People have a strong connection to food; this much is clear. Smells, tastes, and even cookware (pots, pans, serving dishes, weird utensils… you know what I mean) can transport you right back to a time and place and remind you of specific events, gatherings, holidays, and people. Family Dinner is an ode to these memories. This book likely won’t teach you new cooking techniques, or fancy terms, or require you to invest in any expensive tools. It probably won’t win awards for thinking outside the box or inventing anything new. However, this book will fill your belly and your heart, and give you a reminder to pass recipes on to those you love.

I want this book to serve as a starting point and a go-to resource for your cooking, baking, and eating needs. These are the epitome of tried and true recipes, with the history and family cred to support them. No more searching the web or scouring other books to find something you hope will be a hit. Start here and fall in love with these classic recipes, just like so many others have.

Family Dinner was born from my love of food and my training in graphic design. I’ve interacted with countless cookbooks, online recipes, magazine articles, and clippings saved from family members. I have always inspected these artifacts, looking closely at font choices, handwriting, and little graphics or icons. I love the aesthetic of these items and have desired to create my own.

It all started in 2020 during the pandemic (if we all had a nickel for every time we heard that, right?). Like so many others, I turned to new hobbies to find ways to fill my time while being isolated and restricted from doing so many of my regular activities. 

Being in quarantine/lockdown/hell for what felt like ages, showed me that food is magical and can be a physical representation of love. Regardless of weather, time of day, or anything else going on (or not going on), I found myself driving around the metro area with piles of goodies in my car and dropping little packages off at the doorsteps of my friends and family. This became therapeutic for me. I loved baking, making treats, and packaging them up. I loved having what felt like a reason to bake and indulge in a time of so much restriction. My husband John and I didn’t need the endless supply that my baking habit produced. Realizing I could do something I love and help spread joy in a hard time was a complete no-brainer. 

In addition to life in a pandemic and what felt like actual tons of unused creativity, I inherited a variety of family recipes and kitchen items after my grandparents passed away. A Nordic Ware bundt pan in its tattered original packaging, for example, or a little note card with my grandma’s handwriting (and often a few grubby fingerprints, probably from us grandkids) became so precious. These things were kitschy, and no longer top-of-the-line. Sometimes the handwriting was hard to read and included funny words like “nutmeats.” They were cherished. Coming across these items and memories from my family felt huge and important and I started to wonder what everyone else was passing down in their families. So I started compiling.

In our family we tuck — yes physically — recipes, scraps, notes, and anything else of value within cookbook pages. My mom has been doing this for my whole life and I’ve acquired the habit, too. It’s awesome. You’ll forget you’ve hidden something and when you flip through the pages to get to a certain recipe, little surprises will fall out, hopefully sparking joy, memories, and a reason to keep baking.

I hope this book is inspiring to you. I hope you feel excited when you look through it. I hope you find the motivation to make these recipes for those you love. I hope you start compiling your own family recipes — no matter how simple, or unfancy they may be. Maybe you can use this cookbook as a starting point. 

— Christina