When you see your recipes in a $4 million book

[usonian]

Best forum to discuss cookbooks? IANAL, but I collect recipes.


https://www.recipetineats.com/bake-with-brooki-penguin-plagiarism-allegations-statement/

BY:Nagi
PUBLISHED:29 Apr '25 UPDATED:29 Apr '25
708 Comments

This is a story about a multi-million dollar cookbook by a social media influencer, published by a blue-chip publisher, featuring numerous recipes that, in my opinion, are plagiarised, given the detailed and extensive word-for-word similarities to mine and those of other authors.

And she's got the receipts!

PENGUIN LEGAL DISPUTE SUMMARY

I have made copyright infringement allegations against Penguin Random House Australia, claiming there are plagiarised recipes in the bestselling book Bake with Brooki, including two from my website and other authors, including cookbooks.

To me, the similarities between the recipes in question are far too specific and detailed to be dismissed as coincidence.

Penguin has denied the allegations. I have received no response from Brooke Bellamy, the author.

I’m speaking up because staying silent protects this kind of behaviour. Profiting from plagiarised recipes is unethical – even if it is not copyright infringement – and undermines the integrity of the entire book.

Side-by-side comparisons given, and the recipes in question are not run of the mill staples.


Pouring everything I’ve got into my cookbook. I gave it my all.
Dozer approves.

Nagi deserves the attention and good vibes!

[niyad]

1. Thank you so much for posting this. I am not familiar with either Nagi

(and Dozer), or that "social influencer" (and I am not find of that group in general), but even I could tell. I will be checking out Nagi's website, and her food pantry. Impressive.


And, annoyed further with penguin australia for what I learned in the comments about theur treatment of Cozy Mysteries writers!

[NJCher]

2. I won't be patronizing Penguin anymore

not after reading this.

Nagi is entirely correct about plagiarism software. As teachers, we are given this software as part of our job and we run all student papers through it. There is no excuse for not doing so as a publisher.

Second, what a joke Bake with Brooki is. She looks like an anorexic (see pics at link). Show me a bake shop owner that's anorexic and I'll show you a fame-driven thief who steals recipes and promotes them as her own.

Here's a recipe of Nagi's I used for dinner awhile back: Creamy Goat Cheese & Roasted Red Pepper Orzo

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1157148859

I now know where my Recipetin cookbook is. It's on a computer I can't get into because Windows locked me out.

[usonian]

3. There are ways to get into a locked computer. A bit techie, though.

I have used a System Rescue CD at work --- who supports CD's any more?

Worst case, you can boot off a CD or thumb drive (usually loaded with a very small Linux OS), mount the system disk, and read files, presumably copy them over. Or hack the registry, but that's an order of magnitude more tricky.

Maybe you can post on Computer Help. There are a lot of windows users who might have a more reasonable fix.

[NJCher]

4. thanks, usonian

I am going to re-read later when I have more time and try these possibilities.

[usonian]

5. Best to ask advice here and help from a nearby Windoze expert.

I only managed them under duress!!

Idiot boss would let his kids play with computers over the weekend and they got smacked with viruses every week.

I kept the Sun computers in tip top shape. Cuz he didn't even know they existed other than their color and logo. We both had worked at Sun Microsystems. He was in sales and overpromised. I was engineer for a very sharp sales rep and delivered way beyond expectations.