You Haven't Built a Proper Kitchen Tool Collection
Let's face it. Better knives help you cut things better (better does not necessarily mean more expensive). It's a lot easier to mince ingredients on a larger, taller cutting board. You need tools to cook. You can wing it to a certain degree, but there's nothing that can replace a good cast iron pan, a chef's knife that you like, and a baking scale that you trust.
You're Not Preheating Your Pan
No matter what you're cooking, you should never put anything into a cold pan or onto a cold cooking surface. If you do not preheat your pan, you pretty much guarantee that you will overcook your food and you won't be able to establish the proper amount of flavor. Make sure that your pan is the temperature that you want it to be before you start cooking. This is an essential piece of the process that doesn't strike as many people as it should.
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