Favorite family recipes and the stories behind them will take center stage this November as part of Culver-Stockton College’s Midwest Literary Project activities. Community members are encouraged to contribute their favorite Midwestern recipes for inclusion in a community cookbook to be compiled in the new year. The collection will celebrate the region’s diverse food traditions and the personal stories and memories that accompany them.
As part of this effort, project organizers will host a community meal starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 at the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 512 College St. in Canton. The meal is free and open to the public, and participants are encouraged to bring a favorite family dish to share, along with the stories and memories behind the recipe.
“What makes a recipe special often goes beyond its ingredients. Food connects us to our families, our communities and the places we call home. We hope this project will preserve some of those meaningful stories while celebrating the rich variety of Midwestern food traditions,” said Alissa Burger, project lead for the Midwest Literary Project and professor and English department chair at Culver-Stockton College.
The November gathering is part of the Midwest Literary Project’s exploration of Midwestern culinary traditions and community food titled “What We Grow, What We Share: Midwestern Culinary Traditions and Community Food.”
To contribute a recipe or recipes, contact Burger at aburger@culver.edu.
For more information about the Midwest Literary Project, visit https://culver.edu/the-center-for-rural-opportunity/midwest-literary-project/.
The Midwest Literary Project is a humanities initiative led by Culver-Stockton College and funded by Missouri Humanities. Through community events, conversations, online resources and podcasts, the project explores the voices, traditions and stories that shape the Midwest. It brings together scholars, artists, students and community members to consider how place influences identity, storytelling and the American experience.
Culver-Stockton College is sponsoring this program in partnership with the Missouri Humanities and with support from the Missouri Humanities Trust Fund. For more information about the grants program of the Missouri Humanities Council, call (314) 781-9660 or (800) 357-0909 or email clarice@mohumanities.org.
Contact the Marketing & Public Relations Office, at pr@culver.edu or 573-288-6000 ext. 6728 for more information.
NOTE: A number that appears immediately after a person’s name (i.e. Jane Doe ’18) is a reference to the year that person earned their bachelor’s degree from Culver-Stockton.