We are making a collective cookbook
An oral history project turned into a zine to share recipes we've learned from the people in our lives.
In January, I was on a zoom call with thirteen Japanese American women in their 60s and 70s. We are working on a community cookbook together and during our first meeting, each woman talked about why she was interested in the project. In every case, the answer was stories. Each woman told fragments of memories—about their aunties on farms cooking for dozens of siblings; mochi making with uzu stones; using chopsticks to poke their least favorite ingredients out of maki-zushi rolls as kids. While listening, I realized that these memory-based stories about food are my catnip, which is to say, they make me spin in circles, chase my tail, and bat at nothing in intoxicated happiness.
Somehow, within a few days, I was asked if I would host an interactive zoom workshop for Oregon Humanities that engages people in questions about food and community. The topic and activities were mine to invent. I decided to merge this new drug I had discovered (food memory stories) with an old project called Inheritance Stories. A decade ago, my friend Chris and I built mobile recording booths to collect stories from people working in food about their sense of inheritance. Both then and now, I am interested in how we each hold and maintain cultural traditions even as we evolve them. I also want to put the spotlight on people who may not seek it, or who are sometimes made invisible, but whose lives and stories are entangled in our own.
Chris and my project was rushed and half-formed, but I learned a lot. Namely, write questions and then test them! People do well with a little guidance and love to talk about other people in their life rather than themselves (even if, in doing so, they are doing both). Have someone there to listen and prompt. Have someone else to take notes or record—listening is a job unto itself.
This new iteration, which I am also calling Inheritance Stories, requires three people: the storyteller, the interviewer, and the recorder. Each person cycles through each role so there is balance and an opportunity to practice different skills and roles. The basic premise is to ask each person to share a recipe they learned from someone in their life that they still cook, to really listen to them, and to record their story in a way that transmits their voice.
I invited two of my closests to test this idea with me: Stef Choi and Nancy Wong. I wrote questions as a starting point. Stef interviewed Nancy, and I took notes; I interviewed Stef, and Nancy took notes; Nancy interviewed me, and Stef took notes. We each played every role, and in so doing discovered a catharsis in the story telling, a high in listening and learning, and a focused challenge in recording. This project rejects ideas of authority in publishing and authorship. I want to embrace the culture of kinkos zines that capture real people doing their thing.
I’ll share each of our stories over the next week, starting with Nancy’s Mom’s Zong—Sticky Rice Dumplings! I’m also publishing a little zine with illustrations like the one above by Stef Choi! If you’d like a copy, let me know—lolammm@gmail.com.
How to Collect an Inheritance Story
Please find two people to join you—in person, over zoom, over the phone, whatever works for you. Each person takes a turn as storyteller, interviewer and recorder so that everyone plays every role.
When you are the storyteller, spend a moment thinking of recipes you learned from real people in your life that you still make. Choose one that you feel comfortable talking about.
When you are the interviewer, do not interject with your own stories. Your role is to ask questions, be encouraging, and listen.
When you are the recorder, find an application where you can take notes that you can easily email—word, a notes app, google docs, your email, etc. Don’t worry about capturing every word. Simply try to gather big ideas and important details. No need to speak during the interview, just focus on taking notes.
Once everyone has shared their stories, each recorder will send what they wrote to the person who told the corresponding story. Each person should take time reading the notes and making any corrections or additions that make this story true to their experience.
Feel free to send me your collective’s stories—I would love to learn them! You can reach me at lolammm@gmail.com.
The questions:
What is your name?
Where were you born?
Where do you live now?
How would you describe yourself?
What are some of your favorite activities?
What is the name of the dish you are going to share?
Who did you learn it from?
Please tell us about them: Where are they from?
How would you describe them?
Any descriptions and representative memories of them you can share?
What did they call this dish?
Who do you think they learned this dish from?
Do you know about the larger history of this dish?
Please describe the setting when you first tasted this? How old were you? Where were you?
How does the room or space look, smell and sound?
Who is with you? What are you talking about?
Do you or did they make this for any special occasions?
Describe the dish as they made it? How does it look, smell, and taste? What is the texture like?
When did you first make this for yourself?
How have you evolved the recipe? What inspired those changes?
Why do you like this dish?
Please describe the ingredients and steps for making this.
What else would you want to tell someone about this dish and recipe?