Written by Kim Harris
Making food for others is an act of love.
We live our lives around the rituals of food, we create memories, and discover how to be human in the heart of the home.
Like music, food invokes memories. The taste, smell and sound transcend to time beyond the now.
This month I invite you to start a recipe book for someone you love.
I started a recipe book for Audrey when she was a baby. The initial idea was to set her up for being an adult, having family recipes to use to learn to cook with hopes that she won’t live off noodles when she lives away from home.
I get significant people in Audrey’s life to share a favourite recipe. They take the book and then return with recipe/s shared. Authors have written by hand, others printed out something they have typed then glued in.
I started the recipe book by writing a few of my favourite recipes, with accompanied stories of the dishes. This process of making the recipes personal is really where the magic is and perhaps what Audrey will cherish the most as an adult … Soul Food!
“Grandma always made Potato Bake at every party we had when I was growing up, I always loved it. I am often requested it when I attend parties, it’s a great BBQ favourite & you will surely impress with this dish. Grandma only ever made with potatoes (I like to use sweet potato & other vege) You choose how you like best” Much Love Mum, 2013.
The gift of holding onto someone’s handwriting in a book, the quirk of what people choose to share is something like a time capsule. You can feel people in their recipes.
“Darling Audrey, it’s quick & easy & very tasty to buy sheets of puff & shortcrust pastry, however sometimes it’s fun & challenging & worth the effort to make shortcrust from scratch. Here are 3 recipes, one very traditional using lard instead of butter, hope you like them” Love From Gran, 2015.
The plan is to continue to add recipes from people that touch Audrey’s life until the time is right for her to have and hold. I hope the recipe book is useful, inspiring, informative, personal, helpful and transcends time.
Bookstores have premade blank cookbooks like the one I have, or you could simply use a journal or quality notebook. The paper needs be thick, good quality to withstand glue and the test of time without yellowing or tearing.
I hope maybe it might inspire you to do the same for someone you love!