The Myth About Chefs Sharing Recipes
There’s this myth that chefs are eager to give away their recipes. Ask nicely, and we’ll hand over the secret formula. Maybe that’s true for some people. But not for me.
For years, I held back a recipe that wasn’t even complicated. It wasn’t foie gras foam or croquembouche. It was stuffing.
My stuffing.
My Cuban Chorizo Stuffing Recipe
This stuffing had chorizo, mushrooms, dried cornbread, and even tostones. Of course, I also used onion, celery, and garlic—the usual suspects. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it was mine.
The recipe came out of a very specific moment in life—when we were trying to create our own traditions. Merging a Cuban background with a Southern Indiana upbringing wasn’t seamless. There weren’t cookbooks for that.
So I started experimenting. It took three tries to land on something that made sense in our house. It felt grounded and familiar, but still a little unexpected. That made it personal.
Not sacred. Not top secret. Just personal. And that made it even harder to give away.
Why I Held Back the Recipe
Years later, when I served the Cuban chorizo stuffing to guests, it had evolved. Cleaner. More intentional. More elegant. That’s when the questions started:
-
“Can I get the recipe?”
-
“I need this for my holiday table.”
-
“You have to write this down.”
I’d smile and say, “Of course! I’ll give it to you at the end of the night.”
Then I’d pour more wine. Mix stronger cocktails. And secretly hope they’d forget. I’m a little devil like that.
It wasn’t because I was stingy. I just wasn’t ready to let it go. That stuffing wasn’t just a side dish—it was a record of who we were trying to become. It held a piece of both our families.
The Lesson Stuffing Taught Me
Eventually, I stopped guarding the recipe. I realized that no one could take away the experience that shaped it. Sure, people could make the dish. But they wouldn’t have our kitchen, our chaos, or the stories baked into it.
And maybe that’s the lesson. A recipe doesn’t lose value when it’s shared—it gains it.
When Timing Matters
Now, when you’re writing a cookbook, timing matters. Context matters. And so does knowing when to hold something back.
But for this stuffing? It’s out in the world now.
So if you ask for the Cuban chorizo stuffing recipe, I won’t stall or distract or refill your glass too quickly.
(Unless, of course, you really deserve it.)
