Family Recipes

When we inherit recipes from our family members so much more is passed down than just directions for cooking a dish. I first became interested in this topic when I read a cookbook that my grandmother created and left to her four children. In the introduction to this cookbook by grandmother writes to her children about why she made the decision to compose this cook book. She talks about the early inadequacies she felt about being a new wife and bit about my grandfather; a man that I would never have the opportunity to meet. She tells her children a bit about their history and a bit about the recipes in the book. Each of the recipes that she chooses, she put in the book for a specific reason. Each of these recipes she hopes will elicit a memory for her children. This book got me thinking, what memories do inherited recipes have for other people?

 With this question in mind I set out to collect recipes from others. In my call for recipes I asked participants to share any recipes that they had that had been passed down to them by members of their family. What was interesting to me is that many people without being asked shared stories about these recipes. Participants talked about, when they remembered eating these foods, cooking these foods, who passed it down, and why this particular recipe is so important to their family.

In this exhibit, you will find a picture of the recipes that participants shared, as well as, the stories that they told me about these recipes. I hope that you enjoy and that this exhibit makes you think about your own family recipes.