People that WILL NOT share recipes

[Lady Snowdon]

I've never been asked to share a recipe, but I don't cook much for other people, so there's no one to ask for them!  There are certain family recipes that I wouldn't share though; I don't even have access to some of the original recipe cards, just the copied ones that my mom has! 

I, like many others here, don't use specific amounts.  A couple nights ago, I found a very basic recipe for Chicken Pot Pie Soup on Recipezaar.  It stated you needed two cups of cubed cooked chicken, a 16 oz package of frozen mixed veggies, a can of cream of chicken soup and a can of cream of potato soup.  In the course of making it, I didn't put in the can of cream of potato soup, used fresh veggies instead of frozen, added some potatoes, and have no clue how much chicken I actually ended up putting in.  It was "enough" chicken to go with the amount of the soup.  I also added seasonings by the "hmmm...this looks good" method.  Turned out wonderfully, but I can't really tell you what "my" recipe is...I can just give the base recipe I started from!

[MeanMom]

Not weird.  I have recipes I can't share and recipes I won't share.  I can't share the secret family recipes that I got from my mother.   They've been passed down in my family and I don't even keep them in the recipe box, they're stashed.  Yes bizarre but I have had family friends rifle through my recipe box hoping to swipe a couple of the favorite ones.  Silly but its my Gramma's request.

I won't share recipes where there aren't specific quantities.  I'm a freeform cook.  I make bread by feel and other dishes by smell.  In cases where I can only give you a list of ingredients and very rough measurements I choose not to share.  You're chances of making chicken soup just like you had at my house are slim.  My soups or spaghetti sauces aren't always the same. 

There's also people I won't share recipes with because they always change something (ground chicken does not equal ground beef and you are going to get different results) and then when it doesn't turn out like the original blame me.

MeanMom

[demetra]

A while back myself and a bunch of friends put all our recipes down in one database.  We are all happy to share those, most of which were probably clipped from a magazine to begin with anyway. 

I won't share recipes I got from a cookbook, if you want one of those, I'll tell you the name of the cookbook, but I won't photocopy for you.

[Tabbage]

I literally can't imagine NOT giving any recipe of mine to anyone who asks for it, whether I trust their cooking skills or not.   The idea that something is somehow more "special" because other people can't enjoy it, or can only enjoy it when *you* deign to serve it to them is foreign to me.  I don't even view it as an etiquette issue, just a basic human interaction thing.  If I can increase someone's happiness in a way that doesn't cost me anything (except self-importance or rigid family tradition), I'd do it in a second.  My dead grandfather would probably love as many people as possible to enjoy his skillet cornbread or "tuna surprise" casserole.

I was stunned to see so many of what I consider "Grinch"-like attitudes here about recipe sharing.  Now I have this image of so many of you huddled in your pantries grasping a padlocked box full of top-secret recipes.  The horror!

I also guarantee that some of you non-sharers are happy to post many of these same recipes on the internet (even this site!) for millions to see, but wouldn't give it to your best friend or next-door neighbor, because it might dilute your "standing" locally for others nearby to be able to pull off (or, heaven forbid, *not* pull off) your masterful creations.

Sorry to sound so harsh, but I just can't believe that so many people would hold back a potential source of happiness to others for reasons that all pretty much distill down to *pride*.

[jimithing]

I also guarantee that some of you non-sharers are happy to post many of these same recipes on the internet (even this site!) for millions to see, but wouldn't give it to your best friend or next-door neighbor, because it might dilute your "standing" locally for others nearby to be able to pull off (or, heaven forbid, *not* pull off) your masterful creations.

Interesting assumption.

[VorFemme]

It's not that I won't share recipes - it's that there have been a few people who have so thoroughly botched making the dish and then blamed me for giving them a defective recipe in front of the people who were eating the *stuff* thinking it was made exactly following my recipe.........

When there had been a number of substitutions that were not equivalents made that made the taste, texture, and appearance go to heck in a handbasket...........

Salad oil for butter & vegetable shortening mixed (to control the melting point); baking powder for baking soda; or carob chips for chocolate chips are not going to give the same flavor or results...........and making all of those adjustments plus a couple of others in ONE recipe is going to result in something unrecognizable (and did).

But I got lectured over not giving her the REAL recipe before I started asking if she had made any changes (and I admit I was asking that question loudly enough to be heard by EVERYONE at the family get-together).  I did not want to get a reputation as passing out bogus recipes when I *knew* that this person's kitchen was woefully deficient in what I thought of as staples. 

