A few days before a recent big holiday we’d be sharing with friends, we decided on the menu based on the collective traditions of two families. We brought to the table our various Jewish, Catholic, Quaker, Unitarian, East Coast, West Coast, Midwestern and New England sensibilities from growing up, plus our traditions we’d started with our own families. The recipes, mostly, were all in our heads.
Another day planning a cooking date with a different friend, we chatted on the phone while going through a cookbook we wanted to try together. Other recipes I cook with friends have come from magazines (including the late great Gourmet), improvisation based on ingredients and time, and of course, recipes we’ve developed here at Cooking With Friends.
Where do your recipes come from? Do you have a favorite source (whether it’s your grandmother’s recipe box, Cooking Light or The Joy of Cooking)?