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This week, I explain some of the most common mistakes new cooks make–and how you can fix them. It’s surprisingly easy.

There are a handful of very simple-to-correct mistakes that novice cooks make. In this episode of the podcast, I discuss seven common blunders. They’re taken from a cookbook I wrote with Tamara Reynolds, called Forking Fantastic!, first released in 2009 and now available as an ebook titled How to Throw a Dinner Party…without Having a Nervous Breakdown.

Although the book focuses on parties–unlike this podcast–there’s still a lot of great advice that new cooks will find helpful, as well as a lot of very accessible recipes.

One of the blunders is using the wrong knife for the job. Many new cooks are a bit scared of big knives, but they’re really the only good way to get the job done. Big knives can also be scary because they’re expensive! Victorinox, though, makes a very good starter knife that’s lightweight but sturdy, and easy to care for. It’s an easy investment in vastly improved cooking!