Sherry Wachter

A Longer Table Sherry Wachter

A recipe book might seem like an odd project for a college writing class. On the surface, it's simple-we pooled our favorite recipes and turned them into a book. Below the surface, though, it's not so simple after all. Creating a class book means asking and answering certain questions as a group. Will headlines and subheads be in all caps, or title case? Will we abbreviate units of measure, or spell them out? At what point on each page will headlines, preheat instructions, and notes occur? How formal (or informal) do we want this book to be? What do we want to include, and what do we want to leave out? Will we require that recipes be vegan, vegetarian, or just family favorites? Creating a book means becoming part of a larger conversation, and just as scholarly writing requires adhering to a certain style, so, too, does a book like this. But it's more than just style. Creating a book means that we share responsibility for how we present ourselves to the public. We share responsibility for accuracy, for editing, for tone, and for clarity. A book requires a level of collaboration that traditional writing exercises don't. A book is a lot of work. But a book also offers the opportunity share our family cultures as we share our favorite foods. It offers a glimpse into our roots, and into the things that have made us who we are. So think of this book as a potluck-a "longer table" where each of us brings his or her favorite dish, and we all try a little. Sharing like that demands courage. It also demands a response: Love, respect, gratitude, and above all, greater understanding. We had fun sharing our recipes. We hope you have fun sharing them, too.