Should restaurants give out recipes?

[MyCrummyApartment]

I think it is good business to have recipe information available for anyone who asks. And these days, due to health and safety issues with allergies many cities dictate that restaurants MUST divulge their contents to concerned guests.

I have never understood why chefs/restaurants were so protective of such information. Giving it out can only help your image and spread the word about your establishment. It certainly does not stop people from going out to eat. I would rather have novices attempt to make something they had at my restaurant and talk about it (me) endlessly to their friends and family. It's a viral marketing opportunity really.

If you can't give out a great recipe because you are too protective, it is also kind of saying you are not creative or confident enough to come up with something just as good or even better. Really good chefs don't worry about this kind of stuff because execution and creativity is what they really rely on for long term success.

Consumers do not debate about making Lobster Thermidore at home OR going out to a restaurant to buy the same thing. They decide to eat out, and then make a decision about what, where, when and how much.

KFC's "secret" recipe has been widely available for decades and it didn't hurt their business.

 

[buckytom]

good point, crummy.

lol, sirloin's post reminds me of the mother, marie barone, on the old cbs show "everbody loves raymond".

she would give ray's wife recipes that had horribly wrong ingredients, and even put incorrect labels on her herbs and spices.

i did that to my boss's wife once, unintentionally. my boss raved to his wife about my meatballs and sausages in a garden tomato sauce that i'd make every year when catering my dept's holiday party. he said it was as good or better than his mom's. the fact that he took home a container of leftovers was a huge compliment. so his wife asked for my recipe. i mistakenly wrote 3 tablespoons of oregano when i meant teaspoons. oops.
when my boss got home one night, he wondered why his wife was making such a strong pizza sauce, lol. she was really annoyed at me because my boss's mom, an old sicillian woman much like marie barone, used to give her faulty recipes as well. my boss's wife thought there was some kind of conspiracy going on. lol.

 

[Andy M.]

...my boss's wife thought there was some kind of conspiracy going on. lol.

Well, was there....

 

[roadfix]

Here's one example if you have several restaurants all within a few city block area specializing on the same item but only one restaurant stands out above them all due to a 'secret recipe', that restaurant is certainly not going to share its recipe to anyone.

 

[chopper]

I really like it when a place will tell you what is in something, and then you can go home and experiment. I did that once with shrimp. It was so good that I asked what it was and they told me that it was honey, lemon juice and a little lime juice. They were bacon wrapped and skewered. I went home and tried different amounts of lemon, lime, and honey. I found that 1 1/2 cups of honey with the juice of two lemons and one lime did the trick. I also make sure to dredge the bacon in the sauce before wrapping around the shrimp. I baste them while on the grill-turning often. It works great for me, and they didn't have to actually give me the recipe. It is just more fun for me, but I do like to play around with things in my kitchen!

 

[CWS4322]

Because I have an allergy to pine nuts, I do appreciate it that when I ask if there are pine nuts in something,the wait person goes and confirms. Of course, having my epi-pen by my fork when I ask does help <g>.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I share all of my recipes. but I don't rely on them for a living. If I did, I don't think I would be comfortable sharing them, except to a very few people. My recipes would be my living. But I have to say that to me, a recipe isn't just a list of ingredients, even if the correct amounts are given. A recipe includes the techniques used to execute the dish.

When I taste something that I really have to know how to make, I make a mental note of the flavors, and aromas I tasted and smelled. Then, I go home after the meal is over and write them down, and the dish they belonged to. I can usually figure out the recipe in a short time with a little trial and error. But it takes practice to do that.

For instance, there is a restaurant in SSM, Ontario called North 82. They are basically a steak house, with decent food. But they have a Caesar's Salad that can't be beat. And it's pretty ironic that it is so good, because the salad consists of green leaf or Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces, and placed into a bowl. That's it. What makes it special is the secret salad dressing they pour over it, and the fresh parmesan cheese they grate over it while the bowl sits before you.

I went home and re-created that salad dressing, the night I'd had it. It was spectacular and I just had to have it. Sadly, I didn't write anything down and couldn't remember how I'd made it. So, I have to go back to eat it again, and refresh my memory, so I can re-create it yet again.

I have to say though, I can already make everything else they serve in that restaurant, and to my tastes. Once I have the dressing down, I'm one of those people who would rather make it myself, and enjoy it in my home rather than drive over the international bridge, pay the tolls, and the restaurant costs. It takes pretty special food to get me out of the house, and usually, something I've never had before.

So, for people like me, it's a good thing that restaurants keep their recipes secret.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[chopper]

I share all of my recipes. but I don't rely on them for a living. If I did, I don't think I would be comfortable sharing them, except to a very few people. My recipes would be my living. But I have to say that to me, a recipe isn't just a list of ingredients, even if the correct amounts are given. A recipe includes the techniques used to execute the dish.

When I taste something that I really have to know how to make, I make a mental note of the flavors, and aromas I tasted and smelled. Then, I go home after the meal is over and write them down, and the dish they belonged to. I can usually figure out the recipe in a short time with a little trial and error. But it takes practice to do that.

