this got rejected for quality issues

Composition!!

The basics of photography composition | Adobe

Composition and focus seem to be the primary issues. The large blurry object in the foreground and the shiny object (tin foil) are distracting. The DOF appears to be too shallow. There are blownout reasons, such as the left rim of the pot.

Highlights are burned out and the shadows could be opened up to see more detail. Compositionally speaking, you should have pulled back so as not to cut off the bowl.