One of the best things about the magic of cooking is to find a few basic “go to” recipes that allow for enough personal modifications to turn them into any number of signature dishes that you’d be proud to serve and call your own.One example of this foundation recipe is the ever-reliable quiche.By taking a basic spinach quiche recipe and applying modifications to turn it from every day traditional to “wow,” you’re sure to come up with some variations that will delight even the most sophisticated palate.Throw some delightful feta cheese, artichoke hearts and fragrant oregano into the basic dish and it is immediately transformed into a Mediterranean delight.Perfect when served with a simple cucumber and onion salad, your guests will think they’re dining at their favorite Greek restaurant.Want to go south of the border? That’s pretty easy to do.Just toss in some salsa, cheddar cheese and peppers or jalapenos and you’ll be setting trendy Mexican dining standards in no time at all.And if you want to stay classically French and stay true to the classic quiche Lorraine, there’s no better use for Swiss cheese, bacon or ham than the basic jumping off point of the recipe.When you take a dish that starts with something as basic as eggs (that are pretty much always in the refrigerator) and then throw in a pinch of this or a dash of that, the options seem endless.

With the economy being what it is these days, why would anyone want to order an item from a restaurant that can just as easily — and very often more economically be made at home?I recently asked myself this question when I realized I’d been craving one of my favorite Thai dishes a beef salad known as Yam Neua but didn’t want to have to pay the price for something that I suspected couldn’t be that difficult to prepare in the comfort and relaxation of my own kitchen.

If you’re like me, you’ve had some mighty tasty jambalaya in your life. But also if you’re like me, you might have been a little intimidated to tackle preparing the dish since it calls for a not-so-common item known as a roux.Fear not, a roux is little more than a cooked mixture of flour and fat (most often clarified butter) that serves as the thickening agent for the dish. In short, it is what makes jambalaya more of a stew than a soup.Once you’ve tackled the making of the roux (again, it really is quite simple), the dish is actually very uncomplicated to prepare and will definitely wow your guests if entertaining.

Sure, it’s a lot of fun to get lost for endless hours as you tackle your growing collection of cook books, endless supply of cooking magazines, or maybe even trek the aisles of your favorite grocery store eyeing up some of the freshest ingredients you’d love to incorporate in your next cooking endeavor.Some might argue that it is those diversions that cooks are most attracted to the ability to close out the chaotic world and focus only on the sensory delights of taste, smell, and visual appeal.

Times have long since passed when cooking was done merely for the sake of nourishment.Thanks to the media and movies such as Babette’s Feast, Like Water for Chocolat, and No Reservations, foodies everywhere are learning that cooking can in fact be a passionate undertaking that yields results far greater than mere sustenance.