<< Collecting the Recipes
Organizing the Recipes
There is no one correct way to organize a cookbook. It really depends upon the recipes you've collected and your purpose in creating the cookbook. Some suggestions:
- by category - appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts
- by individuals - grandparents, cousins, etc.
- by family - by family unit (Mom, Dad & kids) or branch of the family tree (Grandma, Grandpa and all of their descendants)
- by holiday - Christmas, 4th of July, Thanksgiving
Assembling Your Family Cookbook
Once you have collected and organized the recipes and stories, it's time to sit down and design the cookbook. The theme should be something which reflects your family, whether its a photo from a recent family reunion, an old family photo of a distant ancestor, or a design that celebrate's your family's country of origin or ethnic heritage.
When assembling the actual cookbook, you have two major options: you can either photocopy the original submitted forms (transcribing the ones sent by email) or you can type everything into the computer for a more consistent format.
If you choose to use the computer to create your cookbook, stick to simple fonts like Times Roman or Arial that are easy to read. Save decorative fonts for chapter and recipe titles. Incorporate the photos and stories throughout the cookbook, in places where they enhance the recipes without obscuring them (on adjoining pages, for example).
To make your cookbook easy to read, create both a Table of Contents and an index.
Publishing Your Family Cookbook
If you're only creating a few copies, you may be able to print and assemble your family cookbook yourself at home. Three ring binders or folders make good covers, and allow the option for new recipes to be added in the future. You can even include each page in a plastic sleeve so that the cookbooks can actually be used without danger of spills!
If your cookbook project is larger with numerous family members interested in copies, you may want to turn the job over to your local copy shop. Be sure to ask about the various options, including glued bindings or spiral bindings, different paper types, etc. Get cost estimates based on the number of copies you require and then make your final selections accordingly.
Tips for incorporating family history into your cookbook
- Make color copies or scans of family heirlooms that relate to cooking to use as a background behind a few of the recipes. This might include items such as an award won for a particular recipe, a newspaper clipping about the family, a handwritten copy of the recipe which has been passed down through several generations, special family table linens, or airplane tickets from a family trip that produced a great recipe.
- Write an introduction to the cookbook, which shares the details of its creation and how family members responded to the project. Make sure to include the date!
- Include a photo and short bio of the family members originally known for some of the more treasured recipes. If the family member is deceased, a few short memory quotes about the individual and their recipe from the descendants makes a nice touch.
When you're done, pat yourself on the back, try out some of the recipes, and enjoy your delicious bits of family history!
