If you are a “foodie,” you are always searching for a better way to prepare and enjoy food. In this article, you will find several pointers to help you get the most out of your cooking adventures. Read on to learn some new and exciting ways to spice up your cooking.

When sauteing ingredients in a fry pan ensure that you don’t overcrowd the pan with too much food. Trying to cook too much at once will only lower the temperature of the pan and lead to steaming instead of browning. It is wiser to saute the ingredients in two separate batches, if necessary, and this will maintain the quality of cooking.

When stir-frying meat, it should be thinly sliced on the bias. This can take a lot of time and be hard. Remove the meat when it is firm (but not frozen) and slice at a 45 degree angle across the grain of the meat.

Keep spices in a dark and cool place. The shelf life of spices is greatly reduced if they are exposed to heat, humidity, or light. Your spices will have a longer shelf life and retain their good taste if stored in a dark, cool spot. Make sure that your spices are fresh to add taste and flavor to any meal.

Pasta is one of the best things that you can cook during the course of the day for the nutrients and carbs that it brings and its pleasant aroma. Make sure that your water is boiling for at least two minutes before you put your pasta into the pot for maximum quality.

Try to plan for a week’s worth of meals. If you can get in the habit of planning a weekly menu, it will save time on grocery shopping, and will reduce the stress of having to come up with a meal idea at the last minute. Also, keep a magnet-backed notepad on the refrigerator, and jot down any items that you are running low on. This way, your kitchen will always be stocked with the ingredients that you use regularly.

After removing corn from the cob, scrap the cob with the back of your knife. Doing this will extract the “milk” from it. Drizzle the “milk” over the corn to add extra flavor.

Keep a potato masher in your kitchen at all times. This useful device can be used to mash more than just your typical potatoes. Try mashing carrots, cauliflower, and other root vegetables. You can mix any of these in to your usual mashed potatoes to make them more vibrant, nutritious, and interesting.

To reduce the calories and fat of mashed potatoes, and to avoid sacrificing taste or texture, replace some potatoes with the same amount of cauliflower. Cauliflower’s subtle flavors blend in with the potatoes and other ingredients easily. Additionally, cauliflower has the same texture and color as mashed potatoes, so it makes it an easy, healthy addition to your dish.

There is no need to let your cooking experiences become boring or dull. There are always new things to try that can bring fun and excitement back into your cooking. Try the tips outlined in this article today and start having more fun in the kitchen and more “yum” on your plate.