Ingrid Rivera’s upcoming project, Kitchen Heirlooms / Many Cultures, One Table, is a cookbook that brings together recipes from her own community. Each recipe will be paired with a short memory about the meal or a photograph of the people who shared it. Ingrid also plans to expand the project by learning new traditions, recipes, and memories from other communities through visits to local farmers’ markets.
The goal of the cookbook is to celebrate and connect diverse cultures through food and storytelling. Its inspiration comes from Ingrid’s own family tradition of preparing a special recipe for each family member who has passed away during the Day of the Dead. This project shows how food can bring people together. Food carries cultural meaning, but it can also merge traditions from different backgrounds to create something new and welcoming. With the added element of sharing memories—of cooking and eating meals with loved ones—it adds a tender and personal layer.
I enjoy the idea of this project, and I look forward to seeing the shared stories and recipes it will bring. Food is so important; it not only nourishes us but also acts as a form of communication and self-expression, reflecting one’s culture and background. A cookbook that combines recipes with personal memories helps us appreciate the people we share the world with, and it may even encourage us to try new dishes and traditions. I also appreciate that this idea allows Ingrid to share her own culture with others—it’s an exchange of love, memories, and experiences that often occur in the kitchen with family or friends. Food is the one thing we all have in common, and this cookbook is a symbol of that.
Ingrid's other work shows her talent in graphic design, such as her most recent La La Land poster, shown below. The poster reminds me of a book cover—one I would definitely buy just for the cover alone. Her choice of font and text feels carefully considered and is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I also enjoyed her decision to use blue for the background, which reminds me of the scene in the movie where the two main characters dance under the moon—the same moment captured in the image she used. You can even see a subtle hint of movement in the mirrored image, which adds depth to the design.
While reviewing her other projects, my only criticism is that I wish I could see more of who Ingrid is, along with the influence of the artist she mentioned that inspires her. I’m not sure if this goal conflicts with the role of a graphic designer, but I do believe that when a designer shows their own perspective and style, they attract clients who want to work with them for exactly that reason. With her upcoming project, Kitchen Heirlooms / Many Cultures, One Table, I get the feeling we’ll see more of her personal voice, and I’m excited to see how it develops.
Cooking an enjoyable meal takes artistry. I’m not sure if Ingrid’s act of collecting stories from people around her is “art” in the traditional sense, but the recipes and memories she gathers can be both beautiful and meaningful. A good way to think about it is by comparing the cookbook to the Brothers Grimm. They didn’t create the fairy tales—they collected them—but we can’t deny the artistry of those stories or their lasting impact throughout history. I see Ingrid’s cookbook in the same way, but this work will also reflect her own graphic design ability: as both oral history and a record of people sharing something deeply meaningful. In that sense, this cookbook absolutely has a place as art.
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