Fess up! Have you ever refused to share a Recipe?

[bettyellen]

i'm not going to do a poll, because i'm also curious as to the why a person wouldn't unless they are entering contests or something with it.
i was told it was her "thing that made her special' and she decided a while back never to share it with "locals". which i don't agree with, because she bakes a lot of different things, and all of her stuff is super great.
Now, I know this makes me a jerk, but i just don't really bake for parties or events where i'd be stealing her baking thunder or passing of her cookie recipe as my own, i just promised my nephew we'd bake, and these were awesome cookies.
i think she just doesn't like me, becasue honestly that's the only reason i would have for not sharing.
am i taking this too personally?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Go with your instincts

If you think she doesn't like you, that's probably right.

As you say, her stuff is "super great," so I can understand why she'd want to hold onto that small distinction for herself.

Don't take it personally. But, do try to back away a bit, and you might be able to see it through her eyes.

In the alternative, why not hire her to bake the cookies, or whatever else you like of hers, for you, at an agreed-upon price?

That might satisfy both your needs.

[bettyellen]

2. well she did say it's the only recipe that she won't share...

she makes the 4H recipe for cinnamon rolls and they are awesome too. but i don't want them, i want these cookies dammit.
i'm going to have to start a thread on these cookies. i do understand why they are "a thing", sort of....

[Warpy]

3. I have to warn people that I cook by guess and by gosh

and generally don't measure my ingredients precisely and that all quantities will be approximations, only, and that when I took a recipe out of a book or magazine, I regarded it as a suggestion, only.

A few brave souls have still asked me for some of my stuff, and I've obliged as well as I've been able to. No, they've never duplicated anything I do, but sometimes what they've come up with is even better.

One thing I've always wanted to avoid is giving a precise recipe to somebody who would make a substitution and then blame me for leaving out a key ingredient when it flopped, something that has happened a couple of times, although I managed to get them to fess up about the substitution after they'd made fools of themselves.

I imagine that's why a lot of folks are reluctant to give out recipes. Or it could just be pride and selfishness. I've always had good success at duplicating things I've tasted at other peoples' houses or even restaurants, so that hasn't been a problem for me.

[bettyellen]

5. okay the kicker is when i complimented the cookies she shrugged and said-

it ain't me that's great-- it's the recipe!
she mentioned that she had given it out in the past... i'm feeling horrible because i'm trying to figure out if it was to anyone i know!

[Warpy]

27. HA!

Well, sometimes giving a recipe can be a little embarrassing. People raved about my coleslaw and begged for the recipe.

I had to fess up that I grated the cabbage and carrots angel hair fine using a mandoline, then used commercial dressing with a pinch of celery seed. That's it.

They were so disappointed. I can make great colesalw dressing, but it's a pain and the commercial stuff is the one bottled dressing that's any good, only you do have to add the celery seed to give it a little extra flavor.

What are these marvellous cookies, if we might ask? Maybe one of us out here in computerland has done something similar. Where else can you find a pool of enthusiastic cooks and bakers ready to give advice?

[bettyellen]

32. see, that's a fablous recipe as far as i'm concerned...

no need to be embarrassed. it's just knowing to add the one little missing thing that make you a better cook! what kind of bottled dressing do you use?
i've described the cookies down in post 13 and housewolf has got me some leads to cookies with similar texture. i'm just trying to figure out how to incorporate a bit of oatmeal into them. i will nail this by Xmas, i'm sure.

[Warpy]

36. I use Hidden Valley Coleslaw dressing, oh the shame.

It doesn't taste nice out of the bottle, but it's great on raw cabbage and carrots.

The cookies sound like a lace cookie recipe with a little flour and baking powder thrown in along with the chocolate chips. The lace effect on the edges was created by more fat and sugar and less flour than is in a regular oatmeal cookie.

I always made mine with real butter because I'm a snob, but they'd probably be nearly as good with a good quality margarine.

