Evelyn’s Cookbook
Kyla Zwack
See it On Campus: Level 2
This is a story about Evelyn Smedbol, my great grandma, or as I call her, GG. She is an incredible storyteller, a great baker, and has so many memories to share. I believe in passing these stories along and wanted to capture them in a book that facilitates intergenerational exchange grounded in food and recipe sharing. I want my family to feel connected to their past and to each other through a continuation of this exchange, and perhaps inspire others to continue their own exchange of stories and food from generation to generation.
It all starts with GG
Who is GG?
GG is a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great great grandmother, a friend, baker, cook, gardener, musician, music teacher, a pilot (not a licensed one), a knitter, sewer, a reader, and a very excellent storyteller. To capture all of her stories would be to write a novel, but this cookbook contains a few to start.
Embodying Memories
To bring these stories to life, they are paired with recipes that engage the person in hands–on making. Each element of the book is chosen to represent my GG and her life. It is, in a way, an embodiment of her memory and by engaging with the book the reader embodies her experience as well.
An Exchange
It is through baking, adding more recipes to the binder, and sharing their own stories in response to GG that my family can create intergenerational exchange that continues on to more and more generations. GG is just the starting point.
A selection of spreads
Thank you
Learning about my past and making bread with my GG has helped me appreciate the present and the people I have around me even more. Thank you GG for helping me continue this act of sharing and storytelling that I have long admired and greatly appreciated.
A Look Into the Process
