[AnAmericanMother]

My husband and I have an ongoing discussion about whether HIS mom or MY mom is the worse cook. In 30 years this June, we have never been able to resolve this controversy. Each is a horrible cook in her own special way. His mom is just more uniformly bad, although she has a couple of specialties that she cooks very well indeed. My mom could burn water, when she came to cook for us when I had my first baby, I told her "YOU look after the baby - I'LL cook!"

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.

[mylife]

He still uses a 1936 copy of The Joy of Cooking, but mostly cooks by inspiration.

I do the same. I learned all I know from that book. it is dog eared and broken along the spine in 3 places!