lund
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Post by lund on Jun 15, 2017 11:04:57 GMT -5
As to Beergut's recipes, I would probably keep any real "special, unusual, family" or "signature" heirloom ones and copy the less "heirloomy" and more "general" ones nicely and correctly with good instructions, and gift the 17-year-old, for showing an interest, probably in a nice little binder with a dedication being something like "To 17-y.o. from Beer, as a memento of our fun times cooking together. Enjoy cooking and Bon Appetit!" on the same page as an important recipe, making it difficult to tear the dedication out.
Yes, it occurs that I am a bit bitchy, but I try to be somewhat classy bitchy. The 17-year-old has showed an interest in cooking and in staying in contact, so I would respond to that.
Sorry to hear about the break-up.
As to yeast, does the old recipe refer to dry yeast or live yeast? They are not identical. 14g of dried corresponds to 50g of fresh. The fresh is not as sensitive to temperature while baking, but must be refrigerated and has a much shorter shelf-life. The granule size and shape differs between the new dry yeast and the old dry yeast (I have a box of English(?) dry yeast from the fifties(?) for comparison), so the weights of a specified volume measure will differ, in addition to any other variables.
And Tiny, please formally will the niece the stuff! IME there are always some person (or a present spouse) turning into first class*beep* enriching him/herself, plus the "get rid of everything that I don't value" person/s when inheritances are not specified in a will, and it is sad when family traditions and heirlooms just disappear and get lost. By chance I got my grandmother's hand-written recipe collections, and it is so much fun!
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jun 15, 2017 12:07:31 GMT -5
I don't think of recipes as heirlooms...but I do think I'd feel a little weird if, while in the midst of a breakup, my ex was asking me for recipes. To me, that's the kind of thing that you ask for later if you leave on good terms (and frankly, if you leave on bad terms you've done a poor job of judging the situation if you're hostile but still asking for favors like that).
I suppose if it was a very amicable breakup, like a reluctant breakup where it just kind of had to happen for extenuating circumstances...then maybe it makes more sense. Just seems....weird.
If you DO value recipes though...I think it's perfectly within your rights to say "those are family recipes and it's really important to some of us that the family doesn't give them out...I'm sorry but I can't".
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chen35
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Post by chen35 on Jun 15, 2017 15:02:11 GMT -5
Or a capful of vanilla, back when the cap equalled a teaspoon... It doesn't still equal a teaspoon? I've been doing that for years. I guess I didn't notice a problem, so I'll probably continue.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Jun 15, 2017 15:54:55 GMT -5
I do think of recipes as family heirlooms, but I will gladly share with anyone who asks. To me, it's such a compliment that someone wants one!
I got DH's family recipes. I decided to make a family cookbook. Everyone (even the kids) gave recipes. It's wonderful and everyone loved it.
There was one lost family recipe for a chocolate dessert that was legendary in the family. I researched it came up with something and made it. One bite and they are all saying "no, not it" but they ate every morsel. So I tweaked it, again, "no, not it" again, none left. Well, in making the family cookbook, I found it in Grandma's handwriting no less. I was excited, made it following the recipe to the letter. Guess what? Got "No, not it"
I included the copy in the family cookbook. My husband swears the ingredients (cocoa) must have been different then. It was very funny! Sounds like you had fun trying anyway!
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Jun 15, 2017 16:10:34 GMT -5
Yes, a modern "packet of yeast". LOL! The "packet of yeast" called for by the original recipe turned out to be 3 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) of yeast. Either that or 2.25 teaspoons of "olden day yeast" was more "yeasty and vigorous" than current yeast. When we used a Tablespoon of yeast - (regular or quick rising) the dough came out perfect. I've had similar adventures trying to translate old family recipes, but the ones involving yeast seem to be the trickiest. Yes, it could be that the quantity of yeast was off, or it could be that your kitchen is a much different temperature causing the yeast to multiply at different rates, or it could be that your water has different mineral content (salt especially) causing different yeast growth rates, or your yeast could be fresher/older which again causes different growth rates.... and the list goes on and on. Leavening stuff is tricky; it's pretty amazing how much good bakers had to work by instinct back when our grandmas were baking.This is huge when using yeast. The fresh yeast I use at work is not at all like the dry yeast I use at home. Plus the water is harder at work than at my house. I use more yeast in the winter when it's cold, less when I bake in the summer. Someone earlier mentioned that using the same ingredients biscuits either come out light and fluffy or like hockey pucks. It's a matter of how you handle the dough. I make nice biscuits. I work with someone who makes biscuits so tender and moist it's like you died and went to heaven. I wish I had written down some of eXH's recipes. He was an excellent professional cook. I make some of his dishes from memory but they'll never be as good as he made. And it gives me an opportunity to think positive thoughts about him. I'm always willing to share recipes. The problem is, I don't usually measure ingredients except for baking. I'm making my curried chicken salad for the folks at work on Saturday at the request of a couple of co-workers. One asked for the recipe and when I offered to write it out she decided to pass because she knows it will be hard to reproduce since I don't have exact measurements for anything.
