Welcome! I've been sharing my podcast guest's cherished family recipes on The Storied Recipe for over 5 years, 180 episodes, and 200 recipes! Now, I'm honored to guide you through creating the perfect recipe book for your own heirloom recipes!
How To Use This Guide
Read the entire guide through one time. Then, pull out a calendar and schedule time to complete each step. (Unless you're really short on time - then, simply download my DIY Handwritten Storied Recipe Book Template). Enjoy the process!
Step 1: Decide who this recipe book is for.
Here are some questions to consider:
- Is this book just for you? Is it to make your life a little easier and more organized?
- Will your children, siblings, parents, or extended family treasure this recipe book?
- Will you gift this to teachers, co-workers, or community members?
The answers to these questions will help you make a couple of decisions:
- How many copies will you be making?
- How easily do you need to be able to copy your recipe book?
- Are you simply aggregating a bunch of personal recipes into a notebook? Or are you recording cherished memories, preserving your family heritage, and safeguarding vanishing traditions for a larger group of people?
Step 2: Determine a time budget.
How many minutes can you devote per week to this project? How many weeks before you need to complete your cookbook?
This can be something you whip out in an evening! Or, it can turn into a fun project that fills your free time for weeks, months, or years.
Beware of project creep. Use this guide to make realistic decisions and then stick to them. This process should be a joy to create, not a burden!
If you're showing up here on December 23rd, just in time to create a meaningful Christmas gift for your mom... that's ok! Just print out my DIY handwritten template, jot down a few treasured recipes, and tie it up with a pretty ribbon!
Step 3: Determine a monetary budget.
You can create a valuable family recipe book for FREE! Or, you can spend thousands of dollars.
Here are a few questions to consider:
- What are you willing to spend personally?
- Are any of the other recipients willing to chip in financially?
- Do any of the recipients have skills (interview skills, writing skills, photography skill, graphic design) they'd be willing to donate to the project?
- Will you be selling your book (for a fundraiser or for profit)? How much will you be selling each copy for?
Step 4: Choose a printer.
Armed with your time and financial budgets, you can choose the perfect printer for your project. Here are a few options:
Home/Office Printer (and/or Copier):
- This is the lowest cost option
- A home or office printer, paired with a copier, is best for projects with no photos.
- This is a great option for my DIY Handwritten Recipe Book Kit. Simply print the pages, fill in with a simple pen, and make as many copies as you'd like.
Local Printing Services with Pickup or Delivery
- I'm talking here about places like Staples or other brick and mortar printing shops. (For instance, High Starr Copying Services) is right by me.
- I find these to be expensive, but they can be very quick - as in, same day. (Call ahead to check).
- In-person services also allow you to see a test page before printing.
Inexpensive Bulk Online Printing Services
- There are several online printing services that have no expertise in photo books or cookbooks, but they are are cheap and quick.
- Vistaprint is a good option. You can use their booklet product.
- These usually have discounts when you order in bulk, so they're a great option for really large orders - So they're great for a community group, school fundraiser, cultural society, etc;
Online Photo Book Printers That Don't Specialize in Cookbooks:
- Some of the big photo printing services are moving into the cookbook space. For instance, Shutterfly offers two really pretty cookbook templates: The Classic and The Whimsical.
- If your book will be photo heavy (don't worry, I'm getting to the photography part of the project!), you do want a printer like Shutterfly or Mpix.com that regularly prints photos.
- These options generally aren't too expensive per book. But! if you're covering the costs for a lot of people, the money will add up fast.
- These sites save your projects forever, so you can always go back and print more books later.
- I have noticed that these books break down fairly quickly. I have quite a few photos books - soft cover, hard cover, small, medium, and large - from Shutterfly and Mpix. Almost all of them have pages torn out or broken bindings.
Service That Publishes Professional Cookbooks:
- Use a service for cookbook publishers for a bookstore-quality cookbook.
- Honestly, I haven't tried these sites carefully enough to make a particular suggestion.
Step 5: Choose (or create) templates for your recipe and story pages.
