Hey guys and gals,
it’s been so very long since I’ve written a post! Why is this? Well…I guess you could say I’ve been a bit bogged down by more…administrative tasks relating to the program I’m in. After my family left to go back to the states, I had to get to work right away compiling a portfolio to complete the program. This task was just tedious, grueling, and pretty much no fun. But HEY! I passed 😀 so, I am super thankful and glad. And, in the end, it was nice to have a document laying out all the work I have done over the past 5 months. There are just a few little things left to do, but all this to say that I am free to pursue this goal of mine of putting together a cookbook in my own way and on my own time. I have been really thankful to have the chance and time to lay the groundwork for what I would like to do, within the boundaries of school. If I didn’t have that, I probably wouldn’t have started this blog. Now, I am also happy to be free from those boundaries (regarding this project, anyway). I still have 6 months of school to go before I graduate, where I’ll be working on a group graduation project. I am looking forward to being done.
ANYWAY. Perhaps you are wondering…’what ever happened to the survey she was spamming us with?’ First of all, thanks so much to everyone who filled in out! It was so interesting to read what was shared, and cool to gain a bit more insights into different approaches to recipes and collecting them. I compiled all the results in a big Excel file. That’s not so nice to look at, so I pulled out a few takeaways 🙂
For me, I found especially interesting to read everyone’s reasons for collecting recipes in a certain way. Here are a few conclusions:
-Online recipe collecting looks likes it’s a convenience thing. It’s fast, doesn’t take up space, and uses less paper.
–Binders are a pretty flexible way to go. They are easy to add to and can get dirty.
-It seemed like using a notebook is a more personal choice. It’s in your own handwriting, feels familiar; it has heirloom potential 😉
Other methods were also cool to read…and included keeping stacks of paper, or just memorizing recipes…which I thought was pretty impressive!
According to the survey results, a recipe is worth collecting for both personal and practical reasons:
– It’s easy of use, the instructions are clear and easy to follow, it doesn’t require too many ingredients, and there is room for variation;
– It’s Connected to a person, a memory, or part of a family tradition;
– It’s intriguing, looks delicious and makes me want to be adventurous and try something new;
– It was well received and I’m now famous because of it!
Thanks everyone for your contribution. I gained some nice insights that I can use to further boost my concept and make it a little more interesting. As I mentioned in other posts (I think…), one of the main reasons for wanting to make a cookbook is a personal one. I received a cookbook from my mom, that used to be my grandmother’s and it’s just a treasure. I still cook regularly out of that, but have also compiled a hefty collection of my own recipes. I love the idea of recipes bringing people together, but also sort of being the embodiment of a memory or tradition, or sentimental feeling that can be passed from generation to generation. Food and life and memory are intricately connected in a way that I experience as being profound and also just down-to-earth and very human. I don’t want to make it too big or pretentious, but I guess what I’m saying is, I am more and more inspired to take the time to put something together that can use, share, and pass down. Plus, it’s just fun, and a creative outlet.
So, besides this survey and school stuff, what have I been up to? I’m starting the recipe list, and the recipe testing/development process. It feels sort of random, but I’m starting with cheesecakes. This week there’s an event at school and I’m bringing the dessert (cheesecakes). I figured it’s as good a time as ever to tackle this one. More on this in my next post 😀
liefs.
Abby