I made a family recipe cookbook when my first child left for college.
He asked for it.
But, I saw no point in providing a plain, ordinary list of recipes.
Instead, I included photos and a few stories along the way.
Here’s how and why.
The importance of a family recipe
We often talked about our distant (as in location) relatives while eating food we’d shared with them.
That was particularly important on holidays, of course, but it also enabled us to tell family stories year-round.
We come from a multi-cultural family, and our food tastes reflected that.
(Along with family recipes picked up along the way after living all over the United States.)
The only time the kids ever ate sweet potatoes, for example, was at Christmas when their paternal grandmother’s recipe hit the frying pan.
None of the kids particularly liked that family recipe, but they all nibbled a piece in honor of the grandmother half of them never knew.
It also gives children continuity.
My family’s been eating pasta on Sundays for more than 160 years.
That’s not surprising since we’re Sicilians, but I asked my grandfather once and he agreed his family always ate pasta on Sundays.
(They probably ate it every day of the week, but we focused on Sundays).
It put rhythm into our week–spaghetti sauce was brewing. It was Sunday.
Which family recipe to include?
I asked the kids which ones they wanted.
They had a list: spaghetti sauce, enchilada pie, chocolate mousse, apple crisp, hamburger stroganoff, and so forth.
Somehow in all that note-taking, I forgot to write down the most requested recipe: Mrs. Ule’s Chocolate Chip Cookies.
(A man who regularly visited our house in high school asked me for the recipe just the other day!)
Some of the favorites came from Betty Crocker or the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbooks. I included the reference, but also my substitutions. (I always use plain Greek yogurt in lieu of sour cream to save a few calories, for example)
I also threw in stories and explanations of where the food ideas came from and pictures.
Why include photos in a family recipe book?
My children grew up far from loved ones. I wanted them to connect recipes with their family.
So, my mother-in-law’s photo is at the top of the candied sweet potato page.
My son’s godparents (and their children who are my godsons) smile at us from Bob’s Pizza Dough recipe.
Hungarian relatives pose with the notation, “our favorite Hungarians,” on the goulash page,
Every time I open the cookbook and see them, I smile back.
Why not include a few stories?
The stories don’t have to be lengthy, just a sentence or two to put the food into context.
For “Auntie Arly’s Incredible Potatoes,” I merely wrote, “everyone wants this recipe!”
It was true. My aunt used to carry around the recipe on cards to hand out when she took her casserole to potlucks.
Everyone wanted it.
For the pumpkin bread recipe, I added a photo of the boys carving a pumpkin we grew in the garden–the only time we succeeded!
Any picture of the kids with food the family loves is fair game.
Putting it together
Simple.
I typed all the recipes into Word, added whatever commentary I felt like, and inserted photos.
For my family, I divided the recipes into two sections: Main Dishes or Desserts.
I had the family recipe book put into comb binding at a local printer for the children.
For me, I slipped the pages into clear plastic sleeves and set up a three-ring binder.
That was a better strategy. Over the years, dirty fingers have left their marks and I’ve added a bunch of additional recipes.
I have a section on Christmas Cookies now, in honor of the annual decorating party, for example.
Whatever works for your family is the best choice.
I’m going to redo the family recipe book this year in time for Christmas.
I’ll add all the recipes I forgot the first time and which they’ve asked for ever since.
(Though, wait. They call me when cooking to ask about the ingredients and the recipe. Maybe I should leave our a few strategic points?
(Or, perhaps, include, “This step involves a phone call home for further directions?)
The cookbook has served its most important function.
The recipes bring us together.
They remind us of the people and the tastes we love.
They’re a bit of home–whatever home means for my moving family–because a family recipe doesn’t require anything besides ingredients, love, and memories.
I can hardly wait to get started on the update.
Why not make one for your family?
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The satisfaction of a family recipe cookbook. Click to Tweet
How to put together a family cookbook. Click to Tweet
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