No Secret Recipes

Coke has their secret recipe, though it’s not quite as secret as people think. KFC has their 11 herbs and spices.

But you ain’t Colonel Sanders. (I’d give a shout out on the off chance Harlan dropped by, but he died several years before I got my first internet connection.) So there’s not much chance you’ve got some secret recipe that’s going to make you rich.

Oh sure, you might, but it’s kind of like planning to win the lottery: You better have a plan B.


So why do so many people have “secret recipes” that they won’t share with friends and family? Does Aunt Betty’s peach cobbler taste better because you don’t know how to make it? Does Cousin Frank think people are going around talking about how good his chili is when he’s not around?

Instead of explaining this over and over to people, I’m just going to say this one more time. Anyone who agrees, feel free to point to this page.

  1. If you share your secret recipe, your version will still taste just as good.
  2. If you leave out one or two ingredients so mine isn’t quite the same, I won’t be grateful. I’ll be pissed.
  3. Yes, I like your cooking, but I visit for the company. If the only reason to visit you is for the food, you’re not a friend: You’re a restaurant. I’ll be sure to leave a tip.
  4. If I make your recipe and people pay me compliments, I’ll tell them I got it from you.
  5. If you make me figure it out on my own you get no credit.
  6. If your recipe really is that great, you could be remembered as the person with the best cookies in the church bake sale. Or if you share it, you could be the person who invented chocolate chip cookies.

Let’s share, people. It’s the right thing to do.

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