American pastor Gary Chapman, coined the concept of the 5 love languages in his 1992 book, ‘The 5 Love Languages’. Gary, was obviously not privy to the 6th Love Language that is most common in Asian households, the making and sharing of food. In our household, praise isn’t given verbally but through the serving of one’s favourite food at dinner time or the ‘magic appearance of your favourite cake just in time for breakfast (we are big believers in cake for breakfast).

Growing up, my family were extremely lucky to have a mum who cooked our meals. She rarely asked for our help, but if she caught us hovering in the kitchen, she would walk us through the dish she was cooking with authority. There is something poetic about learning to cook/bake next to my mother. She weaves through the kitchen seamlessly, making every intricate dish and sophisticated dessert look like childsplay, although I know every drop of sweat and every burn mark says otherwise.

For as long as I can remember, my mother has been writing recipes of everything that she makes down into her cookbook, which my family refers to as — “The Bible”. These recipes have not only accompanied but also grown with my family and I as we navigate through life. (Mum, I’m hungry) at its very core is a love letter to my mother. Comprising my mother’s cooking and baking recipes that my family grew up on, found through archives and passed down by generations of mothers and loved ones all round, this cookbook lives and breathes unconditional maternal love via the channels of food. From Japanese Swiss Rolls, French Madeleines to Chinese Roasted Pork, my mother’s love transcends any culinary boundaries.

I aim to create a recipe book that evokes the sense of unconditional maternal love. I want the cookbook to feel intimate and personal, mirroring intimacy and sentiment echoed by the yellowed, stained pages in my Mother’s Bible.

Autoethnography is the methodology I used to approach my research, copywriting, and designs as it was best suited for a project that is so heavily dependent on my memories and lived experiences. Although this publication solely revolves around personal family recipes and food that my family in particular grew up on, I still wanted this cookbook’s contents to relate back to the reader and their own respective experiences of maternal love and food. In order to do so, I had to self-reflect and analyze my memories, childhood experiences and emotions. It was essential for me to be honest with my feelings and emotions as this was a necessary step in cultivating designs and writing that would give the audience a strong sense of authenticity.

In my opinion, this publication relies heavily on honesty, genuineness, and sincerity. These are recipes that I grew up on, they are physically such a big part of the person that I have grown to be today. By allowing my memories and nostalgia to guide my designs and writing, I hope that the audience is able to feel the love and admiration I have for my mother and everything that she does for my family, and through that allow the readers to reflect on their own experiences of motherhood and maternal love in a positive light.

It is a rare occurrence for me that something designed during the first stage of the drafts makes it to the finalized designs, however the cover art defeated all odds. The illustrations for the book cover was the very first aspect I designed for the cookbook. Being inspired by the embossed Chanel N.5 book by Irma Boom, I wanted to incorporate a tactile element to the book cover. Being the first component of the cookbook that viewers would experience, it was essential for the cover to hold a standard and encapsulate the ambience and feelings of the contents to its best ability.

My main source of inspiration was traditional Chinese porcelain bowls that are a staple sight in any Chinese grandparents home or traditional Chinese restaurants. These bowls are beautifully decorated with intricate floral designs, consisting of various flowers such as lilies and chrysanthemum along with stem vines. I decided to incorporate illustrations of food such as Chinese bokchoy, dumplings, garlic and various cooking/baking utensils as a way to depict the internal contents of the publication.