For instance, there is a restaurant in SSM, Ontario called North 82. They are basically a steak house, with decent food. But they have a Caesar's Salad that can't be beat. And it's pretty ironic that it is so good, because the salad consists of green leaf or Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces, and placed into a bowl. That's it. What makes it special is the secret salad dressing they pour over it, and the fresh parmesan cheese they grate over it while the bowl sits before you.

I went home and re-created that salad dressing, the night I'd had it. It was spectacular and I just had to have it. Sadly, I didn't write anything down and couldn't remember how I'd made it. So, I have to go back to eat it again, and refresh my memory, so I can re-create it yet again.

I have to say though, I can already make everything else they serve in that restaurant, and to my tastes. Once I have the dressing down, I'm one of those people who would rather make it myself, and enjoy it in my home rather than drive over the international bridge, pay the tolls, and the restaurant costs. It takes pretty special food to get me out of the house, and usually, something I've never had before.

So, for people like me, it's a good thing that restaurants keep their recipes secret.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

I also like to eat what I can recreate at home, but I would like to go out once in a while. The problem is, my husband likes what I make at home that he is always dissapointed when we go out. I have to go out on my own sometimes for more great ideas to bring home!

 

[AmandaN80]

Last time we were in Disney World we ate at a few places that the food was just amazing! At Boma, I asked what was in some of the desserts as they did have alcohol in it and I wanted to know the type and amount before allowing my children to eat some. They actually gave the recipe! I was surprised. I went home and tried to make it. It was good, but not amazing lol
A few other restaurants in WDW area do freely give out recipes and I am grateful for that. I dont typically ask for a recipe. If I need to know if its got certain ingredients Ill ask that much. I dont typically share my recipes. One woman asked me over and over and over on my business page and I wouldnt give her the full recipes but did list what I put in it. When I get tired of making it and if/when sales goes down Ill share it. For the time I like to keep it to myself.

 

[CharlieD]

Would be nice to be able to get your favorite recipe from a restaurant. But most of the time it is not going to happen.

 

[PattY1]

I agree with restaurants giving you (upon request) a list of ingredients for medical reasons, but not the recipe.
I gladly give my recipes to who ever asks. That way someone else can make the "mac-n-cheese" for a change. LOL

 

[Robo410]

the chef and owner have the right to market their wares anyway they please. However, recipes geared for the professional kitchen do not automatically translate to the home kitchen. Nor are the skills of the home cook regularly equal to those of the line cook.

 

[Dawgluver]

One of our faves in New Orleans, Mr. B's, happily gives out it's outstanding head-on BBQ shrimp recipe. I have come close to duplicating it, but can't access head-on shrimp here.

 

[Andy M.]

One of our faves in New Orleans, Mr. B's, happily gives out it's outstanding head-on BBQ shrimp recipe. I have come close to duplicating it, but can't access head-on shrimp here.

If you have a good-sized Asian market near you, they may have head on shrimp.

 

[Dawgluver]

Sadly, no. Not anything that would be fresh, anyway. Years ago, a friend had Mississippi crayfish here digging up her yard. I looked it up, and found out you can cook and eat them in the Midwest! We have not tried them yet... They are called "mudbugs" for a reason.

 

[spork]

I wonder if line cooks at some restaurants have to sign a non-disclosure form re recipes before hire?

 

[Andy M.]

Sadly, no. Not anything that would be fresh, anyway.

Frozen works.

 

[simonbaker]

Secret sauce recipes should never be given away.

I completely agree.

 

[purple.alien.giraffe]

I think in cases like allergies, a restaurant should be required to let customers know what on the menu is safe for them. Other than that I think whether or not it's a good idea to give out recipes depends on the restaurant. If part of the atmosphere is that the food is exotic, exclusive, or mysterious or if they serve a signature dish, it might not be a good idea to share the recipes. If they serve relatively simple food or have an everyone is family type atmosphere it might promote feelings of good will between the restaurant and customers. I think ultimately each has to decide what is best for them.

 

[CWS4322]

When I worked in the tourism industry (a lifetime ago), I ate at some very nice restaurants. I asked for and received many excellent recipes. I am hesitant to share those recipes even with my dearest friend because I don't know that the recipient will identify the source of the recipe. We all pass recipes around. I recently found a link that I had posted here was actually a recipe that had originally appeared in a magazine. The website where I stumbled across the recipe did not credit the magazine. That's a violation of copyright. Protecting copyright has become a challenge because of the Internet. Just because it is on the Internet, doesn't mean that someone doesn't own the copyright. If the owner (in this case, a magazine) has it on the Internet, a link provided rather than reproducing the recipe unless one receives expressed permission to do so. In this particular case, the blogger even used the photo of the dish that was in the magazine, so the photographer's copyright is also violated (unless the magazine bought the rights). In Canada, expressed permission can only be in writing (not email, it must be in writing) and must be requested each and every time one wishes to reproduce the material that is protected by copyright. There is a requirement to acknowledge that the work is reproduced with expressed permission. I am not a lawyer, but I know this from a copyright issue for which I needed legal assistance to stop someone from violating a copyright I own. In Canada, the party that violates the copyright can be subjected to a $50K fine.