Comfort can come in a cup of warm cocoa with fluffy marshmallows or a big bear hug from a favorite uncle.  Your mother, grandmother or great-grandmother might have passed down some comfort as well with a treasured family recipe or a favorite story told to you while peeling potatoes or stirring chocolate cake batter.  As kids we cherish those memories and as adults we also hope to pass them down to our future generation of cooks and bakers in the family.  Gatherings during the holidays can be exciting or exhausting as the kitchen becomes the center of the home where folks naturally migrate for conversation and noshing.  Christmas is a magical time to celebrate and create culinary moments with your loved ones and to think about creating a family cookbook.

Family cookbooks have been born out of a love of cooking and collecting handwritten recipes on aged, food-stained papers passed down from generation to generation.  They are also seen at family reunions or thought of after a loved one has passed.  The idea comes and goes without anyone taking the helm to actually start the process and then sometimes it's too late.  Many people have contributed recipes to church cookbooks or community fundraisers but have never thought about asking family members for recipes to create their own cookbook.  Adding photos and stories also helps to make a lasting impression.

I come from a long line of excellent cooks on both sides of my family.  In the 1940's my aunt and uncle ran a successful catering business out of their house in Chicago and for a brief time opened a restaurant built on the front of the property.  My aunt was the visual artist of the pair and sculpted masterpieces out of fruits and vegetables.  My uncle was the head chef and could cook any woman under the table.  My aunt is now 93 years old and though neither she nor my uncle handed down any secret recipes to anyone there is an undeniable sense of pride in her love for the culinary arts.  She says that she is sad that she didn't create a cookbook of her own.

My paternal grandmother took pride in her culinary prowess and was meticulous in creating the perfect steak, vegetable and dessert.  Her signature dish was gumbo and my Aunt Jean challenged that gumbo at every family gathering.  As a child I observed my grandmother's cooking techniques, taking notes in the back of my mind with each precise cut and seasoning combination.  My mother on the other hand loves to eat but not cook.  When my grandmother passed away I was the only grandchild who flocked to her collection of cookbooks.  She made personal comments and cooking suggestions to herself in the folds of the pages. In one of the books I even found an old photo of her and my grandfather eating tacos with sombrero hats on their honeymoon in Mexico.  This is a lasting memory for me.

Tuanni Price, owner of Zuri Wine Service in Los Angeles, has fond memories of her mother making three types of dressing for her holiday turkey: oyster, crab and traditional cornbread.  As an adult Price now pours the wine and keeps the conversation flowing with every glass while her own daughter learns the secret to grandma's stuffing.  She is in the process of creating her own family cookbook.

"A little of this and a pinch of that," describes how most people measure and cook.  They know from memory by standing at the stove watching their mothers and grandmothers throwing in various ingredients, tasting and adjusting flavors as they cook.  It takes a seasoned palate not to have to measure ingredients but you must try to develop a recipe if you want to create a cookbook.

There are many online independent publishers who can help with your project.  The Great Family Cookbook Project offers a wealth of information on the process from start to finish.  Oprah has heralded HeritageCooking.com and for tips on how to start gathering recipes from relatives, read this one from on About.com.

Donna Pierce, founder of Black America Cooks, launched another website dedicated to preserving family recipes, www.skilletdiaries.com.  A sample family cookbook can be found as referenced here.

Lastly you can buy a software program called Cook'N that allows you to store all of your recipes in categories and make customized cookbooks.

Honor your ancestors and inspire the younger generation to keep family traditions alive.  Cookbooks can turn into invaluable, treasured heirlooms and preserve family recipes for years to come.  It just might be your greatest inheritance!