I have always argued that a memoir is a story about an historical event and your own story about it. It gives the reader more clarity about the event and about the writer. But it seems the term memoir is being used for life story. I give up the fight and start using the word as it is being used and note the reason the words autobiography and biography exist is they are not memories. Since everyone is writing one I am glad that I help but their thoughts on paper about their lives no matter what one calls the act and the final product.

So when I saw this article this morning I thought I might share it with you. It is how to put your food memoir together. The great thing is Laura Tompkins agrees with many of the things I talk about in writing your memory cookbook. She goes from the angle of the stories and I go from the angle of the recipes. Neither is right or wrong. There are no rules in putting your cookbooks except copyrights, acknowledgements and testing and tasting that many of you don’t do!

Tomkins writes, “You can pass on your favourite recipes and tell your stories at the same time. The food memoir is gaining popularity as a literary form, and for good reason. Food is a basic ingredient of life; it is necessary for everyone’s existence, and stories about it are invariably about larger life lessons. Many notable authors, such as Barbara Kingsolver, have published food memoirs. By following some simple steps, putting together a food memoir is not difficult.”

I am not the only one saying write your memory cookbooks. It makes the family want to read it for the stories and when the members of the family are older they will appreciate the recipes.Tompkins talks about finding a theme. Have I preached about this too much, I guess not. A theme makes making your book connected and focus to help you complete it! Her themes are about the stories collected. If that helps you put the cookbook together, go for it. She does miss the recipes part of the cookbook in this article but hers is a food memoir rather than a memory cookbook.

She does add a list of books that I will list here for you to check out on memoir writing and other food memoirs that you might enjoy reading. I do suggest do not get caught up on reading rather than writing. As genealogist spend most of their time researching and not putting it together you may be caught up in doing other things than writing. A flaw that is easy to get into. Avoidance is a use of time when you are not committed to the project; I do it often as I think most of us do.

Related Articles

How to Begin Writing your Memoir

Tips for Writing Memoirs that Others will Want to Read

Writing Memoirs: An Exercise to Get you Started

Excellent food memoirs get you started.

Scudamore, James; “A Food Memoir: Love and Sponge Cakes” 2008

http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/food-memoir-bovril-nine-sponge-cakes

Kingsolver, Barbara; “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle”: 2007

http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/

Diana Abu- Jaber; “The Language of Baklava”: 2005

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4597333

And here is the link to the original article by Laura Tompkins

Read more at Suite101: How to Write a Food Memoir http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-write-a-food-memoir-a327374#ixzz1AGnn14he