Women's History 2023: Her Favorite Cookbook

You knew there was no way we could get through a Women's History Month series without talking about cookbooks, right? :)

My grandmother's cookbook

Do you have a female ancestor's cookbook? Cookbooks can tell us something about the owner. Looking through the cookbook and analyzing what you find may reveal information you hadn't considered before about your family's food history and her life.

Grab that cookbook and consider the following:

• Note the title, author, publisher, and date.
• What type of cookbook is it? What types of recipes are included?
• Search for the cookbook online and in digitized newspapers. Note the cookbook's history.
• Has she annotated any pages or recipes in the cookbook? If so, what did she write?
• Do you recognize any recipes she cooked? What are your memories of those recipes?
• Was she a good or a bad cook? (It's ok, cooking isn't everyone's cup of tea).
• Does this cookbook suggest anything about her? (For example, is it a cookbook geared towards immigrants or new brides)

In addition, you can write your memories of her cooking, the recipes, or the cookbook. Don't forget to document the provenance of the cookbook, including how you came to own it (if you do).