[bettyellen]

37. Lace are like the florentines right?

there's interesting stuff in the links HW gave about mixing in the butter cold +/or refrigerating the dough. interesting ideas.
and do you crush the celery seed or just sprinkle it in?
see, that's how dumb i am about these things. oh damn, you prolly measure by eye too! darn you good cooks!
but i'm thinking four ingreients, i could do that and it would be hard to mess up.

[Warpy]

39. I always rub my pinches of anything

between my thumb and first two fingers as I drop it in, it's a reflex from years of adding dry herbs and rubbing them to release the oils.

[mike_c]

4. nope-- I'll always share...

...although much of what I cook is only loosely based on recipes.

[bettyellen]

31. and i can see how that would make it tough...

but you share anyway, that's nice. Thanks Mike!

[merci_me]

6. I have ONE recipe I don't share outside the family

My Romanian grandmother made a fantastic dish, that's a ciorba, which is a sour soup, though it's VERY thick and more the consistency of a tocana (stew). I don't give it out because it's something that gets simmered all day and pulled out of the fridge and simmered off and on for a few more days, depending on how huge a pot I started with. Sometimes, I make about 4 gallons, other times, a few quarts and the ingredients are measured my the feel of my wrist movements and handfuls more or less of other ingredients.

I've shared it with the wives of a couple of uncles and they swear their wives can't make it right and have brought it over to me to "taste and correct". Hell, I can't tell what's missing or not enough of, that I could fix, once it's done and bland. I just know when I'm making it, regardless of the amount, it works. I think it's a matter of them cheating on the hours and hours of simmering and maybe one says garlic upsets her tummy and another doesn't like fennel, so left it out. Oh, and they both think more salt will fix it. Hell, I barely use any salt and the salt I use has to be kosher, not Morton's table salt. Oh and I use vinegar, BALSAMIC. The aunts have used apple, white, malt, yadayada. Well, how are you going to adjust that, after the fact. So, I just keep that one recipe to myself.

A few years ago, I did give the recipe to my ex-son-in-law's new girlfriend. He loves the ciorba and told her about it. She's worked as a chef in a French restaurant many years ago, so I figured, she wouldn't skimp on the time involved and she'd get "the feel" and if she made changes, it would probably be just as good or better. Turns out my ex-SIL said it tastes just the same. LOL, my daughter hates it and he only got the ciorba at my house or when I'd visit them in California.

[bettyellen]

17. but you did share it, so your intent is good...

i can see why you'd hesitate sharing it with just anyone then.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

7. No & what pisses me off is when

someone asks for a recipe, I take all the time to write it up & add my notes, hand it to them & they go "oh, I had no idea it was this involved". :wtf: You thought I got it out of a box?

Once, a friend came over to a party & his wife couldn't make it, but she sent a salmon dish wrapped in puff pastry. I asked for the recipe & her husband said "oh, we don't share" That ticked me off big time & one day I'll make the time to try to recreate it.

[bettyellen]

8. yeah that's just rude. i hate when somebody asks you a favor and then

somehow turns it into an occasion to grumble about it.
and "we don't share" WTF way is that to live? :bleech: i feel sorry for them.... do thay also not ask, or is it a one way street w/ them?
i'm a little pissed, and if i was a lesser person, i would recreate those cookies and bring em to every party from here on in.
as it is, i'm going to figure it out, maybe not by this xmas, but give me a year. LOL. i don't bake nearly as often as i'd like.
reading these responses, it dawned on me that people are maybe rude when they know they are too lazy to put the effort in. everybody wants that magic, easy recipe, right? cookies though, choc chips. i know it ain't hard. i'll figure it out.
tks for your reply, it's good to hear others get a little pissed too. i feel better now!

[housewolf]

9. Once I was involed in a social group

with the same core of people getting together often along with others, and I had a couple of things that I didn't want to share the recipes for. They were sort of my "specialties" and I somewhat selfishly didn't want to show up and have someone else have brough "my" dish...

Silly I guess, but that's how I felt about it at the time.

There are some people who put a lot of time and effort into testing recipes until they get it "perfect". I guess it's sort of like intellectual property.

Why don't you tell us what the cookies were like? Maybe we can help you figure them out.

Sorry your feelings got hurt over it, bummer :cry:

I like the idea of asking her if you could buy a batch of them from her. If nothing else, it could open some dialog about why you wanted the recipe.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

10. you know what?

you could have shared, but they never would have made it as good as you. Even friends who've actually tried the recipes I've given them don't make them as good. Those of us here are serious about our food. So, you could have been generous & superior at the same time. :rofl:

[bettyellen]

12. See, I'm not that good of a baker! I need a good recipe and like i said,

i am just not in the habit of bringing baked goods to partues and what not. I am not in your league at all! No one in town needs to get any of these cookies from me. Heck, I'd eat all of them!

[housewolf]

18. That was EXACTLY what I was afraid of!

Actually I think I did give it to a few people.

But you hit the nail on the head, I didn't want to have to see an inferior version of the
thing! :rofl:

Aren't we funny, so territorial and self-righteous about some things!
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Oh, and I _have_ to say.... I was _much_ younger then, I'd give it without a thought today!


:rofl:

[bettyellen]

21. and she thinks i'm competition, but i am too greedy and bake too rarely

to be giving away my cookies. i just realized she may assume i do bake a lot, because my two best friends (who both know her better than i) are good bakers and tend to be proud, or show offy, LOL. bwaaah, it's their fault i was denied. thanks for helping me realize that!
:rofl:

[bettyellen]

13. well they're just chocolate chips with oatmeal, but there was something

almost lacy about the edges- like a bit of that florentine thing. but much lighter. they were very small and crispy, with just a smattering of oatmeal, less than 1/2 i guess from what they usually put in. again, just a smidge of that florentine thing. i'm thinking if i combine 80% crispy little tollhouse and 20% florentine, that might work. i am really wondering if she used butter and crisco. i know she uses a lot of 4H and homespun community cookbooks. she is not into the famous chef thing, that i know.
i know, i know, all this fuss over a chocolate chip cookie. it's kinda dumb, but they were amazing. i stole everyones. i shoulda saved one and photgraphed it for you all. if she brings them to this party next week, i will!

[housewolf]

22. Did they look anything like these?

Did they look anything like either one on this page
http://wordstoeatby.blogspot.com/2004/11/my-first-imbb-in-which-i-try-to.html
or this page
http://wordstoeatby.blogspot.com/2004/12/best-homemade-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
(You might enjoy reading this woman's quest for the "perfect" chocolate chip cookie. She made an interesting comment about one of her experiments: "I chilled the" dough "for a good hour or two, then sliced and baked as usual—making my own version of the hockey puck shape. Strangely, the cookies were even thinner and crisper than before! Almost lacy. " She has some other interesting things to say. although I think what she was looking for was different from what you are looking for.

Or these
http://maki.typepad.com/justhungry/2004/04/chocolate_chip_.html

Why don't you ask the woman again for the recipe? Call her up and tell her they were the best chocolate chip cookies you've ever eaten and you can't live without them, you only want the recipe so that you can make them at home for yourself and your family, that you're not in competition with her and you respect her right to keep the recipe to herself but .... (well, you know, _beg_ a little), it's Christmas and all that, - who knows, maybe she'll find a generous spot in her heart and give it to you. Just tell her the truth about how much you want it and butter her up over them, maybe she'll thaw. You have nothing to lose but your pride and a little more disappointment... and, honestly, she just might give it to you.

What do you think?

[bettyellen]

28. wow, housewolf! i think we're closing in on them.....

they maybe very close to those cookies for a wounded democrats soul that the blogger thought were too crispy. 90% crispy to the middle sounds right, just a slight bit of chew.
so i am definately going to try cold butter, and chilling the dough. i knew there was something differnet going on with how the shortening was handled! now i have to figure out the right amount of oatmeal, it was just a sprinkle really in each cookie. Do you think i should just eyeball it and use it as a sub for some of the flour?
i know the city bakery cookies, and they are not it, too chewey/ gooey in the middle kinda like David's cookies - too much butter (never thought i'd say those words) buy maybe 1/2 way between these two with a handful of oatmeal to pick up the butter? hmmmm? i have to do some research on the effect of oatmeal on the cookie. i'd guess it was about 1/2 the normal amount used in oatmeal choc chips. so i was kinda going to go from there.
i'll figure it out and leave her alone about it though- i don't know her well enough and her reply to my friend was pretty emphatic. i tried to flatter like crazy and explained with a heartwarming pitch that i'd just be making them for my nephews on xmas eve. but i don't want to get into the whole thing about being competative and guarding secrets, it's so not me, and i want to at least appear to have no judgement on that, LOL. she did look kinda freaked out when i enjoyed them so much too- i guess she saw the recipe request coming a mile away. if i can make them close enough i''ll never feel the need to bring them to any "local" party so it'll never bother her.
Wow, thanks for the excellent starting point. You are one amazing researcher, HW!

[Stinky The Clown]

11. No reason not to share a recipe

What separates a great food item from a good one is the technique. You and I could make something out of the exact same quantities of the exact same ingrediens bought at the exact same store and still get wildly different results.

The value of overly specific recipes is over rated in my (not so) humble opinion. Use recipes as an idea or paradigm, but improvise and have fun with them. Consider the a guide at best.

To jealously guard a recipe is to just be silly.

[bettyellen]

14. that's why my waffles totally rock......

because i cut in the butter (too much of it) and whip and fold in the egg whites seperately.
much better than using melted butter. rich and light as a feather! but i just use any decent non-complete mix.
also, i wet the dreied m,orange peel w/ a little OJ, that helps.
i felt compelled to share, because i know you'd do the same!
:hi:

[OldLeftieLawyer]

15. I disagree

No, it's not silly. It's someone's choice, and that's to be respected.

Just because someone asks me for something doesn't mean I have to accede to their request. A recipe, no matter how I got it, is mine if you ask me for it - assuming you don't know its origin and can't find it on your own - and I am under no obligation to give anything to anyone simply because they want it.

[bettyellen]

16. while i would accept their right not to share, no way would i respect them

personally for it. so legallly, i agree, but socailly, ehm, not so much. even more so because the reason given was she need to be seen as special, that weirded me out to be honest.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

19. If you want the cookies,

ask her if you can buy some from her.

If you want to trash her and whatever her choices are, that's a whole different place from where the original post began.

[bettyellen]

20. actually it's not, I wondered if other people didn't share recipes also...

and it's about whether people share and why and what it might mean, and most people have answered thoughtfully, i think.... and i did say from the get go it bugged me, so that's no shock... of course she has the right to refuse, it doesn't make her just as likable as a more generous person, never will in my book.
I'm staying on topic. I want to make the darn cookies, not buy them from her, although it was a nice thought, thank you.... i want them hot for the oven, when ever i feel like it.
and don't go trying to turn it into a sex thread while i'm not looking either, LOL! i've seen you around here before. :rofl:

[SoCalDem]

23. I am happy to share.. I once knew a lady who would "alter"

a pet recipe so that when people tried to make it, the recipe would never taste quite the same.. she even had the nerve to tell them she had "changed" it a little..

I usually tell people that some of the things I cook are "made up as I go along", so a recipe is hard to come up with.. but I am happy to talk them through making a dish of mine that they like..

[bettyellen]

29. i heard that was Martha Stuarts way- change one ingredient

so she wouldn't get arrested. At least not for plagersim.
:D

[NMDemDist2]

24. is she a republican?

