LOL---And Here I Thought I Was Making a New Recipe
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
November 20, 2009 10:56pm CST
This discussion evolves from another discussion I did about cooking and being lazy to cook if one lives alone. One person responded saying she thought she was making a truly different and unique recipe that no one had ever done before only to find out later on that her so-called unique recipe was actually a version of Chicken Cacciatore.
So now I'm wondering myself. One of the meals I like to make for myself is actually a nice simple chicken meal without too much fuss, yet tastes great. What I do is cut up a chicken breast and cube it, slice/chop an onion, clove of garlic, chop up some green bell pepper and a plum tomato then simmer it all in water for about a half hour or so. I keep adding water to it so it doesn't burn, but then purposely let the liquid reduce a bit and just before I'm ready to serve pour in some pasta sauce and let it come to a boil and serve it over rice, noodles, spaghetti or couscous. Anyway the point being, I thought I had done my OWN unique recipe...uh, nope
So my fellow Mylotter got me curious to see if my "unique" recipe was truly unique and I nearly fell off the chair with laughter when I looked up the ingredients of my recipe only to find out........IT'S a version Chicken Cacciatore
So here I thought I had invented my very own recipe only to find out it's a classic Italian dish.
Have you ever "invented" something and you thought it was one of a kind and unique only to find out it wasn't? Doesn't have to be a recipe...could be anything.
So my fellow Mylotter got me curious to see if my "unique" recipe was truly unique and I nearly fell off the chair with laughter when I looked up the ingredients of my recipe only to find out........IT'S a version Chicken Cacciatore
So here I thought I had invented my very own recipe only to find out it's a classic Italian dish.
Have you ever "invented" something and you thought it was one of a kind and unique only to find out it wasn't? Doesn't have to be a recipe...could be anything.4 people like this
12 responses
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
21 Nov 09
For me, it's a new recipe if there's a new name to it and having some simple modifications. Like I watched this cooking show on TV (can't remember which) and the dish was just a simple lasagne dish. But with personalized garnish and decorations, and a name modification, it really looks so nice and unique. So, keep creating new recipes.. 
3 people like this
@celticeagle (189838)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Nov 09
Oh, it was a recipe! I actually put something I thought was new and different in some chili I was making ,even copied the recipe as I was making it so I would remember it. But, live and learn! Oh well! It was totally new to me. No, I won't say what it was. Too embarassing.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
21 Nov 09
LOL--I bet you were all set to name the recipe after yourself too, right?
3 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
21 Nov 09
I love cooking and occassionally invent my own recipes. I dont think I have invented a recipe that turned out to be already invented. But then, often my ideas are variations of, say, 2 or 3 meals.
When my ex hubby developed severe allergies, I had to invent meals for him. They had to be gluten, free, low salicylate and diabetic.
One recipe I invented for kids was:
onion
beef mince
i pkt beef 2 min noodles
1 tin of beef/ veg soup
They LOVED it. Can anyone tell me if this is original??
By the way, I do very much like the sound of your recipe. It would appear to be quite low fat, so think I will try that one.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Nov 09
Would have no idea if that recipe of yours is original or not...LOL...Yes my recipe is low fat since no fat is added to it which is great
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Chicken Cacciatore -sighs- I don't even have to close my eyes to recall that wonderific aroma of it simmering on my Grandma's stove when I open the garage door. Heck, anything my Grandma cooked/baked always permented (sp) her garage to the point you don't even have to open it to enjoy such aromas. I recall her tales of cooking for rich families back in her days. She cooked for large crowds almost daily.
2 people like this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
21 Nov 09
-nods head enthusiastically- yup yup
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
21 Nov 09
You would love my homemade lasagna and manacotti then...
1 person likes this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Geeze! I do something similar, only I add red pepper in addition to the green one. Then instead of adding water, I drizzle a bit of olive oil in it and add fresh basil. So it's not unique, huh? Have you tried using alfredo sauce instead of pasta sauce? Sometimes I don't use any additional sauce, just another bit of olive oil.
There are so many 'variations' or 'interpretations' of recipes that it would probably be pretty hard to come up with something really unique. Probably you would have to use really odd combinations of ingredients. Like pot roast slow-simmered in melted vanilla ice cream. Who knows? That's probably been done too.
2 people like this
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
21 Nov 09
pot roast slow-simmered in melted vanilla ice cream
Good one and like you said, prolly done at some point in time.
