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Community Cookbook Recipes Sought By Historians In North Side Melting Pot

By Linze Rice | May 25, 2017 5:59am
 The Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society is taking submissions from residents, former residents and neighbors to compile a community cookbook.
The Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society is taking submissions from residents, former residents and neighbors to compile a community cookbook.
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Facebook/Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society

ROGERS PARK — For those who love to dish on local history and revered recipes, local historians from Rogers Park and West Ridge are whipping up a community-based cookbook that showcases the tastes and traditions of the Far North Side's rich cultural diversity. 

"The World In One Neighborhood: The Varied Cuisines of Chicago's Far North Side," also known as the Cookbook Project, is spearheaded by the Rogers Park/West Ridge Historical Society and seeks to collect recipe submissions from residents, former residents and neighborhood restaurants.

The collection will be compiled and turned into a culinary resource the public can later buy, with proceeds supporting programs at the historical society.

Participants can submit recipes until June 30.

"I’m really excited about the project," said Dona Vitale, the project lead and treasurer at the historical society. "About the opportunity to bring the community together over a positive shared experience — because, after all, we all eat." 

Any type of recipe for any meal, be it for special holidays, family traditions, religious celebrations or just everyday dishes, are welcome. Favorite menu items from area restaurants, as well as recipes for beloved snacks, drinks and desserts can be included as well.

The final product is meant to "preserve and celebrate" the communities' many cultural and ethnic backgrounds: Pakistani, Indian, Nigerian, South Asian, Latino and many more represented throughout the neighborhoods.

"Rogers Park and West Ridge have long been known as among the most ethnically and culturally diverse neighborhoods in Chicago," the organization says on its website. "Successive waves of newcomers have brought their food traditions to our community, and the foods we eat every day reflect a cornucopia of cuisines from around the world."