Want an important project for the new year? Writing your kitchen heritage can be fun and rewarding for the family near and far. Why write it?
#1. You know something they don’t. Generations to come will not know the how, when, where and for whom you cook unless you write it down.
#2. They don’t know how good they’ve got it. Children often do not realize until parents are gone that they want to eat the same things they were raised on.
#3. They can’t read minds. You hold many memories unique to your family, your generation, and your community. Only you can put them down in writing to survive the years ahead.
How do you get started?
#1. Pick a writing medium you are comfortable with. Examples: computer, typewriter, hand-written, making a CD or DVD recording.
#2. Pick a slant. Do you want to just preserve recipes, or perhaps combine recipes and memories together?
#3. Pick a number. Do you want to make one copy, a dozen, enough to sell to recoup your costs?
#4. Pick a dollar amount. No one says it has to be fancy, hard-bound or volumes. Choose what is right for you.
#5. Pick a time. Do you want to make it a “do it now and get it done” project or break it into small pieces using minutes or hours? Setting a deadline might be in tune with a projected family reunion.
#6. Pick a helper. Some may prefer to let other family members help and thus get a wider scope of family memories and recipes.
