For new cooks, the prospect of hosting your first dinner party may seem daunting. You may be intimidated by the chefs you see on TV shows and feel you can’t prepare the kinds of meals that they do. Don’t worry; you don’t have to.

As a personal chef, I used to spend a great deal of time cooking in someone else’s kitchen. On occasion, a client would ask me to cater a small dinner party or a special event. I learned many lessons from my first dinner party when I realized how different it was from preparing and packaging two week’s worth of meals and leaving them in the freezer. Fortunately, it wasn’t a total disaster.

I hope the following tips will help you have a successful party that you and your guests will enjoy. Stress-free entertaining requires planning and practice; however, keeping things simple will go a long way toward easing your anxiety.

1. For your first dinner party, invite no more than 4-6 guests. Even six people can be pushing it and become overwhelming for your initial adventure. Suppose everyone decides to mingle in your kitchen? Would you feel comfortable?
2. If you are culinarily challenged, look into alternatives to the traditional dinner party. You could have a pot-luck meal and suggest recipes for your guests to bring. Or, get restaurant take-out and dress it up with your own personal additions.
3. Plan a simple meal with no more than two or three items. Add hors d’oeuvres and dessert if you like. I suggest cooking something you like or feel comfortable preparing.
4. You do not have to cook everything yourself. There are many quality products you can buy from a gourmet or specialty shop that will complement your homemade dish.

Your first dinner party can be fun for you and your guests. The more you practice, the more confidence you will gain. If something does go awry, laugh it off and your guests will, too. In the end, it may just become a golden memory you will laugh about for years to come.

What exactly are the secrets behind America’s favorite restaurant recipes? Millions of people all over the country line up at the doors, waiting forever in long lines, just to experience the unique taste of these foods. Restaurants such as, Chili’s, Applebee’s, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, KFC, and even Burger King and McDonald’s profit millions of dollars every day by giving America delicious meals they can’t seem to find else where. What are the secret ingredients that make these foods taste so good and cause us to spend so much money to enjoy?

The truth is there are no secret ingredients in the recipes of America’s favorite restaurants. The truth is you can make these same dishes in your very own kitchen. The only real secret is how to use a combination of common ingredients, spices and herbs, and the method of cooking, in order to get the great taste.

Olive Garden’s Bread Sticks for instance, what makes them different from other recipes we make at home? Most of the bread stick recipes we find in cookbooks suggest you lightly coat the dough with egg whites before baking. This gives a shining look to your bread sticks however; it does not add to flavor or help the bread sticks come out of the oven nice and soft. Other recipes suggest dusting the dough with garlic. Still, they are not the same as the one’s we experience at Olive Garden.

To make Olive Garden Bread Sticks, use a loaf of frozen bread dough. Once it is thawed and soft, coat your hands with Pam Spray or oil and knead the dough. Form the dough into 8 to 10 logs. Let them rise in a warm place until doubled (1-1 ½ hours). Then lightly spray the dough with Pam Vegetable Spray. The secret behind the great taste is to take garlic powder and finely rubbed oregano and lightly powder the sticks. Preheat the oven to 375 and bake for only 20 to 25 minutes. For even softer bread sticks, place a pan of water in the oven while baking. This adds moisture and keeps your bread sticks from over browning and getting too hard.

What makes KFC Original Recipe Chicken so much better than the chicken we deep-fry at home? A side from the combination of common ingredients, the method of cooking it is what makes all the difference. Many people use regular deep fryers when making fried chicken. If you are attempting this with nice plump chicken breasts, the end result is a piece of chicken that is juicy deep inside next to the bone, but hard, crunchy, and over cooked on the outside. Using a pressurized deep fryer will make your chicken breast plump, juicy and delicious inside and out.

There are many ways to cook and make fabulous meals. Knowing the ingredient combinations, methods of cooking, and using the proper tools is what turns ordinary dishes into our favorite restaurant dishes.

For more information on how you can turn ordinary recipes into your favorite restaurant dishes, plus get recipes e-Book visit: America’s Secret Recipe’s

I absolutely love dips, and the hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip is one of my favorites.

To make the hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 package (8 oz.) of room temperature cream cheese
• 1 can 14 oz. of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach chopped
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Romano Cheese
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of dry basil
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• dash salt
• dash of pepper

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese with mayonnaise, Parmesan, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, and garlic salt. Add the artichoke hearts and spinach and mix until everything is well blended.

