Is it cooking oil or butter?

[chefdiva]

We always make use of cooking oil whenever we fry, saute, barbecue or grill foods. I use vegetable oil for this purpose just as my mother did. There are some I know who are using butter or other grease for their food. So what do you prefer?

[Mrs. Chipotle]

It depends on what it's being used for. If I am frying something, I use canola oil, not butter. If I am baking, I use butter (prefer it to margarine).

Often when I saute, I use a combination, depending on what I'm cooking. Again, there's no right or wrong answer.

[mtmomj]

We usually stick to olive oil or vegetable oil, but I like to make fried potatoes in bacon grease and eggs also.

[lcsamano]

We usually only use Olive Oil. The only time that we will use another type of grease or oil is if we did bacon or sausage to give gravy or potatoes flavor.

[loubear]

I usually use butter in baking and olive oil in sauteing, Crisco is used when frying chicken because it needs a high cooking temp.

[oldbay]

I use canola oil or olive oil sparingly for frying and butter for other stuff. I've never bought margarine.

I'm surprised how many here said olive oil or canola oil. I took a nutrition class in college and those were the two best oils for high mono-saturated fats (the good fats). They're associated with the Mediterranean diet, which is heavy on fruits and vegetables & light on meat. There is a low incidence of heart trouble in southern Europe which is attributed to the diet. This isn't to say that you should drink olive oil. I just use is sparingly in place of corn or vegetable oil.

[Mama Mangia]

depends on what I am making - butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, crisco, lard, coconut oil

certain things I make call for butter and oil

[aeiou]

If I am frying food I use Olive or Canola oil. If I am baking I always use real butter. I also use real butter on bread and vegetables. You will not find margarine in my family's house.

[TexasRose]

I mostly saute things in olive oil. Sometimes canola oil for deep frying if I don't want whatever I am frying to have the taste of olive oil.

For baking I always use real butter; never margarine. I don't think trans fats are better for you than cholesterol; and everything in moderation, I say.

[medako]

I usually use vegetable oil for the few things I need it for. I don't fry anything, so I don't use much oil at all.