We asked the editors of the Family Cookbook Project “Why did you create your family cookbook project?”
Of the more than 2,000 editors who responded to the survey, here are the most popular reasons given to start of family cookbook:
70% To save family recipes for future generations
35% To create one source for all my recipes
34% To give as gifts
22% To bring my family together
20% Because it was fun
Comments most often included the cookbook was used to honor a mother or grandmother and help keep their memory alive after their passing.
Here are a sample of some of the other comments we received about why they began a family cookbook project.
Fundraiser to help the church update the fellowship hall.
Special gift for my son and new daughter in law for their bridal shower.
Wedding Favors
I needed a central location for all my recipes.
To make these recipes available to more people in my family.
Everyone would always tell me to write a cookbook !!
My son and family gave it to me as a gift and now I do want to save the family recipes for future generations
Fundraiser for my son’s school in Arlington Tx.
To bring co-workers together.
It helped my sister and I have something to do together with miles separating us. It also helped us for us on the positive things in our lives as my brother in laws health was failing.
To honor a deceased friend who was a great cook.
The first cookbook was as a wedding celebration gift for a young member of our family. The purpose of the second cookbook was multi-factoral: 1) we wanted to create an archive/bank for family recipes and photos that were being hoarded by some family members, 2) we wanted to bring the family together, 3) we wanted to create enthusiasm for a family reunion, 4) we wanted to subtly remind family members that all our ancestors were immigrants., hoping to dampted the mean-spirited banter about immigrants that would have been antithetical to all our ancestors’ values.
To celebrate our town’s 100 year anniversary.
It was started because someone that I cared about was deployed to Afghanistan. He loved to cook so I told him that I would send him a recipe a day until he was back on American soil. He loved it and sometimes would write about some changes he wanted to make to a recipe. We were going to print it when he got back. I now want to put together a family cookbook because I found how easy it was.
Bill Rice is founder and Co-Publisher of the Great Family Cookbook Project, a website that helps families and individuals collect and share food memories through customized printed cookbooks filled with treasured recipes. Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest!