When I first started this blog I researched two series, cookbooks and my essential pantry. I even made it easy to purchase out-of-print books by just clicking (my husband did that for me).
I was afraid to just write something. Now, every few months I get a hit on cookbooks or pantry and know it’s someone who’s writing a cookbook and using my research without asking. No, I’m not going to take those sites down because you may want to use them one day.
When I see that published cookbook with a list of recommended texts that is identical to mine, then I’ll worry about it and know that you know I published it years ago.
It has been a joy to write to and for you. I am not a gifted cook, writer, blogger or tech person. I tend to go off base but “cooking” with Dee could mean anything from politics to family traditions.
It has become more dangerous to print recipes because something I come up with may be in another’s cookbook I’ve never read. Mario Batali sued a Texas owner of Babbo, which means “grandfather,” for many years, for using a name he recently came up with. I heard the owner changed the name to Mario’s.
I’ve heard of what lengths certain experts will go, to keep their recipes from being altered in any way and published. In my mind, that stifles creativity and even makes me wonder if I can publish my mother’s 40 year-old collection of recipes, updating them, without my edits catching the eye of a litigious publisher.
Thus, my stories have been mainly about my relationship with food and the people who’ve nourished me, physically and emotionally, thoughout my life.
Perhaps it should be more about that. I’ll work on it along with menus for new adventures. Cookbooks should only take one part of the way. The rest is up to you. Cheers, Dee
Cooking with Dee 