My grandmother was an awful cook. So bad that my father developed a love of ham and lima beans as well as SOS when he was in the army.
Sadly for me he would make mom cook these delicacies for us when we were growing up.
The SOS was OK but limas and ham? gag
Fortunately, my father is a splendid cook who taught us how. He still uses a 1936 copy of The Joy of Cooking, but mostly cooks by inspiration.
My maternal grandmother never believed my dad could cook . . . and she knew her daughter couldn't . . . so every Thursday she came over and cooked dinner so that her grandchildren wouldn't starve to death.
(Does that say something about my wife's cooking? :-)) )