Add an extra special touch to any cookbook gift with a handwritten message from you – be it for family members or a friend moving. Your thoughtful gesture will surely be appreciated by the recipient!
Attach a personalized message in either the front or back cover of your cookbook, using language appropriate to its subject matter – “bon appetit” in French recipe books and “buon cibo” for Italian contemporary ones are both good ideas.
A Cookbook of Family Recipes
An authentic cookbook filled with family recipes is an unforgettable present that serves to pass down traditions and love from one generation to the next. Cookbooks inscribed with personal messages can make this present even more valuable; even simple “bon appetit” inscriptions add extra depth.
Begin your cookbook project by collecting recipes you’d like to include in it, soliciting contributions from family and friends and including any stories or traditions that make each dish memorable. Next, organize them on your computer before double checking their consistency by using standard measuring cups and spoons (along with other measuring devices). Either use software for this step at home or work with a copy shop/community cookbook publisher who have their own guidelines to abide by when publishing the final result.
Decide how you want your cookbook organized, then include a table of contents. Is it meant to include generations (great-grandmother’s, grandmother’s and mother’s recipes), family members (Aunt Sue’s cookies or Grandma’s), foods or food categories (appetizers, vegetables or meats) or leave blank pages for additional handwritten recipes that come your way?
An inspiring cookbook about their new location or region can make an exceptional present for someone moving. If your friend is moving to San Francisco, perhaps selecting from our collection of San Francisco-themed cookbook recipes or one by local cookbook expert Illyanna Maisonet: Diasporican: Puerto Rican Recipes from the Heart of San Francisco (2022).
An engraved cookbook makes an unforgettable keepsake and gift that they will treasure, even if they never end up using all its recipes. It’s sure to bring back fond memories when they look back upon it in years’ time!
A Cookbook of Memories
Custom cookbooks can be an unforgettable way to preserve family traditions and share beloved family recipes with loved ones. If creating this as a present for someone special, be sure to add an inscription or handwritten message in the beginning pages – whether inside front cover or title page is up to you!
Heartfelt inscriptions can range from words of encouragement and expression of love. For instance, when giving wedding presents for your daughter and her new husband, write an inscription wishing them both happiness. Or discuss how much cooking together they plan to enjoy as newlyweds!
If you know that someone will often use one or more recipes from your cookbook, consider including it on its cover to make it more personalized and easier to locate. You could also include its date of creation or any event associated with its production on the cover.
Your cookbook’s table of contents allows you to organize recipes based on generations (i.e. Great Grandma’s recipes, Mom’s recipes etc), individual family members or even food categories such as appetizers, vegetables or desserts. Blank pages in your cookbook allow additional recipes to be handwritten by hand if necessary.
If your recipient enjoys travel, make their cookbook even more personal by including notes about specific destinations in their notes section. This will create an extra special keepsake of their travels while providing delicious memories of favorite places they have seen! Alternatively, include their favorite eateries from where they reside.
A Cookbook of Travels
An attractive cookbook makes an ideal present for daughters who love travel. Include recipes from their destination city or country along with handwritten messages to remember their travels. If there is no cookbook from where they travel to, local cuisine-specific books such as The Food of San Francisco (1997) and Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook (2022) offer additional resources.
An affectionate note will go a long way toward showing your daughter just how much you care and value them. Furthermore, adding the date when giving them their cookbook can serve as an instant memory trigger when reading back over it years later.
If your daughter is leaving for another city, include her hometown in her cookbook’s inscription to help ease her transition. Doing this will serve as a constant reminder of home while aiding in making adjustments easier when moving.
Make it personal by including something from your time together – whether that means sharing funny stories or something you both loved doing together, such as nibbling on grandma’s secret chocolate chip cookie recipe every morning before school, for instance – such as writing “morning munchkins!” on the inscription page to bring back fond memories every time they use their cookbook! Your thoughtful inscription will ensure it reminds her of all of the wonderful times spent with her!
A Cookbook of Recipes for Moving
Cookbooks make great presents for people moving, offering them a taste of home to bring along with them wherever their journey may lead. As an extra special gesture, include a thoughtful message with your gift that expresses how much the recipient means to you as they transition into their new place!
If you want to make the message even more personalized, write it on a blank page inside the front cover or first page of your book. Make sure that it includes your name, date and a short message – be it heartfelt expression of affection or inspirational words of advice.
Add an index and table of contents for easier navigation of the cookbook. These will enable the recipient to quickly locate recipes by family member (Great-Grandma’s recipes, Grandma’s recipes etc) or food category (appetizers, vegetables meats etc). Your recipient will appreciate having this resource in front of them!
As part of your cookbook creation process, another key consideration should be your desired recipe style. Do you prefer formal yet professional-sounding recipes or something more casual and informal? Additionally, this would be an opportune time to decide whether any photos should be included with the cookbook.
Once you’ve selected a cookbook and accompanying materials, deliver them according to its producer’s directions. Review all recipes for accuracy and ensure that they follow an easy-to-read format – perhaps using one of several style guides such as Barbara Gibbs Ostmann’s The Recipe Writer’s Handbook Revised and Updated or Joan Whitman and Antonia Allegra’s Recipes Into Type as guidance.