Are you some sort of secret agent?

  Every girl has that one friend...you know who I'm talking about. The one who white knuckles her recipe book. The one who looks at you as though you have asked for her firstborn if you dare ask for her recipe for (insert dish here). Gee whiz, I'm not trying to rip off and patent your award winning treat here gal, I'm just asking if I can have the recipe so that I can make some (insert dish here) for my family, we think that it's yummy. I won't bring it to any gatherings that you'll be attending and I won't share it with anyone else without your permission. Still a no? OK, but are you some sort of secret agent or something?
  We've all been down that road. If you are the rare woman who hasn't experienced some variation of that conversation - just wait. Your day is coming. You'll be standing there, jaw on the floor, feeling like you should be posing for your mug shot because you just tried to rip off your friend/family member. Why are some gals so secretive about their recipes? Could it be that they feel that one dish is their claim to fame and if anyone else made it their acclaim would be ruined? Insecurity? Stubbornness? I'm no expert on cooking but I know a thing or two about relationships (just ask my hubby as he has spent countless hours listening to me recount the finer points of female bonding) and I know that sharing is essential to female relationships. When I discover a better/faster/easier/tastier way to prepare something I can't wait to share it with my girlfriends.  I reason that if it made my life easier or better than maybe it could do the same for them. On the same token I'm not too proud to say, "Your so-and-so was so much better than mine. What's your secret?" If she gives me the stink eye or reaches into her bag for the taser then I know not to ask again.
  Let's just be real for a minute. I'm always ready to share something with other ladies. I'm a talker. Oh what's that? You hadn't noticed? Well thank you very much for trying to make me feel better but I think the truth is abundantly clear. One of my childhood nicknames was motor mouth. I know that sounds harsh but it was accurate. What I'm trying to say is that we need each other. We're all working hard, caring for our families, and doing the best that we can each day. We should pool our intellectual resources, then we could work smarter instead of harder. I'm so thankful that my mother-in-law has so graciously shared so many of her prized recipes with me. She could have held her recipes close to the vest, insuring that I could never make a carrot cake for my hubby (her son) quite like she made it during his childhood, but she didn't. She gave me the recipe and even helped me make it the first time. Three cheers for mom-in-law! If you're part of the crazy secret recipe keepers society, please consider loosening your grip. If you just can't do it then the rest of us will just have to deal with it. But, you should know that we're gonna google that dish and find the recipe. You never know, we might find a version of the recipe that blows yours away :)



One last question for my secret keeping friends. Are your recipes protected by biometric security? Do you scan your eyeball or your finger to gain access?