Have you ever tried to write down a beloved? It’s harder than you think! That’s because so much of out cooking lives in our heads and hands—measures we “just know,” steps we’ve done a hundred times without thinking.
Before a Homecooked recipe lands on our pages, it’s lived a dozen lives in many different kitchens. While part of our team is there in person with the home cook—photographing each step, breathing in the aromas, and listening to the stories between every stir and sprinkle—our editorial team collects and works on the recipes themselves, so you can make them at home.
First, how do we find the recipes we feature in our magazine? We work closely with each incredible home cook, asking for a handful of recipes along with the stories behind them. Most hold sentimental value—dishes passed down through generations, tied to cherished memories, or marking meaningful moments.
They might be a grandmother’s pie crust preserved on a handwritten card, a dish made every Sunday for decades, or a creative reinvention of a beloved classic. Whatever form they take, each one reflects the heart of the cook who shares it.
Turning memory-based recipes into something anyone can follow isn’t just about cooking—it’s about careful translation. Once we’ve chosen a dish to feature, we request the recipe from the home cook. However the recipes arrive—whether written in precise detail or sketched in loose directions like “about a handful of flour” or “you’ll know when it’s ready”—we bring each one to life in our test kitchen.
Amber Heather Zinn and her daughter, Amelia. Issue 04: Fruit Ridge.
Our editorial testing team—Jessica (managing editor), Marisa (recipe tester), and Martha (editorial advisor)—work together to ask clarifying questions about ingredients and timing, then test (and if needed, retest) each recipe. We figure our what needs to be adjusted or described in greater detail, all while making our best effort to preserve the home cook’s original language and techniques. Once the recipe has been tested and edited for clarity and accuracy, we pass it back to the home cook to review and approve.
Throughout the process, we honor the recipe’s original intent. As long as it’s clear, we’ll keep it, even if the recipe itself is long or considered “challenging.” Our goal is to preserve authenticity while making sure every reader can bring it to life in their own kitchen.
The greatest reward comes when the recipe finally reaches the page, knowing that our readers can follow it step-by-step and end up with the same flavors the original home cook knows so well. Every detail, from the exact teaspoon of spice to the phrasing of a stirring technique, has been tested and checked so that what comes out of the oven, pot, or pan isn’t just a dish—it’s a piece of someone’s history.
When the first bite brings a smile or sparks a memory of a meal long past, we know we’ve done our job. The flavors travel across states, seasons, and kitchens, connecting cooks who may never meet, yet share the same table in spirit.
Issue 04: Fruit Ridge is here! To celebrate, we’re giving new subscribers a FREE copy!
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