Becca, you are your father's daughter : )

I think that it takes both ignorance AND contempt to cook badly on a regular basis. Anyone can follow a recipe, and take criticism delivered gently? If delivered along with a very beautiful, simple and basic cookbook.

I'm thinking maybe this person can't taste at all, Gnu. Maybe it truly doesn't taste the way you experience the horror?

My mother wasn't much interested in food, and so didn't have the same enjoyment her daughters had. Food was bland, predictable, but not horrible. She cooked a small handful of things very well, and I don't recall much deviation. I think that's a good formula if you're not all that engaged in the food or the cooking.

I, on the other hand, LOVE food. As a chef, my current gig involves cooking for, and teaching, women with eating disorders. Some are talented, skilled cooks who just don't want to eat the food; others (and these are the fun ones) have never made a peanut butter sandwich for themselves. With some very basic skills in place, and good basic recipes, even the worst are trainable, believe me.

Dani