About The Recipe Commons
A recipe is more than just a list of ingredients and a set of instructions. It is a story of human migration that showcases the adoption of new techniques, resources and traditions. Recipes are a convergence of what is already known and what is considered other. Sometimes this convergence takes place coincidentally, or in an inviting encounter. And sometimes, this convergence is forced. Over time, recipes evolve and incorporate elements that were once considered foreign.
The Recipe Common's aim is to tell the story of migration behind individual recipes gathered from all over the world. Each recipe is organized by the place it is encountered in rather than by food genres.
This geographical organization is two-fold. It is meant to challenge our preconceptions of the cuisine and people of a place. It is also meant to point out the limitations of defining a dish by broad food genres.
The ultimate goal of The Recipe Commons is to become a platform that educates us about our neighbors, celebrates migration and encourages conversation over a shared meal.
About the Founder
My name is Andrea and I am currently an undergraduate student at the University of Maine at Farmington where I study literature, creative writing and Spanish. Right out of high school I did a short stint in culinary school, but ultimately decided to take my culinary education into my own hands by working in kitchens and a butcher shop.
Eventually, I got a gig as a private chef on a sailing yacht which over the course of three years took me all over the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Scotland and England. The time I spent cooking and traveling eventually led to the inspiration for this project. I plan on taking The Recipe Commons with me wherever I go so, keep checking in for recipes and stories from different places. If you have a story you would like to share, please email me!
Thank you for visiting The Recipe Commons and I hope you get a chance to cook some of the recipes!
¡Buen Provecho!
Special Thanks
Launching The Recipe Commons was made possible thanks to the funding I received from the Wilson Fellowship through the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF). I also want to thank Luann Yetter, my Journalism professor from UMF who has generously contributed to The Recipe Commons as editor and advisor. And a big thank you to all of the participants who so willingly shared their stories, traditions and recipes!
Thank You!