Dining delight dumped by Dutch directness

I fancy myself a rather good cook, and some of my friends do too. I often volunteer to cook for friends and fellow residents. One night when I was living in the Netherlands, I did a special recipe for my Dutch friend. When I served it up and she had tasted a forkful, I asked, "Tina, do you like that?" Her answer was a monosyllabic un-nuanced, "No." 

What she had given was a factual report in response to my question. No, she didn't like it. De gustibus non est disputandum. Could I hear that? Not a chance. What I heard was a swelling mental chorus of interpretations along the lines of: "No, it's a bad recipe!" "No, you're a bad cook!" all the way to, "No, I don't love you any more!"

Clarity and heartburn. I appreciate always knowing where I stand with my Dutch colleagues and friends, but something in my gut is always a bit upset.