Dear Amy: I learned how to cook from my mother, grandmother and aunts. In a Latin family like mine, it was a given that women learned to cook. And I loved being among these wise ladies.
Fast-forward to now. I am married to a wonderful man. Although he's not Latin, he has fully embraced my family and culture.
He comes from a small family, and his mother likes having everyone over for dinner. The problem is that she cannot cook, and she has no interest in learning.
There are family members (including my husband) who get physically sick after eating one of her meals. The poultry is burned on the outside and raw inside. Plus, nothing she serves has any flavor.
I've tried bringing over a side dish, but she takes offense. A cookbook that was given to her is collecting dust. And she declines all offers to help in the kitchen.
How do we tell this woman that her cooking is making us sick without offending her?
Amy says: Whatever message is delivered, you should not be the person to do it. You are justifiably proud of your culinary tradition, but you are dealing with someone who did not grow up in that same tradition and quite obviously will not embrace it.
No one should consume food that is not safe to eat. Your husband should ask, "Mom, could you cook this longer? I'm not sure this is cooked through."