Good one and like you said, prolly done at some point in time.3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
21 Nov 09
You're right...there probably is a pot roast in melted vanilla ice cream...Just as many people would never think such a dish of Turkey that has a chocolate sauce exists..but do you know there is? It's a Mexican dish called Turkey Problana
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Oh meant to add..yes I've used alfredo sauce..love it :-)
Have also made the French equivalent...sauce morney...it's a white sauce with cream, egg yolk and cheese--I've modified it...no cream--low fat milk instead, no egg yolks..and still tastes great
2 people like this
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
21 Nov 09
I have a recipe like that of my own. One day I laid down to take a nap and when I woke up I had this idea in my head of a "new" food to try. I like to say that I dreamt it up on my own because I woke up thinking of it LOL I am not sure if it is unique or not but to me it is..I call it Potato Pizzazz. All it is is a mix of potatoes, ranch, bacon bits, and shredded cheddar cheese. Just mix it all together minus the ranch let it bake for about an hour and then mix in the ranch and serve. It looks like a slop but it is so delicious and I don't care if it has been made up before I am going to claim it as my own and enjoy it all the same. LOL
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
21 Nov 09
That really sounds good...how do you do the potatoes...baked or mashed???
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Nov 09
Sounds great...I would have to greatly reduce the recipe since it's only me though...
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
21 Nov 09
I will cube them up and then put them in a casserole dish with a stick off butter for about 10 potatoes and then bake them for about an hour once they are done(and soft) i will pull it out add the bacon bits, ranch and cheese to my liking and stir. I don't put them back it normally because the cheese will melt with the heat of the potatoes but if it doesn't you can stick it back in for just a few minutes and then serve. It is delicious, almost like a baked potatoe with ranch, bacon bits and cheese just all mushed into one LOL If you try it you will have to let me know what you think.
2 people like this
not that I know of never checked with anything I tried to do differnt.
Only know when making meat laof once ran out of catsup and put in spicey mustard instead.
tasted pretty good that once aftetr that no one liked it lolololoool@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Nov 09
LOL--one time I made a hamburger only to realize I didn't have ketchup, so used mayonaisse instead--and no, it's not original as it's known as a "California Burger"
@BarBaraPrz (51818)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
21 Nov 09
My soups are like that... I just toss in whatever's around and *poof!* it's soup. What kind, I can't tell you. Like the last batch I made... a can of white kidney beans, a can of cream of celery soup, a can of mushrooms and a tetra-thing of carrot & corriander soup. (I was trying to clear up some clutter.) Tasted great.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Nov 09
I kind of think that's how all soups started out....by just tossing a bit of this and a bit of that..LOL
1 person likes this
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
21 Nov 09
Last July I was in New York and went on a train ride with my daughter and granddaughter.....we saw one of the conductors wearing a beverage tote.....we asked her if we could see it and I came back to Minnesota all excited to start a new trend in our area.....I was selling them at a craft fair when a lady picked one up and I told her how I had seen them in New York and thought they were a wonderful idea and she said.....I've been making them for years! Dang it!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Nov 09
LOL--that's funny...going to have to look up what a beverage tote looks like as I've never heard of them before
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
21 Nov 09
I don't think I have ever created a totally new recipe before. Normally start with a recipe and then change things in the recipe to make it a little bit unique. Sometimes my changes pretty much change the entire dish though. Then it usually ends up being somewhere between 2 dishes that I already know.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Nov 09
I often do that myself, that is take two or three recipes from a book of the same basic recipe and take a bit from those recipes to make it unique
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
24 Nov 09
My beef stew is always different, although it would still, technically, be called beef stew, so it's not original except for some of the strange veggies I've added to it on occasion. I just make the normal, kinda boring beef stew and throw in whatever leftover veggies I have in the fridge. I made it with broccoli once and everyone loved it! Who knew???
Hmmm, Beef Stew a la Mentalward? Chicken Cacciatore a la Pyewacket? I think most of us have altered existing recipes so, even though they are our own invention (at least in our own minds) we make them our own by having slightly different ingredients.
Whenever I look up a specific recipe online, I'm often left with my jaw on the floor at the number of versions, no matter what the recipe is for. Maybe we should add our own versions of Chicken Cacciatore to those already online?
Hmmm, now that has me thinking. I wonder how many people actually follow a recipe when making Chicken Cacciatore. I think I've only completely followed a recipe when making things like cakes or cookies, which reminds me, it's time to make pumpkin cookies! You'll find me in the kitchen today. 
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
24 Nov 09
The only time I usually follow a recipe faithfully is when I make it the very first time, after that I tend to improvise and do variations of it...You're right...I just might write up my Chicken Cacciatore and submit it for AC...LOL
@redkathy (3374)
• United States
21 Nov 09
I always cook, adding my own personal touch. To me, that is my rendition of an old recipe, however adaptations make things into something new. I would say that while you didn't "invent" chicken cacciatore this combination is your original recipe. In fact, it is quite different then a traditional cacciatore in that the chicken is not usually boneless, for one. You should name it, and publicize it as your own, it sounds great
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
22 Nov 09
LOL--maybe I should publish my recipe at associated content???
