What is Preserved Press?

Meet Ginger Ann Hughes.

“Does your mom cook your favorite meals from scratch, but she doesn’t have the recipes written down? Do you find yourself calling your aunt year-after-year to ensure you really are mixing your grandmother’s Divinity long enough?

I do. I have lots of family recipes, but they weren’t all in one place - some on cards, some saved in emails, some written on random sheets of paper stuffed into cookbooks.

In speaking with friends I learned that, in most families, only one person is the keeper of the cherished family recipes.

So how do we connect everyone to the handwriting of generations past, or the stains of a lovingly used recipe card? How do we make them easily accessible to all family members?

After doing some research, I did find options for making family cookbooks, but none that offered the high-design that I desired, archival materials to stand the test of time, or a level of service that would make my grandmothers proud. So I cooked up Preserved Press.”

And now Preserved Press is proud to offer custom photography as well.

Imagine a professionally designed cookbook, featuring bespoke artwork, your family (or your restaurant’s) recipes, and a beautiful collection of photos that tell the story of the food, the place, and will evoke memories for generations to come. This is not a portrait shoot like you may have had done in the past. This is a professionally styled cookbook, shot by a published photographer who works with national brands. Consider this a self-published work of art, to pass down for generations to come.

How does it work?

After a planning call with Monica and Ginger Ann, Monica will visit your home or any other location of your choice to capture the predetermined recipes you select.

The photo shoot will include process shots, final styled dishes, your favorite ingredients, your family gathered around the table, shots of the kitchen, and perhaps even a family heirloom like your grandmother’s china.

We'll also capture moments in your favorite spot in the garden, among other significant elements. Each photograph will symbolize a special memory, paying homage to your history and preserving the essence of the food that unites everyone together.

Ginger Ann will take care of all the design work and you will end up with a beautiful, archival work of art that can be passed down for generations to come.

For questions, or to inquire about a custom quote to preserve your culinary heritage:

“Food is everything we are. It's an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It's inseparable from those from the get-go.”

-Anthony Bourdain

FOLLOW OUR COLLABORATION AT: @MONICAFARBER.CO