DEAR MISS MANNERS: How best can a hostess graciously accept compliments on her cooking?
When people remark on a particular dish or baked good, I find myself saying "Thank you," and then adding a disclaimer (i.e., "It was an easy recipe"). I feel uncomfortable simply saying "Thank you" without anything else, but perhaps this is the most polite response and I need to become accustomed to giving it. What should one add, if anything?
GENTLE READER: A winning smile. Miss Manners recognizes, without understanding, that most people find it difficult to accept a compliment with good grace. But she urges you to consider that attempts to convince the guest that your cooking is not worthy of compliment are neither flattering, appetizing, nor, she trusts, convincing.