many great places to eat, but there are times you feel like a special meal, a gourmet experience. If you are interested in eating gourmet tonight, check out these choices.

If you live near San Francisco, California, why not try the Millennium Restaurant? This restaurant caters to vegetarians, but the food is so delectable that even meat-lovers may enjoy it. Not only that, but they try to find all organic ingredients and they try to run their restaurant as "green" as possible. Their produce is delivered daily so it's definitely fresh and of the best quality. The restaurant is open daily from 5:30 to 9:30, Sunday through Thursday, and open until 10, Friday and Saturday.

While visiting Dallas, Texas, visit the Rosewood Mansion for a unique dining experience. For 29 years, many have enjoyed their unique atmosphere, delicious foods, and wonderful service. The chefs have a way of mixing the wonderful ingredients together and coming up with delicious appetizers, entrees, and desserts. There are different areas one can dine in, each one has its own unique charm. They're classy, but warm and cozy too.

When visiting Durham, North Carolina, you can dine at the Magnolia Grill. This restaurant used to be a grocery store, but was converted in 1986. They strive to give customers good, homestyle meals made with the best ingredients in a friendly, down-home, but still classy atmosphere. They have had the same suppliers for years so they know the quality they're getting to prepare for the customer. Make sure you save room for dessert, you won't be sorry!

Gourmet chefs are individuals who have earned recognition for their advanced cooking skills, have achieved mastery of basic culinary techniques, and use quality ingredients and precise techniques for their dishes. Gourmet chefs do their work in a variety of places. Some teach at culinary schools, some start their own restaurant business, and others become personal chefs. Some gourmet chefs specialize in ethnic or regional cuisine and while others demonstrate their skills on a variety of television shows.

After graduating from college and the Culinary Institute of America, Sara Moulton found herself "wearing many hats." She was a personality on the Food Network, hosting "Cooking Live," "Cooking Live Primetime," and "Sara's Secrets." After a postgraduate apprenticeship with a master chef in Chartres, France, Sara committed a lot of time to recipe testing and development and taught at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. For 23 years, Sara has been the Executive Chef of "Gourmet" and the Food Editor of ABC-TV's "Good Morning America." Most recently, she has authored two more cookbooks and has launched a 20-episode series on public television called "Sara's Weeknight Meals."

Thomas Keller is consider the the #1 Top Chef in America by his peers. Other chefs admire the creative genius of Tom Keller from his success at the French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley, California. To many, French Laundry is considered the best restaurant in the world. Keller is "obsessive in his attention to detail beginning with the ingredients to the assembly of the food on a plate." Tom Keller's resume is impressive, with learning experiences under highly recognized international chefs. In 2006, Keller "took on New York City" with his new $12 million venture, "Per Se." The menu showcases Keller's extraordinary culinary talents.