Portside

What is it about cookbooks that lend themselves so fluidly to self-reflection and experimentation alike? As Hannah Goldfield puts it, the form “evinces something encouraging: a curiosity about how other people live, the texture of their days.”

Many of America’s favorite recipes today were born from commercial incentives--from the obvious Rice Krispies Treats and Jell-O salads, to beloved condensed-soup casserole and stuffing recipes passed down for generations.