Jackie Jonas wanted to write a memoir/cookbook. To help her realize her dream, she hired coach Gari Weilbacher. With Gari’s expert advice, encouragement and project management, Jackie completed her book. And it was my job to design it.

Cooking From Memory combines poignant essays and beloved recipes. Jackie writes about growing up in Tennessee where she dealt with desegregating her elementary school. Additionally, she reflects upon Blacks Lives Matter, the murder of George Floyd and the Black Panther film. Her recipes honor her Southern heritage as well as the Jewish traditions that became part of her adult life. What an amazing concept!

My challenge was to convey Jackie’s open-heartedness. The joy of sharing her no-fuss recipes. And her intimate reflections on life. I wanted the book to feel warm and inviting. And I also wanted the recipes to be easy to read and follow. Therefore, the font choices and their size matters. So does the width of the margins and the spacing on the pages. The layout of a recipe determines if it is easy to find the ingredients and follow the directions. Artwork must be carefully chosen. Photos, even old ones, need to be as clear as possible. And of course, the cover must grab you.

It is quite a responsibility to bring someone’s vision to life. I deeply appreciate Jackie’s kind words: “I am so very grateful to you for doing such a beautiful job with this. You handled my work as lovingly as if it were your own.”

Take a look at some of the pages. Cooking From Memory is available on Amazon.

Project:

Book design

Client:

Jackie Jonas

Year:

2021

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