A couple of examples - I had three spice racks with more than fifty spices at that time (now I have more), about six bottles of flavoring (she had vanilla only), and replace my baking powder, baking soda, and yeast on a regular basis...........she had ONLY baking powder, about eight spices, and her supplies of salt, pepper, flour, and other "staples" weren't replaced on a regular basis as she didn't cook from scratch much.

Nobody was going to starve in her house - but she was not going to be asked to start trading recipes with Julia Child, Emmeril, or anyone else any time soon.........I think that I have mentioned that she used half spagetti sauce from a jar with equal amounts of tomato sauce because the stuff in the jar had too much garlic & oregano in it to suit her?

I'm not kidding...........

[Tabbage]

Tabbage, many people have cited cost and effort as a reason not to share recipes. It would also make the indigent happy if you were to hand over all your possessions and home, but that isn't "required" to be polite either.

The cost and effort spent in coming up with a recipe is in no way diluted or wasted by sharing it after the fact.  I would argue that the cost and effort mean even more when you can share the results.  This is not comparable to giving away possessions, as you still have the recipe after sharing it.  Sharing recipes, like advice or ideas, costs you nothing.   Using "cost and effort" as a reason to not share is basically saying "because it was hard/expensive/time consuming for me, I don't want it to be easy/cheap/quick for you."   It's not like people's friends, families and neighbors sit around *intentionally* not creating their own recipes, so they can wait around for you to come up with your own, and then ask for them to save themselves the effort.

[demetra]

I was stunned to see so many of what I consider "Grinch"-like attitudes here about recipe sharing.  Now I have this image of so many of you huddled in your pantries grasping a padlocked box full of top-secret recipes.  The horror!

I put as much effort into some of my recipes as I do to many of my other crafts, which include quilting, woodburning, painting, and writing.

I don't hand out any of my creations on demand, period.  I am happy to share with friends, but if someone who has never shared a recipe with me demands one of mine, the answer is no.  I view it the same as giving someone a quilt.  A close friend may be given one as a gift, and someone who has shared their arts with me may request something.  A neighbor or someone else I am not close with?  The answer may very well be no.  There are certain of my recipes I will share with any who ask, and others that quite frankly, are mine and will remain mine.

Not to mention, I spent a lot of time and money learning to cook from cookbooks.  Many of my recipes began as someone else's copyrighted work in a cookbook I purchased.  I do not have the right to hand over someone else's intellectual property, even if I have tweaked it a bit to suit me better.   

Frankly, I resent your name-calling.

Tell you what.  You give me something you hand-crafted, then you can start asking me for my personal recipes.

[MDefarge]

I was stunned to see so many of what I consider "Grinch"-like attitudes here about recipe sharing.  Now I have this image of so many of you huddled in your pantries grasping a padlocked box full of top-secret recipes.  The horror!

Not to mention, I spent a lot of time and money learning to cook from cookbooks.  Many of my recipes began as someone else's copyrighted work in a cookbook I purchased.  I do not have the right to hand over someone else's intellectual property, even if I have tweaked it a bit to suit me better.   

Frankly, I resent your name-calling.

Tell you what.  You give me something you hand-crafted, then you can start asking me for my personal recipes.

That is actually a really good point, one which I hadn't thought of till you pointed it out.

[RainhaDoTexugo]

This is really fascinating!  I don't mind sharing recipes if I have a recipe (I do a lot of intuitive cooking, too), or attempting to describe how I do something, but if I give out a recipe it's always with the warning that I am an intuitive cook, and I don't always keep track of my substitutions/experimentations, so it may come out differently.

I always wondered about people who refuse to share recipes, but this thread has cast some light on it for me.  I'm not sure I agree with every reason stated here, but I can see where the posters are coming from

[beakiebean]

I'm a recipe sharer-my whole family is. We put together a little cookbook of our favorite recipes and printed it up so we could all have the yummy recipes. Sometimes you just can't wait until Thanksgiving for some of Grandma's noodles or Uncle J's eggnog salad.

I don't create recipes for a living or for entry in contests so sharing them isn't draining any of my lifeblood-so if someone wants my grilled chicken recipe or my ranger cookie recipe they can have it-makes no difference to me.

Lol-I never knew there were so many people who didn't like to share their recipes-most of the cooks I know are super excited if you like their food and want to share.

Becca

[Brentwood]

I'm a recipe sharer-my whole family is. We put together a little cookbook of our favorite recipes and printed it up so we could all have the yummy recipes. Sometimes you just can't wait until Thanksgiving for some of Grandma's noodles or Uncle J's eggnog salad.