:evilgrin:

[bettyellen]

33. she's pretty non-political....

more of a rocker chip with a day job. :shrug:

[eyesroll]

25. I share, but if it's cooking rather than baking, I don't measure

so it's not exact. (I actually had a co-worker get mad because she had no idea what "a handful" or "a big splash" was -- I told her just go with her instincts and tastes, and she said she didn't have any.)

[bettyellen]

34. i hate to say it, but i would be lost too. seems different for cooking

than it is for baking, huh? i guess you can be a lot looser with it. i'd just point someone towards ths closest cook book version, and say "but i add more blah blah blah"
some of us unfortunately need the books. i totally understand that.

[Dora]

26. I would never withhold a recipe

Geez, cooking is a dying art as it is. I can't imagine any reason good enough to justify not sharing a recipe or kitchen secret.

I have twice had people ask for a recipe, but then never make it because it was too "involved" (like another post upthread).

Maybe she doesn't like you, and maybe she doesn't like a lot of people. You may be taking this personally, but please don't bother yourself with it any more. It's just a demonstration of her own poor character. And she may have a good reason for wanting to keep it secret... maybe she really bakes from King Arthur Flour mixes, or something like that.

On Edit: After reading some of the responses, I was going to add something, but it's approaching 10:00 and it's time for me to put out my white chocolate chip orange cookie bars in the conference room, so never mind.

[bettyellen]

30. ooooo.oooo. how did they come out, Dora?

yeah, i just never heard of anyone saying no before, so it was a little bit of a shock. but you all made me think it was not so bad, and i'm taking it less personally. she doen't know me well enough to know i wouldn't be a jerk about it, but i can certainly see how people have been from reading this thread. LOL. King Arthur, LOL. good one!

[Dora]

40. Just "ok" but that's my opinion

My coworkers loved them, but I thought they were a little on the greasy side, too sweet, and not with enough orange to balance the white chocolate. If I make them again, I'll use dark chocolate and twice the amount of orange zest.

[bettyellen]

43. well, they ate em all up, so... it sounds like they were very good, dora!

with white chocolate, i think blueberries are the most awesome fruit. and dark choc is great for citrus and rasberries. i think for every fruit and nut, i have a very decided chocolate preference. it's a symptom of my chocoholism. :shrug:

[Dora]

47. blueberries!

I still have one bag of white chocolate chips - next time I'll pair them with dried blueberries. Thanks for the suggestion!

[bettyellen]

48. i learned that from Lilac Chocolates in Greenwich Village

if i ever was lucky to pass through there on a summer day, i'd see what fresh fruits they'd have dipped that day because they really would choose their combos wisely. If you ever come through NYC (didn't check your profile, so do pardon my ignorance) they have a stand in the gourmet market hall at Grand Central Staion on 42nd...., and their covered nuts and choc fudge are just wonderful too, that's the only fudge i'll eat. and they have beautiful old molds, too, great for little gift treats. LiLac rocks, too bad they are not on Christopher St anymore. Oh yes, white choc and blueberries, that is going to be good, you'lll see!
and thanks to you and everybody for the insights- i'm not taking it so personally anymore, LOL, and I'm hot on the traill of copying them cokies.
:hi:

[wryter2000]

35. I always share

To me, it's such a nice compliment to be asked, I always share.

[bettyellen]

38. she didn't seem complimented, she seemed scared! maybe it was

the crazed look of desperation, or the crumbs all over my chin. i dunno, somethin spooked her!
Very nice of you to share!
:hi:

[Warpy]

41. I have a sneaking suspicion her recipe was a mistake

made by simply substituting oatmeal for flour in a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe when she ran out of flour.

I have a suspicious mind, though.

