Mailbag - April 2014

To share or not to share
Guess what arrived in the mail today? The Buzz. I read your delightful piece (Back Porch: Recipe wars, by Andria Frankfort, March 2014). What a curious phenomenon, guarding one’s recipe. I do understand the counter-argument that food is shared, joyfully (when it’s good!), so why not spread the love by disclosing the recipe?

But the more I thought about it, I theorized that if a cook or baker has that special recipe, and the dish’s consumers give the creator a feeling of specialness, then maybe the chef feels that giving away the recipe would take away from that great feeling. Also there is, I suppose, the idea that it is not just the ingredients and steps that make a dish so special, but also the special magic of the creator’s hands and artistry. Hand that out on a recipe card, or these days by email, and you’re giving away what is uniquely you.

I cook a rather limited array of dishes, and bake seldom, so I’m going by hunches. But my mom is a true baker, and, my grandmother was a hotel pastry chef. DNA did not transmit their baker genes to me, at least not yet, but I do have that window into the magic of a real baker. Thank you for this piece, and for all that I have enjoyed!
Joy Yeager

A small world
It really was amazing to see an article about my friend Julie Brown in the same magazine (Travel Buzz: Texans in Telluride, by Tracy L. Barnett, February 2014) when my article (Investigating Private Eyes, by Dave Schafer) appeared. I enjoy the magazine and have already gotten very positive feedback, including a new client. By the way, to update your readers on the Ballow matter you referenced,  three of the four defendants pled out guilty the day the trial was to begin. I look forward to seeing my Buzz friends in the future.
John Moritz

Tracked it down
Last year, I clipped an article from The Memorial Buzz about a medication for seasonal acid reflux that’s only available in the UK, but can be ordered online. I was thinking that it was time for me to order it when I realized I had misplaced the article! I couldn’t remember the name and didn’t know how I was going to find this article again. So I sent a message to The Memorial Buzz Facebook page, and The Buzz sent me an online version of the very article I needed! Turns out it was an advertorial by Dr. David Engler from The Allergy Clinic (Postnasal drip, December 2013). Soon after re-reading this helpful article, I’d placed an order on Amazon and am so grateful for your help!
Ann Hebert

Editor’s note: Glad we could help. As you may know, all of our editorial stories are searchable online. Later this year, we’ll be rolling out many exciting online additions and updates. At that time, advertorials also will be searchable. Stay tuned.

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