My favorite cooking disaster was when my husband and I were newly married. I
am Italian and Polish, he is Puerto Rican. My mother in law had made us the
most delicious meal of ethnic food which included rice and beans, my husbands
favorite. I told how much I liked it so she showed me how to make the beans
from scratch. A few days later I bought everything I needed and started to
cook to surprise my husband. I did everything I was showed. I soaked the
beans the correct amount of time, I got the seasonings just right and I let
them simmer the appropriate amount of time. I made the rice and everything
smelled great. My husband came home and smelled his favorite meal and was
very impressed that I learned how to cook it so quickly! We sat down to eat
and I watched as he tried the food... He smiled and told me it was very good
then I tried mine. It was horrible! It tasted like I had scraped something I
had stepped in off my shoe and put it over the rice. (I still don't know what
I did wrong!) My husband trying to be sweet and not hurt my feelings was
eating like he was enjoying it. I finally had to grab the plate from him and
scrape it into the garbage and I made him promise to tell me the truth
whenever I ever asked him about a meal again. We ended up ordering a pizza, I
think I saved his life that night! So now when we want rice and beans we
visit someone who can make them
