6 Ways To Deal When You Hate Your Partner's Cooking (Without Hurting Their Feelings)
You really don't want to hurt his feelings but you're also really hungry
Guillaume Bolduc on Unsplash Everybody loves to spend time with their significant other – whether that be going to the movies, to the gym, or cooking dinner together.
Nobody is perfect, and when it comes to food, not all of us are experts in the kitchen.
Maybe you love to cook and come up with new and challenging recipes, or maybe you just prefer takeout. But, sometimes our boyfriends like to wow us with their "cooking skills" or lack thereof. Bless their hearts, they do try. But, when he tells you he is cooking chicken and it ends up looking like soup, there may be a problem there. It is never easy to let someone down or hurt their feelings, but you always need to be open and honest with your partner.
My nana loves to cook – her chocolate chip cookies at Christmas time and her unmatched spaghetti sauce are unparalleled. However, my pap has no real sense of cooking. My nana rules the kitchen and that's that on that.
Usually, the partner who isn't the best at cooking (whether it be the boyfriend or the girlfriend) stays in their lane. Maybe they want to try and cook for you one time and it turns out bad – that's okay, it happens! But, if your partner always insists on cooking and the food is somewhat indigestible, it might be time to sit down and have a talk with them.
Here are a few ways to break the news to your partner that they probably aren't going to be on Top Chef or befriending Gordon Ramsay anytime soon. Also, some suggestions on how to deal when you hate your partner's cooking (but totally love the effort. Seriously.)
1. Suggest a cooking class.
For a fun date idea that will also benefit your partner's cooking skills, suggest taking a cooking class together. There are cooking classes for all skill levels and for all different types of cooking – baking, marinating, chopping, you name it. Making a cute date idea out of it with matching couple aprons and maybe going with some of your friends could make the class seem more enjoyable and less of an ambush.
Cooking classes can range in price, but there are usually discounts for one-time classes. Who knows, maybe your boyfriend will turn into the next Gordon Ramsay.
2. Offer to help them cook.
I'm not saying to stand over his shoulder and eye his every move, but noticing the recipe he is following and the ingredients he is using may be helpful in discovering why he sucks at cooking. Maybe he is using waaaaay to much garlic or isn't letting the food bake long enough. Whatever the issue, try and see what is going wrong.
Offer to help and ask if you can chop some veggies or watch the oven. He will probably love the company and you can watch at the same time. If he insists on you relaxing while he cooks, just tell him you want to watch him cook for you because he is just so dreamy when he flips that burger.
3. Find recipes online together and try them - together.
When it comes to cooking as a beginner, it is always best to follow a recipe. Hopefully your partner is following one, but if not find some easy ones that include ingredients you both enjoy. That way you know exactly what is supposed to go in the food, how much the recipe calls for, and about how long it is supposed to take to make. If he is making pasta and it is taking over two hours, maybe the pasta is turning into something completely different and you really don't want that.
4. Ask to get takeout every chance you get (who wants to wait for cooking anyway, right?!)
After awhile, if you ask to get Indian food every time he offers to cook, he will probably get the hint. You can always say it's nothing personal, you just really love Indian takeout. If he doesn't buy that, then maybe he will be open and ready to have an honest discussion about his awful cooking skills.
Either way, you'll both end up eating good and greasy takeout and that's all we can ask for.
5. Ask them to taste the food first.
If your partner can't even stand the taste of their own food, odds are they won't expect you to, either. After he cooks your meal for you, suggest him to taste test his creation first. If it tastes bad, maybe he will know a way to fix it before it enters your stomach and causes some issues.
6. At the end of the day, be honest (and SUPER sweet) with your partner.
While you can go back and forth trying to find ways to break the news, the best way to tell your partner they aren't the greatest chef is by just being honest. If you sit them down and have a nice, honest conversation, there should not be any hostility. Especially if it is a budding relationship, it is best to get things out of the way that bother you. His cooking can only get better (hopefully) and he will probably see it as a funny joke that you guys will laugh about at your wedding someday.
Carlie Fox is a writer who writes about love, relationships, self-care, spirituality and astrology.