You have quite a few options here, but they depend completely on the previous decisions you've made. Don't make a decision until you've completed the previous steps!
- You can use a free handwritten template like mine.
- Use free and customizable Canva recipe book templates.
- Use premium Canva recipe book templates from Etsy
- If you choose a service that specializes in printing cookbooks, you'll use their templates.
Step 6: Gather Your Recipes
- How many recipes are you going to include? This depends on how much time you have.
- For each recipe:
- Set aside 30 minutes to translate the recipe into your template.
- Count on a half day to 2 days to test every recipe. If you just need to make sure you understand the directions, 1/2 day will be enough. If there are no measurements associated with the recipe, you'll need up to 2 days to try the recipe a couple of times and to figure out measurements.
- Plan 90 minutes for every recipe you're going to photograph.
- To make this process simple for everyone involved, use Google forms to collect recipes - and, of course, the stories behind them.
Step 7: Gather the stories behind your recipes.
- Recipes are more than ingredients and instructions. They contain memories of different times and places. They're artifacts of culture and memories of celebrations. Most of all, recipes are the legacy of those who loved us through their cooking.
- Schedule a time to talk to people who will know about these recipes. Leave more time than you think you need. I'd recommend at least 2 hours.
- Remember that food opens doors to relationships. Even if this is someone that you've had a tough time with, this can be a healing conversation.
- Jot down your questions in advance. (Download my freebie below - I've used ALL of these questions when planning interviews with my podcast guests!)
- Bring a microphone or just your phone to record the conversation - or perhaps a journal to take notes.
Step 8: Make each recipe and take photos.
- Photos are by no means necessary for your family cookbook
- However, photos can add a lot! And they don't just need to be photos of the dish - here are a few other things you can take pictures of:
- The place where the recipe came from - a homeland, a vacation spot, church, community center, or childhood kitchen
- The main ingredient, especially if its a special ingredient
- The creator (or maker) of the recipe
- Family photos
- Photos from celebrations where the event was held - - or every recipe - it will be even more special to have a picture of your dish or the creator of that dish.
- If you want to take photos, I'd say a good rule of thumb is to set aside at least 2 hours for each dish.
- Below, I've distilled the most critical food photography knowledge that I've gained over 15 years into 3 helpful guides.
- If your budget or time is tight, a good option would be to look through your own photos or family photos first to see if you already have pictures of the recipe in mind. Chances are if it is one of your favorite recipes you will probably have a picture of it.
- Also, if you have a family reunion or holiday coming up where everyone is gathering, that would be a great opportunity to tell everyone to bring any pictures they have of a dish, especially if it includes pictures of the family member associated with that dish.
Step 9: Fill in your templates.
- You chose your templates in step 6. You have your recipes and your stories. You've even taken photos.
- Now, it's time to transfer all of this information into your templates.
- This is the fun part. Take your time and enjoy the process!
Step 10: Production!
- Let the drafts of your family's food stories sit for a day or so, then go back and proofread them.
- Send a copy to a friend or family member with fresh eyes.
- Don't fret too much! The best part about family recipes is the authenticity, heritage, and stories surrounding the foods that are being passed down through generations to continue giving life to these family members through their collection of recipes that are unique to your family.
Step 11: Package and share.
- For a handwritten recipe book, just wrap it with a ribbon and in tissue paper.
- Consider making a piece of candy or treat from a recipe in the book. Wrap it in a pretty bag and tie it to the book with a piece of ribbon.
Distribute, sit back, and enjoy knowing you have preserved your culinary heritage for generations to come. What a precious legacy! Great job and CONGRATULATIONS!
Recipe
How to Make Your Own Family Recipe Cookbook
Instructions
- Decide who this recipe book is for.
- Determine your timeline and how many minutes you can devote to this project.
- Determine a budget.
- Choose a printer.
- Choose a template (or set of templates).
- Gather your recipes - and especially the stories behind the recipes.
- Make each recipe and take photos.
- Fill in your templates.
- Proofread and send to a printer.
- Distribute, sit back, and enjoy knowing you have preserved your culinary heritage for generations to come. CONGRATULATIONS!