Waupaca library, historical society seek recipes
By Angie Landsverk
The Waupaca Historical Society and Waupaca Area Public Library are seeking recipes, stories and photos of what local residents are cooking and baking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two organizations are interested in receiving recipes for comfort food, pantry dishes, indulgences and more for a community cookbook.
“We want it to be a cookbook, but we’re also hoping for stories,” said Nancy Root Miller.
She works at the Waupaca Area Public Library.
Miller, Tracy Behrendt and Laura Jandacek are working together on the project.
Jandacek is the library’s adult programming coordinator, and Behrendt is the historical society’s director.
Behrendt said the historical society had been thinking about doing a cookbook for a couple years.
She talked to Jandacek, who was considering programming ideas for the adult department during this time.
Jandacek saw an Illinois library do an online cookbook.
She said the library has been doing more with video and knew Miller was enthusiastic about the idea of creating a community cookbook.
“We want it to be really positive,” Miller said.
Submissions needed
They begin collecting submissions for the community cookbook on July 1, and are accepting them through Aug. 15.
“I think so many of us are still staying home, so a cookbook is a good way to save, preserve this time,” Behrendt said.
People may submit up to four recipes, and are encouraged to include where they found the recipes.
Online forms for submissions will be available at www.waupacahistoricalsociety.org and www.waupacalibrary.org.
Paper forms will be available at the library via its curbside delivery service.
Recipes are also being sought from vendors at Waupaca’s farm market, community organizations and area restaurants.
“We will sort it out once we get the recipes,” Miller said.
She said the cookbook will have an index, and will ideally have chapters dedicated to such things as the farm market, comfort food and indulgences.
“We hope people also submit stories about how they felt about cooking, baking,” Behrendt said.
All the original submissions will be preserved at the historical society, where there will also be a copy of the completed cookbook.
“From Tracy’s perspective, it will be a permanent archive of this time in history,” Miller said.
Officer Outfitters will print the cookbook.
Miller said the cookbook will have a maximum of 200 pages, so there is a size limit.
“Our goal is to have copies by the middle of November,” she said.
They plan to offer pre-orders as they get closer to November.
Free cookie cutters
“Anyone who gets a recipe in the book will get a free cookie cutter,” Miller said.
The library’s 3-D printers will be used to make them.
Jandacek says the cookbook project ties in nicely with the library’s summer reading program, which is also a joint effort.
Waupaca area residents of all ages are being asked to read 5,000 books this summer.
The cookbook is a joint fundraiser for the library and historial society.
“All the profits will be split between the two organizations,” Behrendt said.
Sponsorships are also being sought from organizations and businesses to keep the cookbook’s price low, she said.
“The best part of this is it’s a way to get everyone involved,” Behrendt said. “If you were quarantined, you had to have been cooking during this time.”