[bettyellen]

42. you're just rubbing those pinches of spices with a raised eyebrow

ain't you?
:rofl:

[BamaGirl]

44. Well, I haven't refused, but I do discourage asking lol

Cause I "eyeball" stuff, ya know? And it's hard to tell someone how to make something that way lol. I have 3 things that friends ask me for all the time-corn bread, potato salad, and chili. It's apparently really easy to mess up potato salad. Who knew? I finally I walked one friend through it, and after that she's never asked me how to cook anything else lol. I don't mind giving them out, really, but I've found that most ppl can't reproduce my recipes unless I'm supervising. Pretty frustrating for all parties lol. ;)

[bettyellen]

45. well this seems to be the #1 reason people don't want to give em out...

and as a really untalented cook, i think you all should just recommend the best cookbook you know that's sorta related and leave it at that. or just say follow this recipe but make sure you add the dressing when it's hot.... i know how hard it can be to get into all the technique stuff. so maybe just a good tip or trick is all ya need to share. :shrug:
tks for answering!
:hi:

[BamaGirl]

46. Lol, if I knew of a cookbook that would do that, I'd be happy to

recommend it. My mother and grandmother taught me to cook, and there were no measuring cups. ;) It can be frustrating for me too. I'll call one of them and ask for an old recipe, but unless I've watched them make it, it's hard to know what "just throw a handful in" means. My only tip is do not be afraid to experiment. Course, sometimes you get some weird stuff that way lol. ;)

Good luck with that cookie recipe!

[Phentex]

56. This is my answer too.....

I get asked and I will usually give the recipe base as I know it. However, I find myself adding notes like "I don't add as much salt, I use more broth, I add more peppers, I increase the water...." and on and on until I barely recgonize the recipe myself! I dont take notes as I cook, so it's very hard to explain what I've done to it!

[DawgHouse]

49. I've never refused but

someone just the other day refused to share one with me. Funny thing was, I didn't ask her for the recipe! She just volunteered that I couldn't have it. She lives in WA and I live in FL. We talk on the phone (work) and she mentioned that she makes the "very best apple custard pie, truly, blue ribbon winner" but that she couldn't give it to me "because the person who gave it to her made her swear she'd never give it to anyone else."

I guess she's bound to keep her vow to the other person but why even mention it to me? I fished around a little bit but she wouldn't even tell me the first ingredient. Since I've never even HEARD of apple custard pie, I must admit I was intrigued.

BTW - if anyone has a tried and true apple custard pie recipe, will you share? :)

[bettyellen]

50. that's funny, well , i googled you a few pie recipes that other people

have tried and tested. just to help end the cycle of rejection and dismay. apple custard? who knew?
thanks and good luck!



Apple Custard Pie
Source: Southern Living – This pie earned a $20 award for PAH; published,April, 1999

1 Refrigerated Pie Crust
1/4 c. Butter or Margarine (no substitutions)
2 C. Sliced Apples
1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/4 C. Butter or Margarine (no substitutions)
1 C. Sugar
4 Eggs
2 T. Flour
1 t. Vanilla
3/4 C. Buttermilk
3 T. Butter or Margarine (no substitutions)
1/4 C. Sugar
1/4C. Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 C. Flour
1/4 t. Cinnamon
Whipped Cream or whipped topping


Preheat oven to 325º, or 300º if using a glass pie plate.

Bring pie crust to room temperature as directed on package. Unfold crust onto 9" pie plate. Flute edges.

Melt first 1/4 cup butter in skillet. Add apples and 1/2 cup sugar and cook for about 3 minutes until apples are tender. Set aside to cool.

In mixer bowl cream together next 1/4 c. butter and sugar. Add eggs, one ata time. Mix in flour, vanilla and buttermilk.

Place apple mixture in prepared crust. Pour egg mixture over top. Bake for 30 minutes.

While pie is baking, prepare streusel topping. Mix together 3 Tbsp butter,sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon until crumbly.

After pie has baked for 30 minutes, sprinkle streusel topping over top of pie and return to oven for additional 30 minutes or until knife inserted incenter comes out clean. Cool for 1-2 hours. Serve with whipped cream or topping.

Makes 8 servings.

