top of page

Culinary 

Perspectives

Preserving family history and traditions through food. 

 

my_vision

MY VISION

My name is Matthew Hanson. I am a photographer / teacher in Ellicott City, Maryland.  The idea behind Culinary Perspectives came from a graduate school project. The project started out with the idea of getting people from different backgrounds to talk about a common subject. I chose to work with the idea of food because of how everyone can relate to it. I love to cook and I am fascinated with learning how other people connect with food and recipes.

 

Food is a universal idea. Everyone needs to eat to survive. Every culture, family, person has a different view on the subject. From how something is prepared to simply how something tastes, food is an ever changing necessity to our everyday lives. I’m intrigued with how people learn to cook and how recipes are passed down from generation to generation. My generation, and all subsequent ones after, have access to a plethora  of information through the internet. If I want to learn how to make Chicken Parmesan, I just go online and search “Chicken Parmesan." Over a million results are available to me. Unlike me, prior generations learned how to cook by watching their parents. Mothers were keepers of the home. Homemade meals were the norm, not the exception. When people cook together, conversations happen. Stories get passed along, bonds are made. Food has a history that goes with it. There are stories to be told, memories that are made. My goal is to preserve these stories within the recipes themselves. 

 

The process is very simple. First someone volunteers to collaborate with me on a cookbook. As the person cooks, we simply have a conversation while I capture the process on video and in photographs. The conversation usually start with the question of  “why is this recipe important to you?” After the meal has been completed, I dissect the video, remake the recipe, take product shots, and design a book based on the information that I have gathered.  

 

This project does not work without people who generously volunteer to cook for me. If this is something you are interested in doing, please email me at CulinaryPerspectives@gmail.com

Portfolio

YEARLY VOLUMES

Each year, we combine our individual recipe books into a bigger, more traditional cookbook.

Each book is 8 1/2 x 11. Click on a book to learn more! 

INDVIDUAL RECIPE COOKBOOKS

Each of these books gives an in depth look at the title recipe. Much like a traditional cookbook, it includes the ingredients and directions. These are unique in that the books include in depth information on the meal such as “tips from the chef”, history of the recipe and questions you would typically ask someone as you are making their meal. The goal of these books is to make it seem like you are learning directly from the person who has been cooking this meal their entire lives. 

contact
Option #1: Custom Cookbook

If you would like a book created just for you, this is your plan. We

will create a book based on your recipe(s). The book will not be

available to the general public. 

Cost: Starting at $300 (Books sold separately) 

Click here to see more details

Option #2: Single Recipe Cookbook

Do you have a unique recipe? Create a cookbook with us and have your recipe take on a new life. 

Click here to see more details

Please fill out the contact form if you are interested in creating a cookbook with us. We will email you back with additional details about the process.

We also give incentives for referrals. Click here for more details!

Please click here to review your purchase or your cooking experience. Upon completion, you will receive a 15% discount off your next purchase. 

Based out of Ellicott City, Maryland

Email: Culinaryperspectives@gmail.com

Instagram: CulinaryPerspectives

Facebook: facebook.com/culinaryperspectives

bottom of page