Add a Little Love to Your Cookbook
By Dawn Allman
I’m almost 50 and my parents are approaching 80—so we’ve had some years together. Yet when I was home visiting them recently, my Dad told me a funny story about when he was in college that I had never heard before! It made me wonder—how many other stories are getting lost with the years?
I tell you that because right now you might be working on a family cookbook—or even a cookbook for your fundraising organization. Add a little love to your cookbook creation and choose to include Recipe Notes. Recipe Notes include any text that is not part of the actual recipe, but I like to refer to them as the tidbits of life that give your recipes meaning.
A recipe seems even more delicious if you know something about the person behind it. For a family cookbook, Recipe Notes can literally be an avenue to pass down family stories. Maybe it’s just a brief note such as, “This was Granny’s favorite apple cake that she enjoyed with her afternoon coffee.” Or it might be a story to honor the memory of the relative whose recipe is featured. For an organizational cookbook, Recipe Notes literally serve as an archive of your organization’s history.
Cooking is not just about preparing food, and cookbooks are more than just recipes. And while other forms of writing, such as letters and books, are being replaced with e-mail and e-books, cookbooks are more popular than ever. Your cookbook will be used by generations to come. Recipe Notes—while a small investment—can ensure that recipes and the memories they spark will last. Someone down the line will feel the love.
Give us a call (1.800.227.7282) or e-mail us and let us know how we can help you with your cookbook project.
