You’ve dusted off the old recipe book, sourced the freshest ingredients and even bought a bottle of fine plonk to accompany the meal.

All that’s left is to prepare the dish.

And according to TAFE NSW cookery queen Sara Morley, no matter how you slice it, your cutting implement is often the most forgotten part of food preparation.

Speaking with ABC Riverina Breakfast announcer Sally Bryant on her regular TAFE Buds segment this morning, Ms Morley said there’s no “cutting” corners in the kitchen when it comes to knives.

“It’s one of the biggest fallacies out there that sharper knives are less safe,” Ms Morley said.

“A sharp knife is much less likely to injure you because the knife goes in the direction you want it to.”

Ms Morley urged listeners to focus on quality, not quantity, when it comes to kitchen knives.

“You only need two or three good knives to get serious in the kitchen and a quality knife will last you many years, if not a lifetime,” she said.

“As a general rule, the harder the knife the sharper it will cut, so you want to look at high carbon stainless steel knives.

“You can spend up to $500 for some high-end chef’s knives but you can buy a great knife for about $80 to $100.”

Ms Morley said a 20cm Santoku general-purpose knife and a utility knife with a serrated edge were two ideal knives to have in the kitchen.

“Buy as good a quality knife as you can afford, take care of it and you’ll be surprised the difference it can make in the kitchen,” Ms Morley said.

If you’d like to sharpen your kitchen skills or consider a career in cooking, there are a smorgasbord of courses available at TAFE NSW. For more information, visit www.tafensw.edu.au