September 16, 2008 - 10:06am
Atlantic article on Sullivan Street Bakery
It is the third week of school and preschool and we are coping with the third cold to sweep through the house in that short time. Here's to hoping they get better about handwashing (or we build up immunities quickly!).
So I'm at home today, drinking lots of clear fluids and watching my preschooler paint the deck with a bucket of water. I just read an article in The Atlantic on the break up of the Sullivan Street Bakery that I suspect many folks here would be interested in. I'm sure that uncredited recipes taken nearly verbatim have been posted on TFL, but the article is a good reminder that we should give credit where credit is due.
Off to get more juice.
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Thanks!
...thanks, Floyd. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Hope you and the family rebound soon; it's the pits to be under-the-weather when you're trying to get the kids educated. Hang in there.
I appreciate the heads up and enjoyed the story.
I have purchased most of the bread books I own as a result of trying the recipes on the forum. In every case the suggestions of the poster I respected has been right on. Interesting about Sullivan breaking up and stealing the customers. Pretty nervy
Eric
My impression has been that by promoting baking in general this site is doing more to boost baking book sales than erode them. The vast majority of posters give credit, and the times folks don't more often than not it is because they don't know the origin of the recipe either.
I certainly wasn't pointing any fingers. I hope no one took it that way! As I said, I just thought this article was a healthy reminder that there are people behind these recipes, some of which have taken years to perfect. They deserve recognition and our financial support when possible.
First, let me say I am a firm believer in respect for copyrights, patents and contracts. Regardless of the mental anguish associated with the memories, I’m also respectful and polite at class reunions to the nun who taught me math in high school. Seriously, I believe attribution is in order anytime someone posts a recipe taken from anywhere other than the family cookbook. Prior to recently posting pictures of Gini Youngkrantz’s Bauernbrot, from her book Authentic German Home Style Recipes, I wrote Ms. Youngkrantz an e-mail requesting permission to post her recipe. She responded and graciously agreed that I could post her recipe so long as I attributed it to her and named her book as the source. If she had not agreed I would not have posted the pictures.
The Atlantic article by Corby Cummer is an interesting read. Citing the improper taking of recipes from Carol Field’s book The Italian Baker, Corby Cummer seems to feel Ms. Field’s pain, so to speak. I guess the thought that came to my mind as I was reading was…somewhere in Italy is a baker who Ms. Field took the recipe/technique from who didn’t get his or her due…so who’s to say Ms. Fields has a claim on it in the first place? That’s not intended to be a rationalization for stealing recipes and shotgunning them around the Internet or elsewhere, just a thought that occurred to me while I was reading the article. Since recipes aren’t subject to copyright, in my mind, they sit in a gray area. So, I think a good rule would be, when in doubt cite the source--- attribute.
Howard - St. Augustine, FL
I think It's important to know,also, to realize that many of his recipes were uncredited copies from "Antica Forno" in Piazza Campo Di Fiore in Rome as well as well other as from other bakeries +bakers thruout Italy. I know because I worked there too and I do still use the recipes at home.