Cookbook Controversy

So I just have to weigh in on this whole, Jessica Seinfeld copied all my recipes controversy.

First of all, in the interest of full disclosure…I bought the Jessica Seinfeld book.  I have to say, I’m thinking about writing a review or a post or something on Amazon.  This book is not the greatest cookbook ever written, no offense to Mrs. Seinfeld.  The whole “puree and sneak into food” concept sounds like a good one, but in practice…its a TON of work.  She makes it sound like it only takes an hour a week or something to roast all these vegetables, puree them, measure them into bags (what a mess!) and freeze them.

So far, I’m not impressed.

Plus, there’s no info. on calories or anything else so you aren’t really sure what you’re cooking up.  Plus an utter lack of “main” courses (unless spaghetti pie and mac and cheese count.)

For me, an overall disappointment.  The cookbook definitely does not live up to the hype.

And now this other gal (The Sneaky Chef) is saying Mrs. Seinfeld stole 1) her idea (puree and sneak vegetables) and 2) her recipes.

To me it seems like apples and oranges (excuse the attempted pun.)  I’m not so sure about the stealing of the idea thing.  There is more than one Italian cookbook, for example.  Why not more than one “puree and sneak veggies” cookbook?

So I don’t think there is much there.  The accusation of 15 similar (exact?) recipes, however, may be another matter.  We’ll see.

Anyway, plagiarized or not, I wouldn’t recommend the J.Seinfeld book anyway.  Summary: too hard to keep up with the purees, no variety of recipes for main course, no calorie content.  Beautiful artwork, though.

Today’s Baby O’Blog quote: “Copy from one, it’s plagiarism; copy from many, it’s research.”-Wilson Mizner (1876-1933)