UTSA CULTURAL COOKBOOK
I love to cook and always wanted to create a cookbook that showed some of my family recipes. At UTSA, I had the opportunity (and selected by peers) to be the designer and editor for a class cookbook. This book would showcase each of our unique cultures and identities through the foods that hold core memories for each student. Recipes ranged from the passed down Thanksgiving pie, the first meal ever cooked in their dorm, and family food traditions.
What’s the problem?
Many recipes that hold memories for us often get lost through generations
We wanted to create something that allowed each student in this class to cherish these recipes
Our professor allowed us to create a cookbook that would be printed and published to gift family and friends
I developed an Excel sheet to organize recipes that each student wanted to memorialize to ensure each course had an even mix
Each student was then tasked to write a short narrative describing the recipe (which was definitely a challenge as I couldn’t complete design work until copy was given)
Because of the challenge, I happily helped students write their narratives by interviewing those who didn’t feel as comfortable writing to help conceptualize their thoughts, along with my own.
next steps
The Outcome
After a semester of recipe-testing, design reworks, and spending time crafting the perfect narratives, the final cookbook came to fruition: “From Our Kitchen to Yours.”
Our professor and my fellow classmates loved the final book and it was so great to hear everyone’s stories
As this course was during the Fall semester, many students gifted the book to their families
We had students draw the legend to give it a personal touch
My addition to the cookbook
Assisted in writing her narrative
One of the most impactful narratives
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