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ken a.k.a OMK
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Post by ken a.k.a OMK on Jun 15, 2017 16:16:57 GMT -5
The only measuring cups my grandmother used were a pill bottle and a Tupperware cups. Small amounts were called a dibby dab. When first married my wife asked her Baba (Russian grandmother) how to make pierogies. She said use a sifter of flower.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 15, 2017 16:20:57 GMT -5
I remember dibby dab!! Grandma, is that you?
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jun 15, 2017 16:21:49 GMT -5
Mom's recipes were in her head. My sister and I were moving out permanently the same summer. I remember sitting there with her trying to figure out how much a pinch was.
In mom's family, her potato salad was known as Mom's famous potato salad. She had made some changes to her mother's potato salad. She gladly shared it as my cousin's got married and wanted their wives to make it for them. One even came to mom's house to learn how to make it and she finally got it right.
I haven't made it in years and my sister never liked it.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jun 15, 2017 16:35:36 GMT -5
.... Someone earlier mentioned that using the same ingredients biscuits either come out light and fluffy or like hockey pucks. It's a matter of how you handle the dough. I make nice biscuits. I work with someone who makes biscuits so tender and moist it's like you died and went to heaven. .... This one made me giggle. My youngest son likes to cook with me and he's a happy, joyous guy. Unfortunately, he's truly still a boy and just can't resist really poking, mushing and playing with the dough. No matter how many times I give him the "hockey puck" talk and he nods, he just. can't. resist. It's even funnier when we make things together. We'll mix up one batch of biscuit dough and then he and I will each roll/cut half the biscuits from the batch. Half turn out light and fluffy... half are like happy little hockey pucks. Exact same batch, exact same recipe, exact same ingredients, exact same baking times, but some of them live a rougher life than the others. I don't care, I just throw the hockey pucks away when he's not looking. I'm just happy he still likes to bake with me.
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ken a.k.a OMK
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Post by ken a.k.a OMK on Jun 15, 2017 16:36:08 GMT -5
A few years ago my wife took her mothers recipes and put them on our computer and printed them out. Made a nice 8" x 11" binder for her.
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beergut
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Post by beergut on Jun 15, 2017 18:28:23 GMT -5
A family friend had all of her friends and family (and her new daughter-in-law's friends and family) send in their favorite recipes before her son's wedding. She included pictures of them with her son growing up, had an explanation of the relationship to her son, and told a story about why those particular recipes were chosen. She did the same for her daughter-in-law. She had all of the recipes, pictures, and stories professionally bound in a book, so it is their wedding cookbook. It is fascinating to look through, because it tells the history of the couple growing up, and their family history.
It functions pretty well as a reference book, because there are notes in there on the relationship of everyone to both the bride and groom. Forget who Uncle Cy is and why he's so important to her, go look in the book. It is also a fantastic record of family history on both sides.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Jun 15, 2017 19:11:10 GMT -5
A family friend had all of her friends and family (and her new daughter-in-law's friends and family) send in their favorite recipes before her son's wedding. She included pictures of them with her son growing up, had an explanation of the relationship to her son, and told a story about why those particular recipes were chosen. She did the same for her daughter-in-law. She had all of the recipes, pictures, and stories professionally bound in a book, so it is their wedding cookbook. It is fascinating to look through, because it tells the history of the couple growing up, and their family history. It functions pretty well as a reference book, because there are notes in there on the relationship of everyone to both the bride and groom. Forget who Uncle Cy is and why he's so important to her, go look in the book. It is also a fantastic record of family history on both sides. Who gets the cookbooks when they split? I had to ask since breakup is what started this thread.
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Post by empress of self-improvement on Jun 15, 2017 19:35:40 GMT -5
My family recipes, all 2 of them, aren't particularly heirlooms, per se. One is for sterling sauce that used to be made every single Christmas, whether anyone ate it or not. I know I didn't and I have no idea why I still have the recipe. The other is for my absolute favorite beef stew my mother used to make for me. It came out of some cookbook. My dutch oven and cast iron pans, on the other hand, I will cut you and smash you in the head with them if you even THINK about taking them. The dutch oven is the magic stew pot that my mother used to make the beef stew in and the cast iron pans were my grandmother's. Oh, I still also have some of my dad's old knives from when he did catering. So I'll cut you with those nice dull blades and smack you with one of the frying pans.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Jun 15, 2017 19:50:13 GMT -5
I wish someone had written down the recipes for the rolls the Swedish grandmother of one of my cousins made. Cousin's dad is my dad's brother. Grandma is on her mother's side.
