Minding Your Manners When in a Relationship

I really can’t complain when it comes to cooking during the course of my marriage. While my own talents have come a long way over the last decade, I’ve been blessed to have the talents of my wife to depend upon as a back up should I fail to come in and take over and make things right. She’s like the Trevor Hoffman of the culinary arts, ready to run in from the bullpen and make the save whenever there’s trouble. Yet on rare occasions, there has been an occasional meal that was less than appealing and I have to go through a process that many men sometimes must face. You can’t say a single thing about the food what so ever. Someone (it’s that infamous quote) “slaved over a hot stove” to make this meal for you, so to turn around and gripe about it is rude, disrespectful and really unfair. Luckily I have rarely had to experience any occasions like that which is amazing as our tenth anniversary approaches this August. She and I have many similar tastes when if comes to the selection of meals and it has resulted in few conflicts and for that I humbly thank the Food Gods.

However, all men instinctively know what to do when faced with something nasty but don’t want to say anything about it. We’ve all been there. Someone has slaved over a hot stove for hours and really gone out of their way to make something special, and the last thing you want to do is insult that effort and hard work so for them you are going to make and effort and show your appreciate and eat it nor matter how nasty it turns out to be. Every guy has been there, and even if there is blood oozing from the carcass, we would eat it rather than hurt someone’s feelings, especially if that person is someone we love. And ladies, for your benefit I will share a few secrets of what men do when served a less than appealing meal but don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.

Find and Use as Many Condiments as Humanly Possible

If people at the table suddenly feel the urge to break out the ketchup, mustard, relish, hot sauce, cheese wiz or even that whip with the zip when trying to tackle a tuna casserole, that’s a dead giveaway. Condiments are often used to offset something that is lacking in a meal in an attempt to make it better for someone who is not finding satisfaction in the meal being presented. If the meal is too dry, ketchup is used to relieve that. If it’s too mild… Tabasco to the rescue! There is nothing wrong with a pinch of salt and pepper but if the meal is drowning in more than three or four condiments, something is wrong with the chow and you might want to address it rather and force your partner to play mad scientist with meal time.