During the height of the Cuban missile crises on October 19, 1962, 11 year old Miriam and her parents caught the last flight out of Cuba, with one suitcase between them.

To many, learning the art of gourmet cooking might appear to be an impossible dream. But no matter what your present cooking skills are, this simply isn't the reality. There are numerous gourmet cooking techniques that you can practice to enhance your everyday cookery skills.

Gourmet cooking may seem like something that is beyond the sphere of the everyday cook, but this is far from the case. There are several gourmet cooking techniques that you can implement to improve your overall cooking skill.

Are bread machine mixes any good? Yes, some of them are, but the problem with all bread machine mixes is that they limit your choice and discourage your creative talents. That may sound a little harsh, but think about it for a minute. If you rely on bread machine mixes you can only make the bread for which you can find a bread machine mix and you can only put the bread machine mix in the bowl and switch the bread making machine on. You are not encouraged to alter the bread machine mix for fear that it won't work.

Do I think that bread machine mixes are useful? Yes, some of them are, but the snag with all bread machine mixes is that they place limitations on your choice and do not encourage your creative talents. That may sound odd, but think about it for a while. If you depend on bread machine mixes you can only make the bread for which you can buy a bread machine mix and you can only tip the bread machine mix into the bowl and switch on the bread making machine. You are definitely not likely to alter the bread machine mix for fear that it won't work.

Are you a seafood lover who doesn't have the food fortune of living near the ocean? For some fish, that's okay, and you can still enjoy the great taste of fresh fish. But for other seafood, like crustaceans, if you don't live near the ocean, you're out of luck for enjoying their great tastes the way you like them. When you go to a restaurant, you have no idea of knowing how fresh their seafood is, no matter how much you're paying for them. And if you go to the grocery store, you know that you're getting one of two options. Alive, but old and tough, and not of the quality you want. Or frozen, and definitely not what you're looking for. What you need to find is a way to get fresh lobster meat while you can still enjoy its delicious fresh flavors.

Now that we are again facing the cold winter months, our minds are turning toward the food that can keep us warm when we're home with our families at night. There are many great traditional options to keep us warm. Many people enjoy baking, as it fills their house with inviting aromas, and the warmth of the oven. Many others enjoy stews and casseroles, in order to warm from within. But there are other meals that you can have that, while untraditional, are still warm and inviting in the cold winter months, like a lobster bake!

Fresh shrimp is both healthy and delicious. It is also a perfect meal solution for all your outdoor summer parties and events. Fresh shrimp can be used in just about any dish. Add it to a pasta salad, slaw or appetizer plate. Topped with lemon juice and cocktail sauce, this refreshing food makes a great pre-dinner snack.

Do you ever want to really wow your family with an amazing dinner, but aren't sure where to start? When you're the one who is often doing the cooking, it can be hard to break from your set routine and really show them something different. It's especially hard when money is a consideration, as it always seems to be these days. Of course there's the classic favorites like steak or a casserole, but they've seen you make that before, and it won't amaze them. If you really want to show off, on a budget, and without having to spend the whole day in the kitchen, why not make them one of their restaurant favorites at home, and cook them one of these fabulous lobster dinners.

Do you use bread machine mixes when you want to make yeast bread in your automatic bread-making machine? If you do, why? Because you think it's easier? It is so easy to make gourmet bread quickly from easy bread recipes and so much more flexible too. If you use bread machine mixes you are limited to the bread machine mixes there are in the shops " no matter how many of them there are there.