My sister can make mom's noodles. I can't.
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beergut
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Post by beergut on Jun 15, 2017 19:51:11 GMT -5
A family friend had all of her friends and family (and her new daughter-in-law's friends and family) send in their favorite recipes before her son's wedding. She included pictures of them with her son growing up, had an explanation of the relationship to her son, and told a story about why those particular recipes were chosen. She did the same for her daughter-in-law. She had all of the recipes, pictures, and stories professionally bound in a book, so it is their wedding cookbook. It is fascinating to look through, because it tells the history of the couple growing up, and their family history. It functions pretty well as a reference book, because there are notes in there on the relationship of everyone to both the bride and groom. Forget who Uncle Cy is and why he's so important to her, go look in the book. It is also a fantastic record of family history on both sides. Who gets the cookbooks when they split? I had to ask since breakup is what started this thread. Maybe they cut it in half?
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Jun 15, 2017 19:57:24 GMT -5
Hmm, I do have my mom's old magnalite turkey roasting pan, 'cause I've been doing Thanksgiving the last few years. I should probably keep that, but it probably actually belonged to my dad's 1st wife, which automatically means I have 0 claim to it. Whatever-- somebody else can make Thanksgiving dinner in that case! 😜
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dee27
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Post by dee27 on Jun 15, 2017 20:49:44 GMT -5
My aunt was an excellent baker, but in order to have a written copy of a recipe, I would spend time in the kitchen watching her bake and record how much she used of each ingredient. Otherwise, a cup of flour might be measured using her favorite coffee mug and not an 8-ounce measuring cup. If the cookie dough appeared to have the right texture, she tested by feel. The flavorings and extracts were more frustrating because she looked at the color of the dough. None of her measurements were exact.
As Malarky said, the weather can have a significant effect on baked goods especially the ones made with yeast. Even Julia Child remarked that she only bakes one of her chocolate cake recipes during the winter.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2017 20:57:35 GMT -5
I was married the first time almost 25 years so I had most of my ex's family recipes written down in a cookbook. I gave the book to my daughter four or five years ago.
I know how to cook the ones I want, but her grandmother has the beginnings of Alzheimer's so has some memory problems. My daughter now brings them to family gatherings.
I have no idea if my ex's second wife has the recipes. Since my former MIL usually thinks she is trying to kill her (paranoia), I sort of doubt it.
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beergut
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Post by beergut on Jun 16, 2017 2:38:34 GMT -5
My aunt was an excellent baker, but in order to have a written copy of a recipe, I would spend time in the kitchen watching her bake and record how much she used of each ingredient. Otherwise, a cup of flour might be measured using her favorite coffee mug and not an 8-ounce measuring cup. If the cookie dough appeared to have the right texture, she tested by feel. The flavorings and extracts were more frustrating because she looked at the color of the dough. None of her measurements were exact. As Malarky said, the weather can have a significant effect on baked goods especially the ones made with yeast. Even Julia Child remarked that she only bakes one of her chocolate cake recipes during the winter. This is understandable with dough, though, because once you get it right, you always know how that feels, and can do it by feel from then on. I've had people ask me for some sauce recipes I made from scratch, and I tell them to just come over and watch me. I don't measure much, it is all done by how it looks, smells, and tastes.
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moneyminded
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Post by moneyminded on Jun 16, 2017 21:22:50 GMT -5
Yep. Old family recipes are heirlooms, to be passed down the generations. Do you plan on leaving any family heirlooms to your Ex if you pass before her? Then hellz no I wouldn't give them up. Unless you really want to. You get to decide.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jun 16, 2017 21:59:12 GMT -5
There is one recipe I was asked not to share outside of the family. It is for a sandwich that my Aunt supported herself and 4 kids by making and selling to local workers after her husband died and she was left with nothing. She felt like it was important to keep the recipe just within the family because of how important it was to her and her kids when she needed it. So that one only my kids get. If I didn't have kids though I'd really struggle with stuff like that. Is it better for something to die out entirely than to risk it leaving the family? No! Feel free to post it here anytime!
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jun 16, 2017 22:14:42 GMT -5
I don't have any of my grandmothers' recipes and even if I did - I don't think I could have figured out any measurements of anything.
