Making a Family Recipe Book Workshop Series

Family cooks and bakers have favorite recipes. Some of them may be recent additions to the collection; some of them may have been passed down for generations. Some of them may be written down, but some may exist only in the chef’s brain. While these recipes yield delicious food that family member enjoy, they also are surrounded by stories about family—e.g., a grandparent preparing a dish that we craved as children, a parent wearing a special apron while cooking or baking, friends and family gathered around the dining room table to enjoy the food and one another’s company. And if we are fortunate, there are photos related to these recipes—e.g., a photo of the food item itself, a photo of the family sharing the meal, a photo of our grandparents’ old wood-burning kitchen stove, or a photo of a family member preparing the dish, or a photo of a grandparent. In this workshop, we are going to share our memories about recipes. We will also design a family recipe book that includes recipes, stories, and photos.

Duane Roen has been tracing his roots since his teenage years, building a database with more than 32,000 ancestors. He and his wife, Maureen Roen, have also been recording their family history since 1978 by writing more than 19,000 daily journal entries on their children and other family members. Combining his professional and personal interests, Duane worked with colleagues to establish courses on writing and recording family history at Arizona State University. He also is founding coordinator of the Project for Writing and Recording Family History in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at ASU.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Brauner at 602.343.0192 or seniorcenter@jfcsaz.org