My aunt told me my potato salad was 'aggressively bland' at the 4th of July cookout

Honestly, she said it right in front of my mom and cousins while we were all serving ourselves. I just used mayo, potatoes, and a little salt like my mom always did. The next time I made it, I added a whole tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, some diced pickles, and a bunch of chopped dill. It actually tasted way better, but now I'm nervous to bring any food to her house. Has anyone else had a family member just roast their cooking in public like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna8911mo agoMost Upvoted

Sometimes a blunt comment is the push you need. My uncle once called my deviled eggs "sad," and it made me experiment with paprika and a dash of mustard. The key is to remember the critique was about the food, not you as a person.

the_angela1mo ago

Okay but "the key is to remember the critique was about the food, not you" is a nice idea in theory. If my uncle called my deviled eggs sad, I'd probably just think he was being rude for no reason. Not everyone gets a push from bluntness, sometimes it just makes you not want to cook for them again. I guess it depends on your family's whole vibe.

grace_knight701mo ago

Honestly read an article once about how food feedback needs a bit of kindness to work. Tbh calling something "sad" is just lazy criticism, it doesn't help anyone improve. That kind of bluntness usually just hurts feelings and shuts people down. The vibe in your family really does decide if that's normal or just mean. Some folks mistake being harsh for being honest, but they're not the same thing. Good feedback tells you what's wrong, not just that it's bad.