This beautifully crafted heirloom gift is intended to be the ultimate journal for recording and preserving family recipes for future generations. This blank recipe journal allows for individual personalization with a dedication page to its first recipient, a history page to record all contributing individuals, and three message pages to place pictures or special messages you wish to pass on. An entire page is reserved for each recipe allowing the author to give as much information and history as needed. It includes categorized dividers to better organize up to 100 of your favorite family recipes.
The idea for this gift stems from a continuing problem I have with my mother. Simply put, she won't share her recipes with me. I grew up in Louisiana where my mother perfected the craft of Cajun cooking. Her food had such an influence on me that I have turned into a real food snob, where nothing "is as good as my mother makes it". I have even taken up cooking as a hobby in a desperate attempt to imitate her style. The simple solution might be just to eat at her place all the time. However, my parents moved to the East Coast and I've moved West, so I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. I am planning to start a family of my own and would really like for my children to grow up with some of the same dishes that I enjoyed.
Another issue is that when my mother dies and leaves us, she will take all of her recipes with her. Like most mothers I know, her best recipes are not written down. They're floating around somewhere in her head and are made up of a pinch of this, a handful of that, and a smidgen of her secret ingredient. So if she doesn't write them down, these recipes will be lost forever.
In my opinion, these are compelling arguments. But she still wouldn't budge. So when I searched for her point of view, I realized that as a good cook myself, people are always asking me for a recipe, which I am never willing to give out. These are dishes that I worked long and hard to develop and perfect. Why should I just give them away freely? Besides, when I serve a meal and everyone happily stuffs themselves and asks for seconds, I'm flattered. I feel special. I feel needed. I enjoy that everyone looks forward to my holiday candy, or that I'm always asked to bake the birthday cakes, or that I'm always asked to bring certain casseroles to parties. If I were to just give my secrets away, they wouldn't need me anymore. They could create my magic in their own homes and I might never see them again. I truly am amazed at how many friends keep in touch, just so that they can continue to eat at my table. And I imagine that it would be a great way to keep children and grandchildren coming back to visit.
So, here's my solution. I have created this recipe book as a gift for my mother. I will give it to her to do with what she likes and to keep it for as long as she wants - just as long as she fills it out. She can hide it in a closet. She can use it as a guide to continue making her favorite creations. She can use it to record new incredible dishes that she comes up with. Or, she can make it a gift to her children and soon to be grandchildren. No matter what, she will be making a significant contribution to our family and will be able to pass on her recipes to many future generations to come. Essentially, she will live forever - which is the way it's supposed to be.
As for the rest of you, I encourage you to give it to the special cooks in your life. Leave it blank and give it to the ones you love so dearly for their food. Fill it out and give it to a young married couple just starting out. Or keep it for yourself as a guide for all of your favorite creations that are so often forgotten. One thing I do know, nothing brings a family as close together as good food. Enjoy!
