A Carlisle woman has published a family cookbook as a tribute to her mum.
Emmy Sealy, who runs Holme Head House in Denton Holme, has put together Dolly’s Kitchen Cookbook to celebrate the life of her mother, Dolly Josephides.
Featuring Cypriot family favourites and other recipes, Emmy began to put it together to be shared with her family as a Christmas present in 2022.
Emmy said: “I wanted to make sure that Dolly’s spirit lived on in our family through her delicious food, so it can be shared for years to come.”
But after showing a few friends the book after Christmas, she said, she found herself having to make a second edition to meet the demand.
To produce the cookbook, Emmy teamed up with local design company Studio Walden, run by Vincent Walden.
He said: “I took on this job as a passion project, as Emmy’s family have given so much to mine over the years so I wanted to make sure to give back some of that love.”
With over 150 handwritten recipes and accompanying watercolour illustrations, Vincent had his work cut out for him to turn these family memories into a formatted book.
He said: “I’m very proud of the work, it truly feels like a family cookbook that you might find made of scraps from years of dinners, holidays and birthday treats.”
The publication features 190 pages of recipes, alongside much loved family memories and photographs.
Written over a number of years and secretly illustrated to be kept as a surprise from her children, it was difficult for Emmy and her husband Roger to keep it under wraps throughout it’s development with many tears being shed throughout the process as they reflected on their memories of Dolly and her delicious food.
Dolly’s Kitchen Cookbook is written and distributed from Holme Head House, which Emmy and Roger operate with the Reggio Emilia Approach, an educational philosophy that puts experimentation and exploration as a primary tool for learning.
Emmy said: “Cooking with children has always been important to us, that’s why this cookbook and the kitchen here at Holme Head House are dedicated to Dolly.”
Dolly’s Kitchen Cookbook is available to purchase in person at Holme Head House, for £24.99.
