THE cook book
In July 2022 my Mother’s side of the family held a family reunion. 73 of us (8th, 9th, and 10th Generations) took part in celebrating the McDonell Clan. It was the first time in over a decade that we came together and it was truly an unforgettable weekend. As a keepsake for everyone, my associate editor (aka my Mom) and I put together a 150 page cookbook. We drew inspiration from the infamous church cookbook (size and binding), did a call-out to the family for recipes, orchestrated a desirable budget, and ran with it.
The initial concept may have been a cookbook, but the final result was something far more meaningful.
DATE
July 2022
type
materials
METHOD
software
Concept
Art direction
Graphic design
Photography
Illustrator
InDesign
Lightroom
Photoshop
Glossy paper
Spiral coil bound
Editorial layout
Just for fun
continue reading
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front & back cover
The Purity Flour cover is a copy of my Great, great Aunt Essie's cookbook, which is still in the family. She died in 1972, at 90 years of age.
A history lesson
My eldest uncle has extensively researched our heritage and family tree. The introduction provides a foreword and his findings. It is here that we are told the story of how our family came to settle in Canada.
the land order
The deed to the farmland that my family still resides on, dated 1785. This original paperwork currently hangs in my uncle’s house.
The Scottish Thistle
A proverbial ‘easter egg’, this stoneware is widely collected throughout the family.
Recipes
A sample spread; 2 of the 78 recipes contributed.
Category spread
Samples of the seven different category page spreads, featuring the infamous Salty Jacks. If you know, you know.
Conclusion
The barn today. This image leads to a beautiful poem my Mother and my aunt wrote about our family. It was read to all of us at the reunion before our feast. Not a dry eye in sight when it was performed!
final words
The metric cope chart, citations and final dedication, as well as another easter egg. My mother was raised on a dairy farm. The image of the door is the entrance to the milk house, where all the milk was stored before delivery.
LA FIN.
The end papers showcase the McDonell tartan.