I hope this page answers some of your questions about the recipes on my site. It also covers some of the more common beverage questions I've received. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Are these your recipes?
Most of these recipes are not "mine" and I did not originally create them. The majority of these recipes came from the MasterCook mailing list and other cooking related newsgroups. The rest came from friends, family, visitors to this site, and recipes I've picked up and tried along the way.

Have you tried all these recipes?
No. I like to collect recipes and share them with others by making them available on my Web site. I don't test out each recipe (I'd weigh 500 pounds if I tried all those cheesecake recipes!) and many times I don't even read through the recipe because the title is intriguing enough to make me want to save the recipe to try later. Although I have not tried every single recipe, I have tried many. I'll do my best to answer your questions.

Are you a professional cook?
Hardly. I'm a technical writer and this Web site is my hobby. I mainly like to bake desserts and try out new tasty recipes for dinner. Growing up, I watched my dad cook and learned from him, but I still have a lot to learn.

I tried a recipe that was great/awful. Do you want to know that?
Yes, definitely contact me. I really depend on people who write back with comments to improve the site. The best feedback I receive ranges from "that was great" to "it was good, but I changed a few things to make it better...here's what I did" to "that recipe simply did not work and here's why." On the other hand, please refrain from sending me angry e-mails about recipes you've tried that were not successful. I will ignore e-mail from people who blame me for ruining their dish. It's fine to be upset, but don't take it out on me.

How do I save or download a recipe?
Refer to the instruction I've provided on how to save/download recipes.

Why is this page also called a Disclaimer?
According to the Cambridge International Dictionary of English, a disclaimer is a statement that something is not true or intended. In other words, if you are a company or person who has a registered trademark or copyrighted material, and you have found me in violation of trademark or copyright infringement, contact me immediately and I will take the appropriate action necessary to comply with the law. I maintain this site because I enjoy it, not to steal business from others.

Hey, that's my recipe! Why are you posting my recipe?
I want to give credit where credit is due. If I miss someone please accept my apologies and contact me so I can correct the mistake by either removing the recipe or by giving you credit. This includes errors in accidental trademark or copyright infringement.

Is that really an Olive Garden recipe?
Probably not. The Olive Garden recipes on this site are known as "copycat" recipes, which means someone created a recipe to recreate an original recipe.

Do you have a recipe for the Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli?
If you are looking for a copycat version of the Olive Garden's Pasta e Fagioli, refer to Top Secret Recipes. I'm not permitted to post their recipes for legal reasons.

I own a Web site and would like to use one or more of your recipes. Can I link to or copy the recipe?
I have no problem with you copying recipes from my site and posting them on your site. If you would prefer to link to a recipe on my site directly, that's fine too, but please note that the next time I update my site, the URLs might change and you might find a broken link on your site. If this happens, contact me along with the exact name of the recipe and I'll give you the new URL. Also, do not link to every single recipe on my site. A few links is flattering, but when your entire recipe site consists of just linking to all the recipes on my site, that's poor Web etiquette.

I want a Web site and would like to copy your files. What will happen if I do this?
Don't do it. I will send you a polite e-mail letting you know that you cannot steal the HTML files from my site and to remove those pages from your site immediately. The recipes may not be copyrighted, but my Web site is. People who steal portions of my site and then pass it off as their own work are in violation of copyright infringement. I do not take these matters lightly. See the Wall of Shame for examples.

Can I use one or more of your recipes in my publication?
It really depends on a recipe by recipe basis so it's best if you contact me so we can discuss this further.

Q: I'm confused about the differences between apple cider in the US versus the UK. Does it contain alcohol? What's the difference between apple juice and apple cider?
A: From http://www.history-of-cider.com/:
In Europe, "cider" refers to fermented apple juice that contains varying levels of alcohol. In the USA, fermented apple juice is known as "hard cider;" unfermented, freshly expressed juice is called "sweet cider."

From http://www.state.ma.us/dfa/massgrown/cider_juice_difference.htm:
Apple juice and apple cider are both fruit beverages made from apples, but there is a difference between the two. Fresh cider is raw apple juice that has not undergone a filtration process to remove coarse particles of pulp or sediment. It takes about one third of a bushel to make a gallon of cider.

From http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20031117.html:
In the United States, apple cider refers to the unprocessed liquid that you get from apples. The apples are washed, cut, and ground into mash before being pressed. The resulting cider usually contains apple pulp and is dark, brown, and cloudy. The beverage is perishable and must be refrigerated. If this liquid is filtered and further processed, the resulting product is apple juice, which has a longer shelf life than cider.
In England, apple cider is an alcoholic beverage that is produced when the juice from freshly pressed apples is allowed to ferment. It's sometimes referred to as "hard cider."

Q: How do I make a drink that uses "parts" instead of acutal measurements?
A: Don't let the number of parts confuse you. It's just a math problem. Let's say you want to make the following recipe:
3 parts sweet and sour mix
1 part tequila
1 part cointreau

For every 3 measures of sweet and sour, use 1 measure of tequila and 1 measure of cointreau. For example, if you are using 3 ounces (3 parts) of sweet and sour, you'd use 1 ounce (1 part) of tequila and 1 ounce (1 part) of cointreau. If you are using 6 ounces of sweet and sour, you'd use 2 ounces of tequila and 2 ounces of cointreau. Or let's say you have 3 cups of sweet and sour. You'd use 1 cup of tequila and 1 cup of cointreau.

This is a really flexible way of making drinks because you can make any amount you want.

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