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Cooking is viewed by many as too time-consuming and bothersome to deal with. The following article is filled with information that will help you actually enjoy cooking.

A great starting point when looking to expand your cooking repertoire is your local library or bookstore. Look for cookbooks which contain basic and simple recipes for you to practice and have fun preparing. Try a few recipes, and be patient with yourself as you are mastering this new skill.

Slice meat on the bias very thin when you are making stir fry. This is rather difficult to do, and can take a lot of time. Freeze the meat until it is firm and then slice the thin slices across the grain.

It is important to add oil to the side of the pan when you are cooking so that it is already warmed when it finally gets to the delicious food you are preparing. Your finished dishes will be enhanced and more flavorful if you do this.

When creating a meal for someone you are friends with or fond of, try making what you already are good at making. That would be a bad time to experiment with the unknown, whether it is an untried recipe or ingredient. Cooking will be less stressful this way.

Texture and taste don't have to suffer when you are trying to lighten up your mashed potatoes. Cauliflower makes for a great substitute to help drop the fat and calorie content. You will not taste the blandness of cauliflower, but notice a new interesting flavor instead. As a bonus, cauliflower is the same texture and color as potatoes, so no one will be the wiser when you improve the nutritional content and lower the caloric content of your mashed potatoes.

Regardless of the recipe, you can always bet that a fresh ingredient is better than its dried or frozen counterpart. When you use fresh ingredients you can bring out the true flavor of your food, and they can sometimes be cheaper in the end.

The one downside of garlic is that your hands easily absorb the smell of it. Rubbing your hands on something made of stainless steel, such as your sink, can help to get rid of these odors. This will help get rid of the smell so that it is not transfered to the next food item that you handle.

Has there ever been an occasion where you had trouble determining how long you should grill your meat? Use a good meat thermometer (a digital one is more accurate) so that you can ensure the inside is cooked correctly. If the meat is thicker than an inch and a half, it may be a good idea to close the lid of the grill to cut down on total grill time.

It's very frustrating to try to cook a tasty hamburger and see it deformed or ruined, because it gets stuck to your grill. Because of this, you should use vegetable oil to brush the grill prior to cooking so that you can prevent the meat from sticking.

If you must use oil in your cooking, choose extra virgin oil to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your dish. These types of foods contain many unnecessary fats you can live without. You can use non-stick cooking spray as an alternative to get the same results without the extra fats.

Hopefully this article has conceived you that cooking everyday does not have to equal a life spent chained to the stove. When you use these tips, you can use your creativity to enhance an activity that you once viewed as a chore.

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