When Does A Recipe Become My Own?
I have a bunch of recipes that I’ve changed and tweaked over time. When can I consider these my own recipes and no longer the original recipe? What is the “cook’s” etiquette for this? If I publish these recipes, do I still need to name the original author?
bokchoy is discussing.
Anonymous 10:50 pm on January 19, 2010 Permalink |
Once you change it, it’s different, now it’s yours.
Jozette D 4:13 pm on January 19, 2010 Permalink |
My Mom always taught me any recipe can become your own you change a few things add a few things and throw in some love then its your own
elyag43 3:23 pm on January 19, 2010 Permalink |
I am forever changing recipes around. But a cook whose name I can’t remember said on TV one time that if you create a new recipe and then down the road find it in a cookbook. You still can say it was yours. Because at the time you did it you didn’t know anything else existed.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Maggie 2:55 pm on January 19, 2010 Permalink |
It is yours once you have changed it someway. Nor you do not have to credit anyone. There are a zillion version to any one recipe.
I make a cheesecake. I used a basic recipe. Over time I have added to it and changed it so that it barely resembles the original basic recipe. This is my own recipe now because i made it my own.
No one owns the rights to any one recipe (unless it’s a top secret money making recipe like the seasonings in KFC chicken…BUT that doesn’t mean a person can’t try to make it themselves). i.e. http://topsecretrecipes.com/home.asp
Sugar Pie 8:21 am on January 19, 2010 Permalink |
I claim them as “mine” when I”ve made enough changes that I choose the changed recipe over the original time after time… and I don’t just mean adding an extra ¼ tsp of salt, but major changes to technique, ingredients, baking time or method, that sort of thing. Sometimes if it’s not too different from the original, I’ll say it’s “my version of So-and-So’s recipe”…..
2sweetca 1:42 am on January 19, 2010 Permalink |
if you have changed the recipe, it is no longer their recipe. i had one where i changed the type of noodle and vegetable in a vegetable soup recipe. It is not their recipe. and besides, whatever you are making, their are probably similarities of that to other recipes. just like steak marinades. they creators probably use the same basic ingredients, just tweak it a bit to their liking or add different amounts of each ingredient, which makes it specifically their own. you are fine, and all this talk about food is making me hungry. have fun cooking!
bokchoy 8:57 pm on January 18, 2010 Permalink |
Great question. I wondered about this because I do the same thing. The cook’s etiquette is that if you make minor changes to a recipe you should give credit to the author of it. Never mind that they could have gotten it from someone else! If you make 3 or more major changes to the recipe then it’s okay to claim it as your own, if tweaking recipes from cookbooks, try to stay away from the author’s original wording if you are going to claim the recipe as your own. See the Washington Post article about stolen recipes. It’s really interesting.