Question
I have a friend I’ve been close to for the past two years. She and her husband like to have us over for Shabbos meals often, just as much as we like to have them. The problem is, she is the worst cook in the world and her food is absolutely disgusting. So much that I’d rather eat dog food (if it were kosher; I mean it figuratively) than her own cooking. She does not recognize this and she feels she is a master chef. And I don’t have the heart to tell her how I feel about her cooking. Whenever my husband and I are over, we have to physically force ourselves to eat her food, all as we feel like vomiting with each bite. And we feel compelled to praise her for it in order to be polite. She doesn’t get it how we feel. We feel very close to her and her husband, but we don’t feel comfortable insulting her over her food. We don’t know how to handle this. We look forward to socializing with this couple, who are one of our best friends, but dread their food. As a rabbi, what is your advice?

Question
At this time of year, Shabbat starts very late. We want to eat early to have the kids in bed early. But we still want to enjoy non-Shabbat activities up until the published candle lighting time. Does reciting Kiddush usher in the Shabbat for the reciter, thereby rendering non-Shabbat activities forbidden?

Question
Eloheinu Veilohei Avoteinu is the last paragraph of the Amidah 4th Bracha (Holiness of Shabbat.) Why is this paragraph repeated again after Magen Avot on Friday Evening Maariv service?

Question
Are you allowed to cook fish on top of a grill that had meat on it?    

Question
If Yom Tov leads into Shabbat, the following prayers are not said during Kabbalat Shabbat: Psalms 95-99, 29, L'Cha Dodi. Is that correct? Does one recite Yedid Nefesh? Does one recite psalms 92 and 93?

Question
Shalom aleichem Rabbi Lauffer. Thank you for answering my last question. If one has a “smart” thermostat, specifically a “Nest,” where if you walk into the room on Shabbos it causes the motion sensor on the Nest to light up the display so that it displays the temperature, and the thermostat is also designed to take into account whenever someone enters the room so as to better set the schedule of when the heat goes on automatically, would it be prohibited to enter the room on Shabbos? Thanks.

Question
Did all Jewish people have to come to the Temple and sacrifice 2 spotless lambs every Shabbat? Or did just the Levitical priests attending the Temple make those sacrifices every Shabbat?