Recipe Contests? to enter or not to enter

[werecat]

Ok, Got a question for everyone. *wiggles eyebrows* and you know it's going to be a good one cause it's coming from me. LOL

So these evil sneaky people keep winning MY mega millions jackpots. They just don't realize that I'm supposed to win so I can get my family out of here and set up the "World According To LISA" commune (I swear Johno, the moment I win your one of the first people I'm telling so we can begin planning the cob houses I want you and your brother to build for me!). Since the powers of darkness and chaos are set at thwarting my attempts to win the money via lottery tickets I was watching the food network this morning (everything stops @ 8:30 central while Jamie at Home is on!) and durring the commercial break they were talking about the pillsbury bake off. The winner gets $1,000,000 *picks up chin!*. Cool! I can really cook! *buffs nails on chest* So I'm thinking I will enter and win the money, simple. (hush, this is my fantasy. Keep your reality to your self lol) Then I'm looking at the rules and it says that any recipe I enter becomes property of pillsbury and I don't get any compensation for it and they can basically do as they please with it.... Ummmmm No! My recipes are mine and they don't get to have them for nothing. I don't think that is fair at all. So it looks like I will be trying to make up some new recipes to enter and they can have them rather than the ones I already have.

Here's the question for the cooks: Do you enter your family recipes you have busted tail developing from scratch, or if you enter contests do you come up with something completely new that doesnt involve quite so much of your heart and spirit?

[Denninmi]

I entered one recipe contest once. It was to submit a recipe using a particular brand and flavor of salad dressing in a "new and novel way." I created a couple of different things, and eventually submitted a recipe for a braised shortribs with red beans and rice type dish. I won a potholder, as one of 1000 "honorable mentions." The recipe that won, in my opinion, was really stupid, because essentially, it consisted of some pre-bagged salad mix, a pre-cooked rotissery chicken from the store, a couple of toss ins, and the salad dressing. I saw nothing new or novel about it -- what a novel use of salad dressing, putting it on a salad! Oh well, just sour grapes on my part, I guess.

Essentially, you give up the COMMERCIAL rights to this recipe -- you couldn't ever, for example, write a cookbook and publish that recipe in it. However, recipes are a special category of copyright law:

"Mere listings of ingredients as in recipes, formulas, compounds or prescriptions are not subject to copyright protection. However, where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection." http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl122.html

But, that doesn't mean you wouldn't have pride of ownership, or the ability to write it down and pass it on to friends and family, and you certainly don't have to stop making it.

[Eric]

Denninmi, I can understand why that one may have won. Its simple and easy, and something any old fool can whip together. That is, something they can put on the side of the salad dressing and add some value to their product.

werecat, Along those lines, definitely do not share the family recipe (that would just be wasted at a place like Pillbury), make a new one that is simpler and more palatable to the sort of people that buy Pillbury stuff. In fact, something like pancakes or waffles with Pillbury Devil's Food Cake Mix would probably win. Don't take my idea I'm going to enter it! ;)

[Eric]

I just checked this out, they've already selected the finalists for this year...

[Zephyrbird5a-6]

I say go for it! Tweak your recipe a bit and submit it. It would still be yours! And you could do a lot with even second or third place winnings, yes?????

And if you're into that kind of thing, the Food Network has contests for cooks--but I bet you already knew that! I watch them a lot, and I think that would be a good avenue for you! GO GET 'EM!!!

Oh, and the commune? I'm there, sister!!! Hurry the heck up and enter that contest! Just make sure you utilize some Pillsbury products. I think Eric is spot on. Don't steal his cake mix idea though--I don't want to see the two of you rolling around fighting on national TV!!

hee hee.

Zephyr

p.s. Nice avatar!!!!

[werecat]

Hmmm. I have a reduced carb crustless quiche recipe I am seriously considering submitting. It's simple and I can use the required ingredients from the list. I know this year is settled for the contestants, but maybe next year? I'm also considering a brownie mix something, but would need to find some one to test it since I am diabetic. Hmmmmm....