8. Blame the kitchen equipment: “It’s difficult to control the heat on that stovetop.”
“If it was the cooking equipment that was the problem, I’d be able to hold onto my self-confidence.” Give him another reason for the failure, so he doesn’t feel it’s just down to a lack of skill. There’s no shortage of plausible reasons that make it difficult to cook properly. How about, “The kitchen is a little cramped” or “The pans are a bit old”?