One Pot Cooking Method Patented?

Question from a reader:

Ms. Yarnell, I’m curious as to why you patented your one pot cooking method.

The purpose of a patent as I understand it is to allow the inventor the right to exclude other from using the invention – in this case your method of cooking.
Yet the obvious purpose of any cookbook is to get people to use the recipes they contain.
Can you explain?  -Tom

Hi Tom! Good question. GOPM holds a “process” patent. The purpose is not to exclude others from using this method — heck, I’ve sold 60k cookbooks containing recipes using this method, have taught hundreds of cooking classes, and publish recipes and videos teaching it online — but to preclude others from publishing the process and making money off it.

As a concrete example: Years ago I was in talks with a cookware company to publish a book of my recipes. They pulled out of the deal and wanted to publish recipes using the GOPM method with a different chef/author and cut me out completely. They were not able to do that because I had the patent that proved it was my idea first.

Thanks for asking the question! It’s a good one and I hope you don’t mind that I also post it on my blog. Please feel free to respond in the Comments section below.

Happy cooking!   Elizabeth