Calling all Darien Cooks!
In the early months of the pandemic, The Community Fund of Darien and the Darien YMCA came together to discuss a community building project and realized that many residents were spending a great deal of time at home with family, doing a lot of cooking, and having meals together. This was the inspiration for the Darien Cooks! Community Cookbook, a treasury of recipes to feed the soul, local families, and our community.
Original recipe submissions for the cookbook are now being accepted until March 1st at www.communityfunddarien.org. Darien Cooks! will be available in mid-May; pre-orders are currently being taken on the website for $50 each. All proceeds will support TCF and YMCA community programs.
Darien Cooks! will feature custom artwork by Darien's resident artist extraordinaire, Nobu Miki, and her cover art will also be available as a beautiful glass cutting board available for purchase on the website for $35. Both make wonderful gifts and are sure to become a go-to source for delicious meals and a precious keepsake for years to come!
Submitted recipes must be original and should include the best time of year to serve (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter or Any Season.) The origin or a great family story about the recipe is welcome! Full details and guidelines are found on the www.communityfunddarien.org website (click “Darien Cooks!”)
The community may also contribute to the project as an underwriter; participant names will be listed in the back of the cookbook. Individual underwriting options are found by clicking the “Pre-Order Cookbook” tab on the website. Sponsorship opportunities are available for local businesses; levels and benefits can also be found on the website.“Everyone has their favorite family recipe and what better way to build and strengthen our community than sharing our love of food. Through this cookbook and partnership with The Community Fund we’ll not only share our timeless family treasures, but we’ll also support our families, friends and neighbors.” Jennifer Gardner, Darien YMCA
“Sharing a recipe, like sharing a meal is a gift from the heart. We saw the cookbook as a means to capture this moment in time as well as to celebrate this special town. We hope this project brings people together over a common bond of a love for food, and a home cooked meal while supporting our neighbors.” – Janet King, The Community Fund of Darien
The Community Fund of Darien and the Darien YMCA hopes that through this initiative to support local community projects, residents can be a part of local history with their submission and will ultimately enjoy paging through their neighbors’ recipes to create newfound favorites for their own families.