Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

How do I tell my mum she's a bad cook?

Mum was raised by a very traditional family, where she was taught housewife stuff like cooking and cleaning and sewing and stuff like that. She's very proud she can do all of that. Except she can't.
I'm trying really hard to be nice and grateful about it and eat whatever she cooks because I appreciate that she cooks for us when she doesn't have to. But she can't cook.
She's terrified of food poisoning because she ate pink chicken two and a half decades ago and since then she's overcooked every bit of meat ever, which makes it tasteless and bland with a poor texture: usually chewy or tough for no reason. And meat that can be cooked rare or medium or well done is always well done just in case. She boils vegetables too much because she prefers them overdone. Everything else she undercooks. We've eaten barely warm pizza and hard pasta rather than actually tell her that it's basically raw. Plus everything she bakes is somehow both crunchy and soggy. Her go to is digging through the freezer for the first thing she puts her hand on and adding frozen mash.
I've tried to get her to use seasonings and spices when cooking, but she always says she doesn't like them. I cook dinner 2 nights a week and my little sister has actually asked me if I can take over the cooking all week. I also try cooking with mum when I can and whenever I cook something like chicken perfectly she insists it needs longer. We had beef a few night ago and my sister asked me to do hers rare because she doesn't like it well done so I did and when mum saw her happily eating it she took the plate off her and stuck the meat back in the pan until it was waaay over, bordering burnt! Then she got annoyed when my sister picked at it.
How do I tell her all this without being rude? I appreciate all she does for us and I know it's not easy for her to do a full day of work and come home and cook for us but 5 days a week everything we eat is overcooked and bland.

Reply 1

londonmyst

My mother is very similar; her food is always terrible and she burns everything to a crisp.
Has a fiery temper and bans all milk that comes from non-Jersey, Guernsey and Holstein herds.
Lamb, turkey, duck, venison and game are absolutely forbidden.
As is all under-done meat, raw egg and unpasteurised anything.
The egg thing isn't too bad, my mother has the knack of always picking rotten eggs that smell terrible.

Don't tell your mother you don't like her cooking.
It will just make her angry.
Try to add sauces to get rid of the bland taste.
You might want to let her know that according to the dentist you are prone to toothache and teeth problems.
You have sensitive teeth likely to require extensive work (capping, fillings, root canals & dental implants) if strained by very tough meat, only soft meat will do.
That was what my father told me mother, after she semi-cremated roast beef into a giant rock cake. It worked wonders.

Reply 2

Ohm0009

Run away and find a new house to live in. Make a petition and beg people to sign it. Or just accept it :/

You are alive and you have food. Some people don't even have that.

Reply 3

JaseyB

Regarding the meat suggest a slow cooker - or buy her 1 for chirstmas - that way she can put the meat on before she goes to work and no matter how long she leaves it for it will always be nice and tender.

Reply 4

username3638550

Suggest trying new things, without telling her she's bad.

Start having loads of sauces and seasonings on the table, and say you like it that way.

Or offer to help out with the cooking more?

Reply 5

Humble Ahm

Can't you request her nicely that you want to help her and want to start cooking from now on. I do hope she slaps you after that (for posting this here) :cookie: