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I was talking with some chefs over the weekend about the provenance of a dish, chef versus chef-de-cuisine, and such, and it got me thinking about the way things actually work. Specifically: do you know where your favorite signature dish came from?

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Scenario one: Chef A has a famous eponymous restaurant, but leaves much (okay…all) of the cooking to his second in command Chef B. Chef B creates a fabulous recipe, say for scrambled eggs, that becomes a big hit and signature dish of the house. Eventually Chef B leaves Chez A. If Chef B puts the scrambled eggs on to the menu at the new spot – everyone will say “oh he’s just copying Chef A.” Ironic in that Chef B will never get to own the dish, because it stays with the house.

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Scenario two: Chef A is a superstar in a foreign country across the sea. Chef B travels to eat at Chez A and picks up a couple of cookbooks to boot. After the culinary-recon-vacay Chef B puts a couple dishes on to the menu. The locals dub Chef B a genius because they’ve never heard of Chef A much less been across the pond. Chef B becomes famous for creating the dish.

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Both these scenarios happen all the time, all over the world. But because few people have the breadth of knowledge and the memory of menus past (this includes both the public and the press), no one ever really notices. Except the chefs who are really paying attention.