Next spray a pan with non-stick cooking oil, pour in dip, and top with it off with mozzarella cheese.

Bake everything at 350 for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the top is browned.

Serve your hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip recipe with toasted french bread slices, tortilla chips or use it as dip for vegetables. Great vegetables to use for dipping are carrot sticks, celery sticks, raw cauliflower, raw broccoli and cherry tomatoes. The possibilities are endless! Yum!

Do you want to learn more secret recipes from places such as Applebees, Starbucks, T.G.I. Fridays, Outback Steakhouse, The Cheesecake Factory, The Olive Garden, PF Chang, Red Lobster, Chili’s and much much more?

Download eBook ==> America’s Secret Recipe’s by Ron Douglas for more great recipes.

Have you visited a restaurant countless times just to order your favorite dish? Though you have tried and tried to replicate the same flavor and texture at home, it just isn’t happening? Well rest assured that you are not the only one that this has happened to. With the economy so tight right now, people are not able to visit restaurants as much as they would like. While longing for their favorite dishes, many are wondering if there is a solution. Thankfully, all hope is not lost.

It seems those “secret recipes” may not be as secret as you may have thought. Whether it be the secret recipe for Kentucky fried original chicken, or maybe it’s Pizza Hut’s recipe for Original Pan Pizza that suits your fancy? You can now make the exact tasting replica and countless others right in your own kitchen!

Now that I have your attention, allow me to explain further. There is now a cookbook called “America’s Secret Recipe’s, Volume One” that you can order, right online. This book will provide step by step instructions for preparing these secret restaurant recipes in your very own home kitchen. You’ll surprise all your friends and family when they realize that you made these recipes yourself.

Think of all the benefits you’ll obtain by owning this special cookbook. You will be uncovering cooking techniques from master chefs from extremely well known restaurants. You will also be making these secrets recipes for a mere fraction of the cost by following easy to read, step by step instructions. With the struggling economy this benefit can make a big difference in your budget as well. No longer will you have to wait on long lines in establishments for dishes that you can make quickly in your own kitchen. This cookbook will pay for itself in no time at all.

We all live somewhat stressful and hectic lives. No one has the time to search for recipes and then be disappointed when they don’t taste like the real deal. With “America’s Secret Recipe’s, Volume one” you can feel confident that we know our business. We have been perfecting these recipes since 2003 collectively with a forum community of over 45,000 members. We want you to be happy and satisfied with our cookbook.

As a special added bonus, if you place your order for “America’s Secret Recipe’s, Volume One” today, we will also give you “America’s Secret Recipe’s, Volume Two” absolutely free! You will be wowing your friends and family in virtually no time at all. We are not stopping there though. If you place your order for these two books today we will also include some special secret bonuses on CD as well. The entire package will add over 700 secret recipes to your library.

Included are recipes from such popular restaurants as Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, Applebee’s, Red Lobster, Starbuck’s, just to name a few. We are sure that you will absolutely love all these special recipes and be amazed at how they taste just like all your favorites! If you already love to cook or are just a beginner, these cookbooks will make you feel like a master chef as you and your family not only enjoys them, but save money as well.

When I was growing up with my grandmother, going out to eat was a treat. If I told her I wanted a hamburger from McDonalds, she would say, “I can make hamburgers, better than McDonald’s” And she did. But still I wanted to go out to restaurants and eat. Now that I’m older, My family and I go out and eat probably 3 times a week. Spending money and gas that we don’t need to be spending. Then I discovered America’s Most Wanted Recipes Volume 1 and 2, By Ron Douglas. Recipes from my favorite restaurants! Ron Douglas!

From Applebee’s Crispy Orange Chicken Skillet to Church’s Fried Chicken to Arby’s Apple Turnovers. This book will change your life. With the economy in peril and not enough family’s having dinner together. These recipe books is a great way to save time and money and spend more time with your family. You can cook like a master pro. And no one will ever know. Just follow the step by step instructions.

Get recipes for Popeye’s Cajun Rice or Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits. Or make it an Italian night at home with The Olive Garden Lasagna or Fettuccine Alfredo. Then top everything off with Entenmann’s Apple Crumb Cake. If you like to cook, like I do all these different recipes will give you a reason to cook and make all your family and friends go ga-ga over your cooking. And you don’t have to tell them.

No more waiting in lines. No more rude waitresses and no more outrageous dining bill. Give this a try and you won’t be disappointed.