An old trivia

I was shopping for soup one day. I can't recall when, but it was a previous time at a certain situation. Searching through the shelf for a delectable soup to purchase, I noticed a recipe on one of the Campbell's Soup label: Broccoli Cheese Casserole. I thought to myself, "What? No, it can't be!"

In 2001, I had entered a recipe contest sponsored by Campbell, 'The 20-minute recipe challenge'. I explained in my entry that it was traditionally a home cooked meal invented by my mother. She would buy 4 cans of Campbell's Cream of Broccoli, 1 bottle of Kraft cheese sauce, 2 cans of tuna, a loaf of bread and 1 block of Parmesan cheese at the grocery store. When you're a child, your concept of time is different from an adult. I had to omit the tuna from the recipe. It did take more than 20 minutes to cook the dish. I changed it to Campbell's Broccoli Cheese soup, Progresso Bread Crumbs and Kraft Shredded Parmesan Cheese. I wrote on the recipe to add milk for a creamy texture. After all it was said and done, I hoped for the best and luck to win.

Obviously, I didn't. However, it did occur to me that not everybody does - at least I tried. On the other hand, seeing that recipe on that label was a consolation. Granted, it wasn't written exactly the way I had done when I submitted it, but the basic idea is still prevalent. How long that recipe has been on that label is beyond me. I don't drink soup on a regular basis. I really don't have the luxury to conjure up a brew with rich ingredients.

Yes, I did look into whether or not recipes could be copyrighted. I don't think you can; unless you have the money to do so. It was a home cooked meal. Either way, someone benefited. I didn't grow up hungry. Some company got their marketing rapport. I'm sure everyone has their own recipe up their sleeves they want to share.

It's not just the recipe - it's how it's cooked that makes the impression.