Do not be alarmed. Keep a book of matches in the bathroom. Slice lengthwise, remove, rinse. Meat is easier to cut into pieces if it's a little bit frozen. Thaw just until the meat is cut-able but very firm firm.
Different foods require different lengths of time.
Get a cookbook. Everything there is to know about food, with about 4,000 recipes thrown in. If you only have one cookbook in your library, make it this one. The Way to Cook No-bullshit gourmet cooking. It may be a little outdated on some subjects, but it is one of Julia Child's masterworks.