Sharing Recipes

One of my favorite things to do is to share great recipes, so that's what this lens is all about - why, where and how.

(Photo by kspoddar and used under Creative Commons license)

Why I Love to Share Recipes

I don't know about you, but I love food. There aren't very many things I just couldn't live without, but I'm pretty sure that food is a necessity. But there's more to the food we eat than just being something we need to survive - food is important to our cultures, our families, and our daily lives. When you think about a culture that's different from your own, one of the first questions that comes to your mind is probably, "What kind of food do they eat?" When you celebrate a special occasion (birthday, wedding, holiday) with friends and family, food is usually an integral part of the festivities.

In my family, every person is known for their own specialty - my mom makes great Chicken & Dumplings, my aunt makes the best Gumbo, my uncle is a master when it comes to BBQ Brisket - like I said, everyone has their own specialty. But for us, it's not all about secret recipes. We love to trade recipes with each other, and any time someone shows up at Thanksgiving with something new, they're usually not able to leave without telling at least 6 other people how to make it.

So for me, trading recipes is a fun thing to do with friends and family. In fact, my friends love it when I tell them that one of their recipes has gotten rave reviews from my family, and vice versa.

Where and How I Like to Share Recipes

Among friends and family, sharing recipes is simple - just say, "Hey this is great! How do you make it?" It's usually good to have a pen and paper handy so you can write it all down.

But when I'm looking for something unique, or if I just heard of something interesting, I need to find other sources. One way to find great recipes is to look through one of the many cookbooks I own. I love my cookbooks, especially the (very old) Tony Chachere's Cajun Country Cookbook my grandmother gave me.

Sometimes, though, I like to get input, advice, and suggestions from independent sources. When that's the case, I go to Casual Cooks - an online forum where people can trade their favorite recipes, ask questions, and share stories. It's a great place to get everything from traditional dishes to modern variations to totally unique ideas.

So that, in a nutshell, is my take on sharing great recipes. If you like to share recipes, too, drop a line in the guestbook! Please feel free to nominate and vote on your favorite cookbooks, and check out the forum at Casual Cooks - maybe I'll see you there sometime!