Tell Your Family History Through Food
Alum News
Published September 13, 2016
GO BACK IN TIME. “Picture yourself when you were younger, and the smells that came out of the kitchen,” Murko says. “Many people don’t think they have these memories, but give it a minute, and the floodgates will open. Maybe your parents didn’t really cook, but they made a particular thing every Sunday night, for example.”
REACH OUT. “Call your mom and your relatives, and get them to send recipes. Have them tell you about the recipes and tell the stories that are linked to them,” she says. “We think that everyone will be around forever, but they won’t be. Ask these questions now.”
WRITE IT DOWN. You don’t need to be a Pulitzer-worthy author. Even a series of bullet points can tell a story. The bigger idea is to add context to the recipes you’ve collected. “If your mom
made apple pie, how did you feel? What were the smells? Do you remember what kind of rolling pin she used? All the details surrounding a recipe will really connect you to your past,” Murko says.
ONLINE: heirloommeals.com
This story appears in the Fall 2016 issue of the Smith Alumnae Quarterly.
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