I would NOT be sharing any of my own recipes with an ex boyfriend and certainly not any of the ones from my family.
My breakups were usually fairly drama free, but once it's over - it's over. I don't keep anything from previous relationships and wouldn't want the guy to keep anything either.
BTW - am I the only one who really wants to know what happened between OP and his GF?? Haven't we all be speculating that they won't last?
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jun 17, 2017 16:13:39 GMT -5
I'm sure we all do but doubtful we'd get the true story but a one sided one. It's her 3rd live in. Plus at least one ex who doesn't seem interested in his own children. Her father just seems to be glad someone else was picking up the slack. But I'm sure her son is thrilled. Hopefully she's learned something from these experiences and stops repeating them. Poor kids. I always felt sorry for them.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Jun 18, 2017 18:12:11 GMT -5
GF has become EXGF, and in the process of separating everything, she has told me she wants several of my recipes. Some of them (my grandmother's tomato sauce recipe) are family recipes that have been passed down for generations, and since we're not going to be family anymore, I don't see the point in giving them to her. Some of them are recipes of my own creation, so I feel if I'm not there, you don't get to enjoy my creation. I feel like asking for my recipe in such a situation is presumptuous. Do you view recipes are heirlooms of sorts? Some of the recipe cards I have are heirlooms to me - I have grandma's recipe card box, for example. It means a great deal to me. Also my mother's recipe collection. The instructions themselves I would share with someone I liked, but I would never give the written material to anyone, since the original owners have passed away and I could not replace them. I guess it depends on how you feel about the X. If you are still friendly and she isn't going into business with your recipes, I'd consider sharing.
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crazycat
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Post by crazycat on Jun 19, 2017 21:19:00 GMT -5
People always ask for my cookie recipes . I always share but do tell them they might not come out exactly like mine do . I tend to use recipes as a starting off point and just add / subtract what I want .
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milee
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Post by milee on Jun 19, 2017 21:36:59 GMT -5
People always ask for my cookie recipes . I always share but do tell them they might not come out exactly like mine do . I tend to use recipes as a starting off point and just add / subtract what I want . I do similar. Happy to hand out recipes but since I'm not a strict measurer, they're more like the Pirate Code... guidelines. Pretty much whenever anyone asks how to make awesome food I tell them to follow these guidelines: - Use real butter. - Add a pinch more salt and if it's a sweet recipe, sometimes a little extra sugar. - If the recipe calls for alcohol, double the amount. People will think you're a culinary genius.
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Bob Ross
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Post by Bob Ross on Jun 21, 2017 13:14:50 GMT -5
I have a few recipes which I won't share, the foremost of which is my family chili recipe which I've since improved upon. Bet you wish you could have some of my chili, but guess what? You can't!
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Jun 21, 2017 13:31:33 GMT -5
People always ask for my cookie recipes . I always share but do tell them they might not come out exactly like mine do . I tend to use recipes as a starting off point and just add / subtract what I want . I do similar. Happy to hand out recipes but since I'm not a strict measurer, they're more like the Pirate Code... guidelines. Pretty much whenever anyone asks how to make awesome food I tell them to follow these guidelines: - Use real butter. - Add a pinch more salt and if it's a sweet recipe, sometimes a little extra sugar. - If the recipe calls for alcohol, double the amount. People will think you're a culinary genius. And most importantly, remember what you did differently!! My dad made a multiple award winning clam chowder, and passed the recipe down. Last year, I decided (when I saw that lobster tails were on sale) to make seafood chowder. So I used his clam chowder as a base, but enhanced things along the way. It turned out fantastic. I used guanciale rather than salt pork, I enhanced clam broth by simmering it with the sauteed shells of the shrimp and lobster, I used the fresh thyme that was still alive. I used heavy cream as part of the base rather than milk (only a pint and balanced the rest with milk). So next time I made it, I got lazy. I couldn't find guanciale, so used salt pork. I didn't enhance the clam broth with the shells (whoda thunk there'd be that much flavor in those?), my thyme bush was dead so used dried. It was still good, but not as good as it was when I made it the first time. Lesson learned!
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dee27
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Post by dee27 on Jun 21, 2017 13:40:56 GMT -5
For many of my recipes, I add spices/herbs according to taste that does not translate to writing down the exact measurement on paper. I tailor recipes according to my family's preferences. If I share a recipe, I note where changes can be made.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Jun 21, 2017 13:41:31 GMT -5
I have a few recipes which I won't share, the foremost of which is my family chili recipe which I've since improved upon. Bet you wish you could have some of my chili, but guess what? You can't! Does it have Scott Tenorman's parents in it?
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