Be realistic, and expect to have to pay a significant amount for the privilege of eating in a gourmet restaurant. Gourmet food often uses expensive and rare ingredients and requires a great deal of preparation, so it's bound to be costly. A good gourmet meal, though, is worth every cent.

Brie is among the most gourmet of cheeses, and yet it's well within the price range of many. Keep these tips in mind when serving brie: wheels should be sliced like cake, but the wedge should be cut lengthwise. If it's ripe and runny, as it should be, dip the knife in hot water so the cheese won't stick to it.

Many gourmet baking recipes substitute honey for sugar, because the honey imparts a distinctly different flavor. To substitute honey in your recipes, follow these tips: use 2/3-3/4 of a cup of honey per cup of sugar; add a half-teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of homey; and reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.