Warm Apple Buttermilk Custard Pie



1 refrigerated pie crust
1/4 cup butter or margarine (not spread)
2 cups sliced apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Custard filling:
1/4 cup butter or margarine (not spread)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup buttermilk

Streusel topping:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine (not spread)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Whipped cream or whipped topping


Preheat oven to 325 degrees , or 300 degrees if using a glass pie plate. Have pie crust at room temperature as directed on package.

Unfold crust onto 9-inch pie plate. Flute edges. Melt butter in skillet. Add apples and sugar and cook for about 3 minutes until apples are tender. Set aside to cool.

In mixer bowl cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in flour, vanilla and buttermilk. Place apple mixture in prepared crust. Pour custard mixture over top. Bake in appropriately preheated oven for 30 minutes.

While pie is baking, prepare streusel topping. Mix together butter, sugar, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon until crumbly. After pie has baked for 30 minutes, sprinkle streusel topping over top of pie and return to oven for additional 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 1 to 2 hours.

Serve with whipped cream or topping. Makes 8 servings.






Baked Apple Custard
12 Large Apples
200ml (7floz) Cold Water
1 Lemon, rind only
Moist Sugar (Soft Brown Sugar)

Custard:
600ml (1 pint) Milk
4 Eggs
50g (2oz) Sugar
Grated Nutmeg

Peel, cut and core the apples.
Put into a saucepan with the cold water and as they heat, bruise to a pulp.
Sweeten with moist sugar (soft brown sugar) and add the grated lemon rind.
When cold, put the fruit at the bottom of a pie dish.
Pour over it a custard, made with the above proportion of milk, eggs and sugar.
Grate a little nutmeg over the top.
Place the dish in a moderate oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes.
The above proportions will make rather a large dish.

Time: 25 to 35 minutes.
Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
Seasonable from July to March.

[BeTheChange]

51. I guess Im the only bad one..

I wont share family recipes. My grandmother and grandfather didn't share those recipes.. My Aunts dont share them.. neither do I. These are recipes that have been passed down through generations, not stumbled upon in junior league cookbooks.

However, I do come from a family of restaurateurs and it is vitally important to our livelihood(there are 3 restaurants between 9 sisters and 2 brothers on my mother's side)that nobody make our dishes as well as the restaurant so patrons come back.

[eleny]

52. That's understandable

They're business secrets. But you now know that we're all curious! At least tell us what the recipes are for and about the restaurants. Maybe some of us are nearby and can enjoy a meal at your family's places.

[BeTheChange]

53. Italian and Hawaiian foods..

My grandmother was from Hawaii. So things like Adobo, long rice, lumpia, fish marinades.. molassass coconut cake, manaupua, pork dishes.. stuff like that.

My grandfather was from Southern Italy so, sauce and gravy recipes- puttanesca, genovese, etc.. caccitore, marsala, zabaglione, caponata, meatballs, tiramisu, lasagna, Pasteria Napoletana, aranci di riso, various Tiellas, different parms - eggplant, chicken, etc.. I could go on and on.

Since I live on the mainland and have a closer affinity to the italian food these are the ones I cook most often. Doesnt hurt that I was a salad girl every summer during my whole adolescence at one of the restaurants.

Id prefer not to name the restaurants just because I like to keep a little bit of anonymity on the web ;) Hope you understand. I do share alot of Italian recipes tho.. as my grandfather got older and financially able he often travelled back to italy with my grandmother and various aunts and uncles and picked up a great deal of North Italian recipes :)

[eleny]

54. What an interesting heritage!

I'm glad we already had dinner or I'd be very hungry right now. Your list of "specialties" sounds great. :toast:

[bettyellen]

55. no you aren't! i have heard from lots of people, they might sort of give

a recipe.. but but not everything. very often there's a technique or a little twist that they leave out. sort of on purpose. LOL.
a chef friend who admitted that also told me the secret of the cookies i admired so much- get this. margarine. :shrug: