With the holidays just around the corner, the way people use Blurb to share their stories is top of mind. Which is why we’re so happy to share Rachel Kellerman’s family cookbook, The Comforts of Home, and the process of making it with you.

How did your project begin?

The project first began as an assignment in a college class I was taking at the time. We were assigned the task of making a book, and I knew right away what I wanted to do. There are two things I can definitely say I have loved since childhood: cooking and cookbooks. I remember before I could read, thumbing through cookbooks simply admiring the pictures. I was actually stuck in a job that I hated for about five years. At about the fourth year I knew that if I wanted to get out of there I needed to hone a skillset in something, anything. The job was a call center, and I passed the time looking at cookbooks. That is when I decided to go to culinary school.

People would always ask me, “Do you want to be a chef?” I always responded the same way. “No. I want to write cookbooks.” From there, I actually decided to go back and complete my degree at Northern Kentucky University. I got my bachelors in journalism, so I could improve my writing and I got my minor in photography, so I could shoot my own food.

What was the purpose of the project? What did you want to do with the book?

There were two things that really fueled this project.The main purpose of the project was a simple one: to gather, record, and compile all of the recipes I’d grown up eating and put them in one place. My family has always cooked and food has never been something that had to be done. It’s a full-blown affair, it’s an event, it’s about being together and sharing an experience.

The second thing that fueled the project was having the great privilege of spending the last six weeks with my great-grandfather in our home while he was in hospice. We shared stories, we ate, and we just enjoyed the opportunity to be there with him during the last few weeks he was with us. It was during that time that the fire was really lit within me to not just be aware of where I came from, but to really know it, to record it, and to pass it on to the younger generation in my family. I realized, as we would look over old pictures, that I was learning who was in them. However, had I not had that great opportunity to ask my grandpa all those questions, would I have known to the same extent who I was and where I came from. I was determined from that moment on to record the stories, the recipes, the pictures, and then to get that book in the hands of my family. It isn’t just a book, it’s a history lesson, and it’s a part of who we are.

What made you decide to go with Blurb?

I was told about Blurb through my photography teachers at school. I had printed out little photo books with other companies before, and while they weren’t horrible, the quality was just okay at best. However, the price was enormous and I was always stuck with putting my pictures into their templates, which I hated.

When it came to self-publishing books through smaller companies, which I had looked into because I wanted to publish a cookbook, the prices jumped even more. However, with Blurb, I found an entirely different experience. The print quality is fantastic, I would say far beyond anything I’ve ever seen before or since. But even more than that, I had control over what I wanted. I was the one to place the photos, the text. It all happened the way I wanted. If you combine all of those things, I don’t know how you could choose anything but Blurb. It’s a completely unique opportunity for anyone wanting to put something in a book.

How long did it take you to complete your project?

Due to the project being for a class assignment, I had to fall into the deadline given to us in class. While this was stressful, it helped me get it completed. I think it took me a few months.

How much did you know about food photography before you got started and how did you learn to do it?

I learned about photography from my professors at Northern Kentucky University. I have always been artistic, but I learned all of my skills from them. When I first started the photography program, I really didn’t know what to photograph. It was then, when talking to my teacher Barbara Houghton about what to shoot for a particular assignment, she started asking me questions about things I liked. We eventually got on the subject of food. Once this topic came up Barbara instantly said,“Rachel, you have to shoot food, your whole face lights up when you talk about it.” It was from there that it started. My teachers really saw a desire in me, and it was from there that they helped shape and work with me in that area.

Did you have recipe testers?

Oh yes. I brought food in for my class a few times. However, my go to testers are my family. They are always honest, wonderful critics and share the same love for food that I do. This project was rapid fire in terms of photographing and getting things ready for it. There was something made almost every day, more mess-ups that I can count, and my parents poor kitchen—it was a disaster for quite a while. The only part my family hated about the entire experience was the unfortunate extra pounds that each of us packed on for eating so many sweets in such a short period. Hey, it’s a tough job.

What was the hardest part of the project?

Figuring out which recipes to put in, and then which ones to photograph. Not all food is created equal, photographically speaking. Some things just look gorgeous no matter what you do—the hand pies for instance, those looked amazing. Other things though take a lot more work, maybe the colors are a little bland, or when it’s cut it just looks messy or something. Of course with recipe selection, we have so many recipes in my family, so figuring out which ones were the most important and which ones made the most sense in the book was a tiresome task at times.

What did your family think of the book?

My family loved the book. For one, it eliminated the search we all inevitably went through when needing a particular family recipe. You no longer had to try and get a hold of Mom, or my Grandma to get a recipe; they were all in one place. It was invaluable.

Then, of course, you have the family stories and the photos, which just take a book that is already great and now turns it into a treasure. A family cookbook is now in the hands of almost every woman in my family. It’s not just a book of recipes but a point of reference, it’s something we all share. I now see my little nieces look at the book and point to a picture and actually know who they are looking at, and that it’s their great-great-great grandmother … how cool is that? They now have something they can refer to way down the road that explains to them a little about who they are and where they came from.

Was there anything that surprised you about the project?

Yes, Blurb actually noticing the book! It was about 10:30pm at night when I got an email from Blurb telling me they liked the book. I didn’t even read the email at first. I just laughed and told my Mom someone was probably trying to scam me. Then for some reason about an hour later I went back and read the email and STILL didn’t believe it. I sent the email to my teacher Barbara and said, “Do you really think they mean this or is this just someone trying to scam me?” She emailed me back and said “NO IT’S NOT A SCAM! THEY LIKE YOUR BOOK!!” I couldn’t believe that they would see this little collection of family recipes, stories, and pictures and think it was something special. I thought only we would think it was special. That probably surprised me more than anything.

What would you do differently next time?

I would spend more time editing, making sure everything was perfect, and probably put more recipes into the book. I would also spend more time promoting the book. While I told friends and family about it, it didn’t really go any farther.

Was distributing the book to places like Amazon something that you wanted to do?

I still have the dream of publishing a cookbook that I see on Amazon, in bookstores etc. That is something that I am continually working on and trying to make happen. It’s a slow process and one I haven’t perfected yet. But, I’m working on it.

Do you have another book project that you’re thinking of making?

Absolutely. Of course, it’s a family cookbook. Still focused on family and food, because to me, those go hand in hand. This book though is focused on the food that we have around the holidays. For instance, I have several cookbooks about thanksgiving, however I never seem to care for many of the recipes. They either aren’t very practical or they just don’t have what I’m used to having at that time. I want to make a book that focuses on events that bring families and friends together. I think that simple act of sharing a meal, clear from all the distractions that we all fall victim to like our phones is so important. It’s about people sharing an experience, looking each other in the eye and sharing a moment that is so important. Hopefully I can capture the spirit of that and the food it involves in my next book.

Feeling inspired? Check out other cookbooks made by Blurb authors.