A Legacy in Every Bite:
Christina - Jul 22, '25 - Cookbook Ideas - Cookbook Stories
When Emily Carper first put together a family cookbook back in 2008, she wasn’t chasing perfection, she was chasing connection.
It began during a quiet winter break, when 17-year-old Emily was recovering from a tonsillectomy. Left voiceless and stuck at home, she turned to the Food Network for comfort. “I wasn’t talking much, so I watched hours and hours of cooking shows,” she says. “I started writing down the recipes I saw, and once I felt better, I started making them. Then sharing them.”
That simple, healing act grew into a lifelong passion for collecting recipes, preserving family stories, and crafting cookbooks that now span seven volumes. Each one is more than a book, it’s a tribute, a keepsake, and a legacy.
Two Grandmothers, Two Kitchens, One Foundation
Grandma Henry & Grandma Masters
Emily’s love of food was nurtured early in life, shaped by the time she spent in two very different, but equally meaningful kitchens.
Her Grandma Henry was refined and nurturing, always stocked with thoughtful treats. “She kept orange Kool-Aid with fresh slices in the fridge and jars of her homemade strawberry ice cream topping in the freezer,” Emily recalls. “She taught me manners and kindness.”
On the other side of the family tree, Grandma Masters ran a 50-acre farm. “We snapped green beans from her garden, baked pies with her berries, and sometimes burnt the biscuits because we never set a timer,” Emily laughs. “It was all about being together and making food with love.”
From Napkins to Notebooks to Something More
Like many people, Emily started collecting recipes wherever she could on notepads, napkins, and in a growing Evernote folder. But it didn’t take long before she knew she wanted something more enduring. Her first cookbook was assembled in Microsoft Word and printed at a local shop.
“Gahhh! What a pain!!” she laughs. “No layout options, fonts wouldn’t cooperate, printing wasn’t meant for cookbooks, and it was expensive. No beautiful paper, no real design, just not worth the hassle.”
Still, that original spiral-bound book became something precious. It brought her family together and captured the dishes that meant the most. “My Grandma Masters got to see it and be a part of it before she passed. She was so proud,” Emily says. “She loved watching me copy her recipes to share with others. And my dad, he was my ‘book hustler.’ He helped deliver orders!”
Each Cookbook, a Dedication of Love
Every book Emily has created since has been dedicated to someone she loves. “The first was for my sweet dad, who I had just lost,” she says. “The second was for my nieces and nephews. The third for my son. One dessert book was dedicated to the women in my life. And my most recent, a healthier cookbook, is for my little family.”
Her cookbooks include not just recipes, but photos of food, stories, and memories. “We eat with our eyes first,” Emily says. “So I added photos of food, of us cooking, and of our family, because that’s who these books are really for.”
She hopes the books will outlive her and continue to serve as a source of comfort, inspiration, and tradition. “That would make my heart so happy,” she says. “I hope they’re pulled out on holidays, quiet weekends, or when someone just needs a taste of home.”
For Anyone Just Getting Started…
When asked what she’d say to someone who wants to create a cookbook but feels overwhelmed, Emily offers gentle encouragement: “Take a deep breath. Grab a notepad. Start a list of your favorite recipes, pictures you might need, and people you want to include (or maybe not! Ha!). And get at it.”
She was surprised by how intuitive the process has become. “What amazed me was how many little details were thought through to make it easier. And how much care went into helping me as a customer. It really meets you where you are.”
Her best advice? “Jump in head first. You won’t regret it. No one you hand your beautiful book of love, food, and history to will be bummed you made it.”
Emily’s story reminds us that cookbooks are more than collections of recipes; they’re scrapbooks of our lives. They hold the fingerprints of people we love, the smells of home, the stories of who we are and where we come from.
In her words, “Recipes are love letters.” And Emily Henry Carper has written some of the most beautiful ones we’ve ever seen.
