7 Recipes to Make Before You Die

Yeast Bread-

Here are 15 classics that you should know how to make if you consider yourself an accomplished cook.

Yeast Bread
There's nothing more basic, yet more satisfying, than a loaf of homemade yeast bread. All the basic techniques of bread making are used in this recipe, so it's a good place to start if you are a beginning bread maker.

Recipe: Simple White Bread

Beef Tenderloin Steaks

Knowing how to cook a great steak will always get you rave reviews in the kitchen. No grill required here-the steak is cooked on the stovetop. With this recipe you'll also use the technique of deglazing as you add liquids to the meat drippings to make the sauce. This classic combination of beef tenderloin, red wine sauce, and blue cheese is always entertaining-worthy.

Recipe: Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Port Reduction and Blue Cheese

Cream Pie

Making a cream pie will earn you points in three cooking categories: pastry crusts, custard fillings, and meringues. Mastering any one of these components alone is worthwhile, but when you put them all together in a luscious cream pie, it's the ultimate rush. See our video for tips on making a pie crust.

Recipe: Pie-O-Neer Coconut Cream Meringue Pie

Créme Brûlée

This is one dessert that always gets "oohs" and "ahhs", and it's really not that hard to make. The key is to bake the custards in a water bath so that they don't get overcooked. Although sometimes a kitchen torch is used to melt the sugar on top of the custards, in the recipe, you just put them under the broiler. Vanilla Bean Créme Brûlée is a brûlée recipe that calls for a torch.

Recipe: Lemon Verbena Créme Brûlée

Fudge

If you want to learn candy-making skills, start with fudge. Everything you learn when making fudge can apply to most other candy recipes. A candy thermometer is a key tool. See our how-to video on making fudge.

Recipe: Creamy Chocolate Fudge

Cream Puffs

Bring out your inner pastry chef and make a cream puff dough, called pâte á choux, and then a luscious cream filling to pipe into the cream puffs. These are also the same basic components that you make for éclairs, but éclairs are usually topped with a sweet icing.

Recipe: Classic Cream Puffs

Crown Roast

Being a really great cook means that you can not only make decadent desserts, but can create impressive entrées as well. You can't be much more impressive than when you prepare a crown roast of pork-true main dish royalty.

Recipe: Maple and Calvados-Glazed Pork Crown Roast with Apple-Chestnut Puree

Continue Reading....

Don't Miss:
Sexy Bikini Body Foods
10 Nutrition Myths
Fun Family Meals