How oh how can I tell Mr Inferior in a kind tactful and above all EFFECTIVE way that his culinary repetoire is deeply limited? Tell me that, eh?

[motherinferior]

I fully concede that I tend to cook the same things a lot. But DP - who only learned to cook about six years ago after taking up with me, in any case - currently cooks about two things in the week. Nigel Slater's chicken supper thing (somewhat neutered by DP's preference for skinned chicken breasts) and spaghetti bolognese which he learned from his mate Tory Ben. I have sort of tried sort of tactfully (by my standards) to ask could we not have the chicken thing every time he cooks. Hence the revisitation of Tory Ben's spag bol. Oh, and sometimes, to be fair, he does do some sort of pasta sauce variant. But it's deeply limited. Especially as DP has Prejudices against various foodstuffs including risotto. And cous-cous. And given my limitations in the areas of Tact and indeed of Relationships, please can you give me some suggestions for nudging him into a wide variety of gastronomic experimentations? Because quite seriously, it is beginning to get me down.

Oh and while you're about it how can I get him to cook more of our fresh veg delivery?

Well, in that case, stroke said bollocks. They love that.

pmsl beansprout!

I'm not entirely sure that would fool him, WWW.

actually I know. just don't buy any of the ingredients in either of his meals

He wants a barometer for his birthday? Wow.

So, wrap the barometer up beautifully, and when he's opened it, hit him over the head with Oliver. Job done.

In a lascivious and hungry way, BS?

DP does scrambled eggs and beans on toast, who ever he's cooking for!

great idea Hairy.

and PMSL beansprout.

can you not say 'i saw him make this on the telly and it looked lush, you are cooking on fri night'?

MI, can I just say that speaking as partner to someone who cannot conceive of cooking without elaborate originality (the honey-and-matured-goat-cheese tartines with sauteed chicory were not really an unalloyed success), shall we swap?

That, or yes a Nigel Slater cookbook.

Ok, so he's not stupid MI, I know that. pmsl at hitting him with Oliver and at not buying His Ingredients! Oh just tell him! After sex. Or before. sorry, not much use, am I?

dh says this one is fab for blokes

Is he a pedant?

If so, he might like A Pedant in the Kitchen by Julian Barnes. It's my favourite cook book.

OK MI here's a sure fire way.

Offer him a BJ if he cooks you a different meal

MY DH would become Jamie if that was the result

Or, I know, I know, build it up by saying "I need to talk to you, I hope you won't mind, be offended, really sorry etc etc" and then he'll think it's something awful and will be bloody relieved when you just say you want him to cook something other than his 2 dishes.

Tory Ben

what about Real Food by Nigel S? that's great I think.
Nigel is just about my level of preferred manliness too.

Just show him this thread

this also fab

or the simon hopkinson one

though I have to admit I have gone for the I cook, he washes up routine.
because I like eating, you know, food

get him to do nice salads

Anyone can do that

at least he's not vegi mi . (apologies to all vegis, i love you really just my life would be easier if dp wasn't)

Oh god no. Never look hungry because then they think you want sex!

Rats, I'e been beaten to it. I was going to suggest making sure he can't get hold of the ingredients too. It reminds me of the student house I lived in where we took turns to cook- 3 of us could do two dishes each (and I use the term dishes loosely) and the fourth made something different every week.

Failing that I would probably resort to heavy sarcasm "oh, Nige's chicken again, how lovely^, but that's just me

Take a cooking class together!