At my wits end with my amateur chef OH

[justasking111]

He watches Rick stein and James Martin every day. We're supposed to alternate cooking dinner. Three times this week he's fucked up. I buy good ingredients tell him what's for dinner. He muscles in hours before me to prep.

This week he's overdone it. Partridge with vegetables he tipped in crabapple jelly. Was so sweet I couldn't eat it.

Chicken curry half a large carton of creme freiche and god knows what herbs.

Today I was doing shin of beef with vegetables in the slow cooker. He insisted on taking over. I said no potatoes because I was doing dumplings. He said I don't want dumplings.
I've just tasted it. I don't know if he's put in lots of pepper, mustard, cloves or all three. It tastes weird. OH and he's done a pan of potatoes.

He won't follow a recipe because he's learnt it all on the television.

So am I being unreasonable expecting food that I can eat? Or am I just ungrateful?

I don't think it's fair to blame stein. I have one of his books and every thing I've made from it is fab. But your dh is attempting to recreate with no recipe just vaguely copying an idea. Either way yanbu op- he needs to follow a recipe when he cooks or cook what he knows, and when you are cooking he needs to butt out altogether! I'd be livid if a layer of sliced potatoes was added to my slow cooker in lieu of dumplings!

I was at college with James for three years. From there he went on to train at 190 Queensgate. His formal training to qualify was five years. Your DH thinks by TV osmosis he can get those skills?

If he wasn't so lovely in other ways I'd be popping DH in the post to you right now 🌶🌶🌶

@DidiAskYouThough "are they married? OP referred to him as ‘other half’ which usually means just a boyfriend. It matters because if they’re married they’re intertwined financially and this man is essentially binning money on shit food"

Fair play to you- this post is even weirder than the OP!

I would absolutely love that

Its absolutely bonkers isnt it!!!

Why? Why’s it ok for him to be wasting their money on his shit food?

Maybe it's time to start making separate meals 😅

I dont think Ive followed a recipe in my life.

I think this is essentially just another 'he's a dickhead/twat' bashing thread

It makes no sense

My mum could have written this about me, however it is partially her fault as I was in the kitchen from about age 4🤣. I was known for my great “concoction” meals. Took me about 6 years but I’m the go to for cooking now, honestly make him watch masterchef and learn the basics, my family can sympathise with you and the horrors I plated up😅 YANBU

Spoony Fucker

@DidiAskYouThough "Why? Why’s it ok for him to be wasting their money on his shit food?"

It isn't. But it isn't whether they're married or not married. Oh, and "other half" doesn't mean boyfriend.

WitcheryDivine · Today 17:12

No mate not everything is improved with half a block of butter and three chillies. Really.

Not even mango sorbet?

I wonder if he's got 'ideas' in his head, like my aforementioned friend. He absolutely can't be subtle about anything, rather than add a tiny pinch of sugar to take down the acidity of tomatoes, he will add a tablespoon full. I've also told him that I don't like pototoes, pasta or rice, but he thinks that I'm wrong, because all food needs carbs, so he will serve me a huge helping of runny instant mash (he's elderly and can't stand for long enough to peel potatoes).

😂

I dont understand why the assumption is he is doing 'shit' food. He's doing food which he likes and which he thinks taste nice.

Ok, OP doesnt like the same food

He didnt want dumplings, he wanted potatoes. Does that mean OP served him shit food and wasted money on the food as well?

I havent read anything which implies its terrible food.

Imagine if a man posted the OP's opening post

I do most of the cooking. Mr ChangeName knows that it's polite to thank the cook and eat what you're given, unless it's an occasional dish that you really don't like. I wouldn't tolerate someone telling me what to cook and mocking my efforts

How long has this been going on for? Maybe he’ll stop after a while. Does he cook for anyone else, like friends or family? What do they think?

He's acting like he can cook, when he can't. So someone who can cook, who's learned over years, can watch a TV programme and really understand what's going on. When they make something on TV then you're just getting an impression of the dish - you have to follow the recipe if you're not a proper cook. I think this is what a lot of men in particular don't understand - cooking isn't about flinging things into a pan and them turning out great, though that's what it can look like when you watch an experienced cook.

If I were you, though, I'd say let's cook separately from now on. You can make double and freeze or refrigerate one dish, then he can do whatever he wants for himself.

Must admit, I'm lol at these recipes apart from mash, garlic, butter and creme fraiche which sounds delish!

What’s his sense of taste and smell like? Surely he must be tasting the food while cooking? I’d tell him to work on his pallet.

My DH thinks he’s Gordon Ramsay. I can’t enter the kitchen when he’s “at work” (using every pan in the place). Thing is he’s actually quite good at simple stews & stuff like that. It’s only when he follows a chef-y recipe that it all goes wrong…

My ex was like this. He insisted chilli con carne should be improved with the inclusion of dark chocolate which I disagreed with. To really teach me a lesson, he put tons in not just a subtle hint. The result? Beef pudding. Absolutely vile. He also used to try and put apple juice in bolognaise ragu, which I can report is also really horrible and unnecessary.

Bless him for his efforts but jarring to be using all the ingredients to concoct some odd-tasting food ☹️

🤮