Giving Out Recipes

[Andy M.]

I agree, Kades.

It's also annoying when someone makes your recipe (that you gave willingly) then tells everyone it's theirs and that it's a family secret so they won't share it.

 

[kadesma]

I agree, Kades.

It's also annoying when someone makes your recipe (that you gave willingly) then tells everyone it's theirs and that it's a family secret so they won't share it.

If I'm there and hear that, I speak up, Oh really that recipe is just like mine, then I look at who ever want's the recipe and tell them I'll write it down for you..You should see the red face's
kades

 

[FrankZ]

To be honest I don't get asked for recipes too often, though I also don't cook for more than Kathleen and I often. I am not giving her the recipes though, keeps her needing me.

 

[masteraznchefjr]

Ah, I use to not give out recipes ,but then I realized, sharing is great, especially since its a great help for my friends because I realized how many of my friends can't cook; thus one of the reasons why I started my blog.

 

[expatgirl]

I feel the same way.......imitation is the highest form of flattery in my book.......and I'm always happy to share.....what's annoying is when you take the time to jot down the ingredients for that "fantastic" dish that they would just die for, and then they don't follow it and accuse you of leaving something out......happened to me .......my clam with white sauce calls for 6+ cloves of garlic and my friend added about 1/2 tsp. of garlic salt, less clams, and she had no parsely on hand, fresh or otherwise........oh, well, we laugh about it today 'cause I won't let her forget how she "followed" my recipe to a "t"

 

[letscook]

The thing with family secret recipes is that the one who has the recipe has to share it with someone in the family to keep it going and most times they don't even share it with the other family members so when they go there goes the recipe.
After reading all these comments, My mother inlaw taught me to make kapusta and perogies. She had no written recipe and I don't either, It's all by her showing me. Im going to have to write it down the next time I make it. Or again the recipe will go with me and not to the rest of the family.
My FIL was Polish and MIL was Irish and she was a great Polish cook for being Irish. Funny she never really cooked any irsh dishes.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The thing with family secret recipes is that the one who has the recipe has to share it with someone in the family to keep it going and most times they don't even share it with the other family members so when they go there goes the recipe.

Very familiar with losing family favorites, my Father's Mother was very stingy with her recipes and would never even show us how they were made. The only secret I ever learned was using a canned chicken to make her chicken and dumplings and that's because I found her stash of chicken. But she did show me how to make soap, go figure.

Anytime I make something special for work, I always print it out for those who ask. Last summer I made the mistake of not writing down how to make the peach/chipotle salsa I made and was stumped when that was the one thing everyone was asking for. Stumped because I had to make substitutions when I couldn't find mangos or chipotle in adobo sauce in Eastern Wyoming. Luckily I had brought my own ground chipotles. I'm just hoping I can replicate it at some point, it was very good.

 

[kadesma]

The thing with family secret recipes is that the one who has the recipe has to share it with someone in the family to keep it going and most times they don't even share it with the other family members so when they go there goes the recipe.
After reading all these comments, My mother inlaw taught me to make kapusta and perogies. She had no written recipe and I don't either, It's all by her showing me. Im going to have to write it down the next time I make it. Or again the recipe will go with me and not to the rest of the family.
My FIL was Polish and MIL was Irish and she was a great Polish cook for being Irish. Funny she never really cooked any irsh dishes.

Letscook, I had that problem, my DH thought his mom was it and loved her homemade ravioli,sauce, stuffed onions.......sooo asking for the recipe was usless you got a pinch of this and a handfull of that her hands were bigger than mine so,I invited her down took her shopping noting the sizes of eggplants,zucchinis how many..When we got home I put her to work, everything she went to use I produced a measuring cup and wrote it down. She gone now but DH gets his favorites on special occcasions and his birthday and my girls have recipes all printed out for them to use and we do.
kadesma

 

[SNPiccolo5]

What a good thread! I've always shared recipes, too. And I have encountered people who won't. I am always at a loss of words for any sort of response.

Frank -- that cheesecake looks delicious, but no eggs! I will have to try it sometime. I suspect the relatively low amount of sugar (some recipes use 2+ cups!) is what makes it delicious--I bet you can really taste the cream cheese that way. Again -- I'll have to try it sometime.

My tip for awesome cheesecake crust? Brown the butter when you're melting it in a saucepan. It adds a mild depth of flavor that no one can really put their finger on. And if you refuse to tell them your "secret," they'll really go crazy! Lol!

Cheers,
Tim

 

[CharlieD]

.....what's annoying is when you take the time to jot down the ingredients for that "fantastic" dish that they would just die for, and then they don't follow it and accuse you of leaving something out

There is a Russian joke/anekdote about this somewhere I think.

 

[expatgirl]

There is a Russian joke/anekdote about this somewhere I think.

ok, CharlieD, when you find it I want to hear it......

 

[CharlieD]

It is not as much finding it as it is translating.

 

[CharlieD]

There is this really poor guy walks down the Fifth Ave, by the open air café where they serve really fancy French crapes with all kind of side filings like beluga caviar and rose pedal jam, and some other stuff so fancy that he has never even heard of it. The aroma is amazing, the looks on the faces of complete joy. After walking by for few days he can’t stand it anymore. He comes home and asks his wife to make some.

The good wife, that she is runs back to the place, bags the chef for the recipe comes home and starts working on the crape. Then she discovers that she doesn’t have any fine bleached highest grade white flour, all she has some unbleached multigrain flour so she tells her husband about the problem.
He is so anxious so he doesn’t care; “just make them already, who cares what flour it is”.
As she proceeds she discovers she doesn’t have the essence of lemon juice, but only vinegar, again he tells her “no problem”. No refine sugar - “no problem, just skip the sugar”, no sour cream, only miracle whip - “fine, fine, fine” he nearly screams, “just hurry up, I can’t wait to taste the crapes”.

Well, the crapes are finally done, he seats down to the table grabs the fork bites into the crape…

“You know honey; I really cannot understand those rich people, what did they ever find in these crapes…”