I had a lot of that interaction with my mother before I figured out her algorithm. She'd ask about her cooking, "do you prefer food-A or food-B?" and if I gave a straight answer, I wouldn't see the other option for years. Then when someone brought it up later, she'd go "I thought you didn't like it".

Later on I learned to explain my preference as a ratio between A and B. I know she meant well, but bless her heart, she's neurotypical.