I don't create recipes for a living or for entry in contests so sharing them isn't draining any of my lifeblood-so if someone wants my grilled chicken recipe or my ranger cookie recipe they can have it-makes no difference to me.

Lol-I never knew there were so many people who didn't like to share their recipes-most of the cooks I know are super excited if you like their food and want to share.

Becca

Er...are you willing to share Uncle J's eggnog salad recipe?

[beakiebean]

Er...are you willing to share Uncle J's eggnog salad recipe?

Here it is Cathy-we call it a salad and have it with dinner but it's probably actually more of a dessert-what can I say-we're an odd family. We're very partial to Anderson Erikson eggnog that's made here in Iowa but I'll bet it would be good with other kinds-so long as you have a yummy eggnog you ought to have a yummy eggnog salad.

Eggnog Holiday Salad ala Uncle J.

1 cup graham cracker crumbs         
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon nutmeg            
¼ cup margarine, melted
1 envelope unflavored gelatin         
8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar               
1 cup eggnog
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Combine crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, nutmeg, and margarine; press onto bottom of 9-inch square pan.  Soften Gelatin in water.  Stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and ¼ cup sugar mixing on medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add gelatin and eggnog.  Chill until slightly thickened. Fold in whipped cream. Chill until firm.

[waterwren]

I literally can't imagine NOT giving any recipe of mine to anyone who asks for it, whether I trust their cooking skills or not.   The idea that something is somehow more "special" because other people can't enjoy it, or can only enjoy it when *you* deign to serve it to them is foreign to me.  I don't even view it as an etiquette issue, just a basic human interaction thing.  If I can increase someone's happiness in a way that doesn't cost me anything (except self-importance or rigid family tradition), I'd do it in a second.  My dead grandfather would probably love as many people as possible to enjoy his skillet cornbread or "tuna surprise" casserole.

 You have every right to do with your recipes what you want, others have the same right. Whether you agree with it or not. I don't share recipes, most things I don't use or follow recipes and if I do - well there's this neat law in the US that covers published works and how they can be deciminated. It's called copy right. I don't violate it. I don't copy music, I don't copy videos, I don't copy Needlework patters and I don't copy publsihed recipes. 

I was stunned to see so many of what I consider "Grinch"-like attitudes here about recipe sharing.  Now I have this image of so many of you huddled in your pantries grasping a padlocked box full of top-secret recipes.  The horror!

 this boils down to "different strokes for different folks"  You can imagine folks any way you choose but I'd bet that the same folks who don't share recipes are often very giving in other ways. So you give away everything someone else demands of you?

I also guarantee that some of you non-sharers are happy to post many of these same recipes on the internet (even this site!) for millions to see, but wouldn't give it to your best friend or next-door neighbor, because it might dilute your "standing" locally for others nearby to be able to pull off (or, heaven forbid, *not* pull off) your masterful creations.

 After 11 posts you *KNOW* what we would do?  Really, now. That's very, um, interesting.

Sorry to sound so harsh, but I just can't believe that so many people would hold back a potential source of happiness to others for reasons that all pretty much distill down to *pride*.

 And pride in anything is *such*  a bad thing, and no one should *ever* have ANYTHING that someone else wants?  You don't sound harsh sound jealous and like no one's ever told you "no" before.
 People should be allowed, no ARE allowed to have "signature" dishes, to have things they are not obligated to share, to enjoy the fruits of their OWN labour,,,that includes cooking, and all other arts ( and crafts), and somethines they don't care to share or teach, that's just life sometimes.

 

[Brentwood]

Er...are you willing to share Uncle J's eggnog salad recipe?

Here it is Cathy-we call it a salad and have it with dinner but it's probably actually more of a dessert-what can I say-we're an odd family. We're very partial to Anderson Erikson eggnog that's made here in Iowa but I'll bet it would be good with other kinds-so long as you have a yummy eggnog you ought to have a yummy eggnog salad.

Eggnog Holiday Salad ala Uncle J.

1 cup graham cracker crumbs         
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon nutmeg            
¼ cup margarine, melted
1 envelope unflavored gelatin         
8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sugar               
1 cup eggnog
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Combine crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, nutmeg, and margarine; press onto bottom of 9-inch square pan.  Soften Gelatin in water.  Stir over low heat until dissolved. Combine cream cheese and ¼ cup sugar mixing on medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Gradually add gelatin and eggnog.  Chill until slightly thickened. Fold in whipped cream. Chill until firm.

Thank you!