For my senior thesis project I have decided to create something meaningful and personal to my life. Growing up, my family stayed close and connected through eating and cooking together, whether it be for holidays, sleepover mornings, or helping make meals. Cooking and food have been a form of love in my family for generations. From my great-great-grandmother, all the way down to my dad who unfortunately passed when I was younger. Being someone who is not great at cooking, I would love to keep the tradition going and create a cookbook composed of my various family members’ recipes and favorite meals so I can continue to learn and share food with those I love.
The title of this cookbook comes from a combination of the three families mentioned in the book. Finfrock (my last name), Edelman (my grandmother’s maiden name), and Crawford (my great grandmother’s maiden name). These three names make up Finfredelford.
My grandmother so kindly let me borrow her huge stack of recipes. These recipes were a combination of handwritten recipes from past family members, magazine clippings, food packaging cut-outs, and all sorts from over the last 90 years that her, my great-grandma, and great-great-grandma had collected! I loved seeing these weathered recipes and imagining the memories and joy that may have came from cooking and enjoying them together. I had also visited various thrift stores to get inspiration for vintage cookbook layout and different spot illustration treatments.
I had a great time working on this project. Drawing foods and objects have always been a personal favorite of mine, so it was nice to bring them to life in these illustrations. The process of creating the spot illustrations for the book was even more enjoyable because I got to relax and listen to music while creating them.
This project provided me with an invaluable opportunity to learn about my family's history. Prior to this project, I had no clue what my great-great-grandparents' names were. This creative experience showed me the importance of exploring one's family background and made me appreciate the bonds that connect us even more.
