What advice would you give to someone who has never cooked and wants to start?

A natural way to answer

I'd say begin with simple recipes that only need a few ingredients. Follow the steps carefully the first few times, and taste as you go. Most importantly, don't get discouraged by mistakes, they're part of learning. Cooking gets much easier once you build a bit of confidence.

Key phrases to use

• bite off more than you can chew — to take on more than you can realistically handle“Don't bite off more than you can chew with a five-course meal.”
• give it a shot — to try doing something“I'm not sure I can, but I'll give it a shot.”
• psych themselves out — to make yourself too nervous or doubtful to do something well“He psyched himself out before the interview.”
• fall into place — to start working out well, with the pieces coming together naturally“Once you practise, it all falls into place.”