Yay, it’s almost Friiiiiddaaay! I cannot wait for the weekend! 
For dinner this evening, I tried one of Giada’s recipes: Pasta Ponza. I actually think it was the first time I’ve ever made one of her recipes. I realize that some people think Giada’s a bit annoying, but I’m a fan so far– at least of her recipes! 😉
As always, I made a bunch of changes to the recipe:
- I nixed the capers and parsley.
- I added broccoli florets, scallions, and arugula.
- I used whole wheat penne instead of ziti.
- I used a blend of Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago instead of Pecorino Romano.
Ok, so I’m curious what you guys think. With all of the changes that I made to this recipe, is it still considered Giada’s or is it my own recipe brainchild? Isn’t there a rule about changing at least 3 ingredients? What makes a recipe your own?
I really enjoyed this meal, but the next time I make it, I’ll definitely add more breadcrumbs. The bread-y texture + bold cheese flavors were outstanding– I just wanted more of it coating my penne and roasted veggies!
For dessert, I’m planning to break into a bag of Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels. They’re currently “chilling” in the refrigerator. I swear, there’s no other way to eat ’em! 😉
For the record, I snacked on a zillion crackers before dinner this evening. I was a bottomless pit today! This photo only shows the final few crackers that I finished off. Oh, well. At least I got some fiber and whole grains in my diet today!
Mal and I have The Lovely Bones on DVD to watch this evening. I LOVED the book, so let’s hope the movie isn’t a letdown like The Time Traveler’s Wife. Has there ever been a movie that’s better than the book?!?
Good night, blog friends! 😀
113 Comments
I pretty much change SOMETHING in every recipe I used unless I’m baking. I often wonder the same thing, what makes a recipe mine? I guess all my recipes are inspired by others. It’s not uncommon for me to have more than one cookbook out or a couple websites pulled up online to take things from each one. I usually need the idea seed to be planted and then I do my own thing with it 😉
I like Giada. I think that if people find her annoying it might be just a little bit out of envy. I mean, she’s beautiful, glamorous, wealthy, and gets to work with food every single day! Her food is delcious though… I have her Everyday Italian cookbook and I use it all the time. (The white bean dip is one of my go-to appetizers!)
Movies that are better than the book: The Game, The Godfather…. that’s probably about it!
My mother in law argues that changing even one thing in a recipe qualifies as making it “your” recipe. Works for me!
Ha, for me, the movie that is better than the book IS The Time Travelers’ Wife. I could not STAND the book–I barely finished it–but I LOVED the movie! 🙂
I think it is your recipe. I like the change more than three things rule.
I loved the movie and it had me on the edge of my seat even though I read the book.
Not sure if anyone said this yet, but I am pretty sure the answer is, ingredient lists cannot be copyright, but instructions can. You have to actually change the words.
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html
Now tell me, how many ways can you say, “Cream butter and sugar together” ?
It’s a good question – is it the ingredients, or the method of making that matters? Like Christine said, for actual copyright it’s the instructions, but in terms of not claiming someone else’s recipe as your own, I feel like it’s the cooking/creating part that matters more than the ingredients. It’s so hard to know, though.
Tough question re the recipe; I’m not sure who owns it now.
Re the book and movie, I think it will always be pretty hard to make a movie that shows in less than two hours as good as the book.
I always worry about that when blogging recipes because I don’t want to get in trouble…so even if I change stuff, I usually still say “adapted from” or something to cover my butt 🙂
The biggest thing that annoys me about Giada is when she only has an Italian accent when it comes to Italian ingredients, no other words.
Also, in my opinion, I think the only movie I’ve come across that is better than the book was “The Notebook” 🙂
I love Giada! And loved The Time Traveler’s Wife book, but was incredibly disappointed in the movie. Especially because Rachel McAdams is amazing.
Seeded Spelt are my favoriteeee Dr. Kracker!
Yes! “The Notebook”. The movie was fantastic, the book was… ok. I got bored, and felt like Nicholas Sparks was being really cheesy. The movie made the plot better!