Would you tell a friend that their cooking really isn't that good?

I avoid the topic with her period - hee hee! I don't even know how to tell her subtley. Maybe I should buy her a cookbook for Christmas? Hee hee. Yes, discretion used whenever possible. Thanks, geminikid!

Yah, it would be kinda nervy to tell her her cooking is icky, eh? I suppose it's the thought that counts . . . but our tastebuds and tummies would tell you otherwise - hee hee. I wish she could afford cooking lessons! When she entertains, she is the type who says "Don't bring anything - just yourselves!" . . . but yah, maybe we should bring our own stuff!

I think my friend would be very hurt if I said anything bad about her cooking - she really takes pride in it! I wonder how she would take a comment about making one of her dishes more delicious . . . she takes a long of things the wrong way! For us, it would be for her to go buy an already prepared dish - hee hee - oh that would be so mean.

I know constructive criticism would be best, but I don't know if she can even handle that (a criticism is a criticism to her). She's a very fragile person! I just feel so bad that's she's pouring her heart out on these dishes and it's not that we're not appreciative of it - it just plain doesn't taste very good! Perhaps I should just buy her a cookbook for Christmas - hee hee.

Ha ha - not eating over would be the best solution - ha ha! It's funny you say that because a lot of people end up not coming over after the first time - and I'm not kidding!

I would love to tell her in a positive way that her cooking is not up to par, but what would I say? I mean, it seems like every single thing she makes is just not good, and it would be hard to give her constructive criticism on everything without her taking it the wrong way. Perhaps I should tell her to go to the doctor's to get her taste buds checked out? Hee hee. It's very hard because she takes so much pride in her cooking skills - I'd hate to knock it down! But I guess "someone" needs to do it!

Oh yes, my dad was the same way to my mother . . . he never held back in telling her something was too salty or too whatever. Yes, my friend made some chewy white sauce . . . I think the cheese and butter/milk did not meld together well to make a liquid sauce . . . the cheese just solidified again. Oh - and she even managed to make a horrible grilled cheese sandwich in which my little one didn't even want to eat (and she LOVES grilled cheese sandwich!). As in the above comment, I was thinking maybe she should go to the doctor's to get her taste buds checked out too . . . it is pretty weird, eh?

Well, you're lucky your friend knows you're a picky eater - hee hee! I would think that if we took only one bite of something and didn't eat the rest that she would get the hint, but I guess she never does. Yah, I would never tell her flat out that her cooking is awful. The thing is no one will say anything . . . and she won't ask how does it taste . . . she'll say "Hey guys, I think I did a great job on this pasta!" . . . she'll compliment herself. OY!

Now you sound like an Italian expert! I think maybe her grandparents immigrated from Italy at best . . . otherwise she is very American - hee hee. She takes pride in her cooking skills, in which she says she learned a lot from her mother . . . and she has tons of old cookbooks that were her mother's (hmmmm, maybe some of these recipes are just old and bland . . . what she grew up on so it's not so bad to her??). I prefer sauce to be sauceno matter what region it originates from, not chewy that it makes all the pasta stick together and you need to use a knife! I wouldn't even know where to begin to give her any hints . . . and ha - I guess I should duck before I get struck by any meat-a-ballsa!

I haven't said anything to her - and most likely I never will. I just don't have the heart to knock down her interest of pride and joy. Believe me, we all try to dodge her dinners (and lunch and breakfasts and snacks, ha ha) . . . but it's so sad we have to do that. How would I tell her how to make the food less disgusting? Put it in the trash, not on our plates? Hee hee! She puts so much into entertaining - I don't think I could tell her flat out that I didn't like something!!