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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’ve written with Tamara Reynolds, called Forking Fantastic! Put the Party Back in Dinner Party. It will be released October 6, 2009. And although the book focuses on parties–unlike Cooking in Real Time–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!