Kathy Wakile Shares Her Cooking Tips

Scared of your kitchen? The Cannoli Queen tells how to get started.

By Sarv Kreindler Oct 8, 2013, 1:56 PM ET

The Real Housewives of New Jersey's Kathy Wakile has always made whipping up tasty treats seem easy. Maybe even too easy for those of us who are duds in the kitchen. But now the Cannoli Queen (and new cookbook author) has some advice that newbie chefs should take to heart.

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"Start with something really basic, like a chicken or roast, or even turkey legs," she tells OK! Magazine, explaining that new chefs often make the mistake of of trying to "get too fancy. They find a recipe that has so many steps, and it doesn’t come out right, and they’re like, Oh, I can’t cook. No."

Kathy, who incidentally recently broke ground on a second home kitchen, recommends starting out with something like turkey drum sticks. "Season them up, put them in the oven, make mashed potatoes or vegetables on the side, and you feel like it’s Thanksgiving. Make really basic food great. That’s the secret."

She also recommends another basic bird to get your skillet going. "Chicken is a good place to start," she says. "You can make it so many different ways, a chicken cutlet. And it cooks quick, doesn’t take a lot of prep time, with some vegetables all chopped up. Sautéing is one of the easiest things."

And what about ideas for dessert from the author of Indulge: Delicious Little Desserts—75 Recipes That Keep Life Real Sweet? "Cookies," she says. "Start with something simple. Don’t aim so high. Concentrate on getting the flavors right."