Ali Blackburn, a dietetics and nutrition major from Vicksburg, Miss., in collaboration with the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council (YAC), is putting together a digital cookbook to showcase the flavors and folks of Lafayette County.
Blackburn said the inspiration for the cookbook was the variety of stories and experiences found within Oxford and Lafayette County.
“So YAC Director Wayne Andrews and I came up with this idea, ‘Share your Recipe, Share your Story,’” Blackburn said. “And this is basically to build the community through food. And the whole basis of the project is to gather people’s stories and their recipes that they’ve passed down for generations throughout the Oxford and Lafayette County community.”
This project started at the beginning of the fall semester, and it is picking up steam toward publication.
“We started working on it in late August, early September, of this year,” Blackburn said. “And we basically have just now kind of hit the ground running. We’re trying to get the word out about this project. So honestly, it’s fairly new. We don’t have many submissions yet, but we are really, really hoping to get more.”
The project focuses on the recipes as well as the stories behind them, emphasizing the family traditions of cooking.
“The cookbook has all these people’s recipes but also their story of how they got the recipe, what their family life is like — the whole basis behind the recipe,” Blackburn said. “I was like, ‘How can I combine my love for nutrition with what the YAC wants to do?’ And I think recipes show off the community in a different way. Instead of just sharing your story, you can show your recipe and then share your story, and it kind of connects the two, and it makes it more interesting for the community to read about.”
This project was also driven by Blackburn’s desire to get to know the community that she is a part of while being a student at the University of Mississippi.
“I really wanted to learn more about the Oxford community and what all we have in this community. …” Blackburn said. “Just learning about nutrition is important, but understanding how food shaped our community, I feel like that offers insights into why we eat and what we eat. … This project means a lot to me, and I hope we get more submissions because I’d really love to see it become something bigger than what it is right now.”
Andrews, who is helping Blackburn compile the cookbook, said the project aims to gather the stories behind the recipes.
“This project has invited international students, local farmers, long-term residents and transplants to see their community through the foods we eat and love,” Andrews said. “We are seeing engagement and recognize this is not a quick survey people can tap and complete but takes a little thought.”
Those interested in submitting their recipes and stories can do so on the YAC website. While the project is still in its early stages, with only five recipes submitted so far, Blackburn hopes to have enough submissions by the end of the school year to assemble a digital cookbook.
“I think that this is an awesome way for people to learn more about the members of their community and the Oxford locals and celebrate our diverse backgrounds and strengthen the bonds that connect us all,” Blackburn said.
