Make a festive family recipe book

In today's digital age, physical copies of anything are to be treasured – from photo albums to recipe books. There’s a special value in the authenticity of having a physical recipe book.

A carefully crafted recipe book becomes more than just a collection of instructions; it's a family archive, capturing the essence of events, dietary preferences and culinary evolution over the years. From your great-aunt's traditional stuffing to your modern vegan birthday cake, each recipe represents a chapter in your family's story.

With Canon cameras and printers, you can create a quality recipe book that captures not just the recipes, but the heart and soul of rich family history and festive gatherings all year round.

Whether your family celebrates Christmas, Eid, Hanukkah, Diwali or any other cultural day, a family recipe book can mark which dishes are prepared for each occasion, while perhaps even preserving the family traditions that go along with them.

One way to create a memorable and artistic recipe book is by including images that not only illustrate favourite dishes in an appealing way but possibly also recall the occasions when your family came together to enjoy them. Canon EOS R System cameras, including the EOS R10 and the full-frame EOS R6 Mark II, offer both versatility and precision, helping you to capture food photography that looks both professional and inviting.

Here are some essential tips for photographing your recipes:

1. Natural light is your friend. Position dishes near a window where natural light can really bring out the food's texture and colours. You don't need bright studio lighting – the advanced sensors in Canon's EOS R System cameras are great at capturing the subtle nuances of natural lighting and the atmosphere of a family occasion.
2. Choose the right angle. Overhead shots work well for plates of food and table settings, while a 45-degree angle can be perfect for showing depth in bowls and platters. Shooting at eye-level also has its benefits – for example, these shots can capture steam rising from hot dishes.
3. Focus on details. Use a macro lens on your camera to capture close-up details such as the colours and textures of the food, garnishes and other finishing touches.
4. Add context with styling. For thoughtful styling, include what matters to you. It may be your family’s heirloom serving pieces. Add some seasonal decorations or traditional tableware, and perhaps even show some hands at work in the kitchen. Start with a few items and be careful not to crowd the scene.

With your images captured, a home printer such as the Canon PIXMA TS7640i enables you to transform digital memories into tangible keepsakes. This versatile printer offers several features that make it perfect for creating your recipe book.

You can scan written recipes and other material up to A4 size on the high-resolution flatbed scanner. You can print and scan wirelessly direct from your smartphone or tablet using the free Canon PRINT app for iOS or Android. With the editing options in the app and the printer, you can crop and adjust photo sizes to highlight important details, recipe tips, secret ingredients or images of the family smiling as they enjoy a delicious meal.

That's not all. The Easy-PhotoPrint Editor app on your smart device or computer makes it possible to design entire pages – with its layout editor and range of templates, you can not only print full-bleed A4 images for dramatic effect but also create consistent layouts across pages, combining text and images as you please.

In addition to plain paper, you can choose from various paper types to achieve different effects. There’s matte photo paper for a sophisticated, professional look, lustre paper for a subtle sheen, as well as double-sided matte paper for maximum versatility. To make it easy, the PIXMA TS7640i offers auto two-sided print, so there's no fiddling with feeding sheets in again to print on the second side.

You can print your pages and then assemble them in a ring binder, punch holes at the sides and tie them together with a festive ribbon, or use an inexpensive home spiral binding kit, available from stationers and hobby supply shops. Alternatively, you could simply print out the different elements you want at a suitable size for each, and decide your layouts as you stick everything into a scrapbook to make your recipe book, adding handwritten or printed recipes and other details such as notes and captions.

How you organise your recipe book is up to you. An introductory section with elements such as family history and any special family traditions you have can make the book more of a personal keepsake. For ease of use, you can arrange the recipes in categories, including appetisers and starters, main courses, side dishes, desserts, and also beverages. You could add special sections for vegetarian options, vegan festive recipes, gluten-free alternatives, and modern adaptations of traditional dishes.

Finally, don't leave out any family cooking traditions or tips passed down through the generations. Handwritten notes from family members can make a beautiful addition, either scanned in or written in personally. You should also include the stories behind special recipes, as well as blank pages for future additions. Your recipe book can grow as your family grows and preserve memories as well as recipes.

When complete, your recipe book will be more than just a collection of recipes – it can become a favourite keepsake that preserves family traditions, shares cultural heritage, and creates lasting memories.

Whether you're capturing the perfect turkey at Christmas, colourful treats for Diwali or traditional dishes for Eid, your family recipe book will become a treasured resource that keeps your traditions alive and creates new ones for future generations to enjoy.

This is more than just a printing project – it's an act of preserving your family's history, one recipe at a time. So, gather your recipes, set up your Canon camera and PIXMA printer, and start creating a legacy that can be used, enjoyed and cherished for generations to come.



Written by Mabinty Taylor-Kamara and Alex Summersby