The dishes students and teachers grew up with typically tell something about themselves. This can include how these recipes show what their families value, who taught them, where the food comes from, when it is served, why it matters, and how it stays alive. Some of these recipes are made during busy school weeks, but others only come out on important days with family. The stories behind them help explain how food becomes part of someone’s life.

These recipes most often emerge from older relatives who kept the dish going through each generation. Some dishes migrated with their families from place to place, gathering meaning as they went. English teacher Anna Collins said, “It is something that we’ve always made around Christmas time. My grandma has stories about making it with her grandma. She would always tell me about her grandma telling her stories about making it with her grandma.” Collins demonstrated how recipes carry family history.

These students’ memories come back when they are cooking or eating their family recipe. Either a smell, a sound, or even just a step reminiscent of someone important is all it takes. Collins said, “The process of doing it just makes me think about my family.” This helps keep the recipe alive.

Their recipes were passed down from one person to another. Some learn simply by watching others, while others follow step-by-step instructions handwritten and saved for years. Dodge said, “All of my grandpa’s kids make it, so when my mom’s siblings make it… We all know how to do it.” These traditions ensure the recipe remains the same over time.

Most students said the dish they selected was one they watched a parent or grandparent make, year after year. They remembered the first time they got to help and the moments that made it extra special. Secretary Marti Hoefer said, “[When I make] it reminds me of fall, and it’s easy to make, it can be a meal, anything.” Memories like that show the positive reinforcement of learning a recipe.

Dodge mentioned what ingredient or step makes their dish special, such as small touches that give this recipe its identity. She said, “The combination, because the three different parts are just ordinary parts, but the combination of them together is kind of unique.” These hopes give one a sense of how food traditions can be passed on.