Every family has favorite recipes. Some people keep their go-to formulas taped to the inside of a kitchen cabinet, some keep them tucked neatly into color coded binders. Some people write in their cookbooks so the changes they’ve made to traditional recipes will be accessible in the future when their kids want to recreate the taste of home.
Whether you family is living in the same town or scattered all over the globe, making a family cookbook can be a source of joy for years to come.
It may sound like a big project but it’s really quite simple. First, you need to pitch the idea to several members of your extended family that are in charge of their own home’s menus. Make a list of favorite dishes that they are known for, and ask for those recipes first.
They can submit them as handwritten, photocopy or scan them directly out of the cookbook they use, or retype them into a document and email them to you. Don’t worry about making the format consistent or perfect. Families aren’t perfectly formatted. Your family cookbook will be cherished all the more for its individuality.
A personalized binder is a perfect way to store the components of your family cookbook. Each person participating gets a binder with a personalized cover, spine, and inserts. Pick a designated time of year to “add” to the binder. Some families make a recipe exchange part of their holiday tradition. Tastes change so much from year to year and new recipes are always being discovered and created. It’s a wonderful way to record the history of your extended family’s growth.
