In spite of all the heaviness and uncertainty in the world—or maybe because of it—my thoughts have turned to recipe keeping this week. How do we keep track of recipes? Is there a best way? How has that changed over time? What does this say about us and why does it matter (or does it)?
First, the book project I’ve been working on was inspired by recipe keeping, and I’ve had my head in archives of mid-century recipes—the good old fashioned tin box and jotted notecard variety, which has its charms. At a certain point in time, the inherent value of the recipe is eclipsed by the richness of the actual material the recipe is recorded on. Paper softens and goes to shades of ecru and sepia, ink blurs the slightest bit. Small food spatters that were the results of long-ago meal preparation become part of the paper’s grain. I realize, too, how much handwriting is changing, and how it used to be such an extension of someone’s personality—while in our present day it’s possible never to know the intimate quirks of penmanship in even close friends and coworkers.
One night around dinnertime, in one of my group chats, a lively conversation sprang up about our preferred ways of saving the recipes that are the keepers and the repeaters. I was surprised, among a relatively tech-savvy group, how much paper is still involved. One friend said she prints out the good recipes and puts them in a binder. Another explained her method of tracking beloved recipes in the “Notes” feature of her computer…except for the ones found in the New York Times’s integrated app, which live there in their cloud home. She added: “I print a lot of them, too, and put them in a folder.”
I think some of these systems are indicative of our generation—X—which came of age during a time when people were still fervidly scribbling letters to one another while quickly adopting email. We still love the tactile quality of paper but also, like the generations that came along after us, are basically cyborgs reliant upon the electronic devices attached to our bodies at all times.
I also find it fascinating, and also lovely, how each person’s system is such an individual expression of creativity—even when using a digital interface. Something like Pinterest (which is one friend’s go-to) has the visual appeal of recipe cards and also allows space for notes and an interface built for sharing.
When I started thinking about my own system, I realized with horror that the scattered and noncommittal way I approach the process is reflective of my general psyche. But somehow, it works. I bookmark Instagram posts that look promising. I once used but have now abandoned Pinterest (the sponsored content became overwhelming). I use and pay for the NYTimes cooking app but haven’t gone the extra step of saving the recipes. Often, I do a frantic, last-minute search of the internet or my now-unruly collection of print cookbooks, which is a completely inefficient (but enjoyable) route that leads to distractions and rabbit holes. Aside from baking, I usually cook from memory, anyway. The one thing I do in an organized fashion is working my favorite dishes—original or adapted—into actual recipes, photographing them, and aggregating them here in the Recipe section of this site.
But while it’s tempting to attribute recipe keeping techniques to generational differences, it’s not as simple as that. My kids make use of a combination of paper cookbooks and tricks found on platforms like TikTok (hello baked feta pasta!). My son, who is eight and loves to cook, just proudly followed his first recipe from a cookbook; he made us cream puffs from the Usborne First Cookbook.
My 16-year-old likes to fridge-forage and make her own creations, following her heart and stomach. My 15-year-old bought a Moleskine Recipe Journal a few years ago with some Christmas money and has been recording—and illustrating—her favorites in it ever since.
She makes this every morning
There are so many digital platforms out there, and I have yet to explore them all. Here are some, gleaned from personal recommendations and internet sources (including Kitchn):
New York Times Cooking (app and website): Yes, there’s a paywall! But in exchange you gain access to many decades’ worth of well-tested recipes. Comments section is also helpful in seeing what did and didn’t work for people.
Pinterest: This virtual “pin board” allows the user to organize and share in a visual way. I’m not sure quite what is going on with the “Suggested Content” on my own board, but other people swear by it!
Evernote: Note-taking and organizing app that allows you to arrange recipes by “favorites”, “to try,” or whatever categories work for you.
Google Drive: Yes, good ole-fashioned Google Drive! It’s a great way to integrate links, documents, notes in a way that’s cloud-based and therefore not tied to any individual device or shelf.
Paprika Recipe Manager: Available (and very well rated) on app stores.
Recipe Keeper: Similar to above.
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Please weigh in, if you’re so inclined, on your preferred way of recipe keeping or how you remember your parents/grandparents doing it. I’m really curious, and this is also research for my book. You can comment in the comments section or just hit “reply” if you’re getting this as a newsletter.