BTBF Recipe: My Family's Jollof

1. The tomato base 

2. Maintain the rice 

5. The removal of meat 

6. The addition of plantain 

7. Final reflection

My family's recipe for jollof can not be found on paper. Simply, it is not something that can be cemented or captured on a piece of paper. Throughout the years, my siblings and I have added pieces of ourselves to the recipe. My mom and her siblings did the same. We have provided the jollof recipe a heart. We allow it to grow. Despite this growth, - the changes to flavor, sides, ingredients, etc- the taste remains the same. Because of this, I have become someone that believes that recipes are meant to change. I believe that every recipe a person sees online has gone through its own evolution. I hope that by showing how this belief applies to my family and I viewers will have a better understanding of it.

Since I wanted to convey this story of growth and the idea of a changing recipe, I thought it would be best to use a slideshow. Slideshows allow you to break down concepts easily. I could present one part of the recipe and follow it up with the emotions connected to that part. I decided that I wanted each part of the recipe to be a mini story which also helped convey my point. I wanted my audience to truly experience the recipe changing and growing. I wanted them to see the consideration and thought that goes into my family’s recipe for jollof without even truly knowing the exact measurement. I wanted to leave my audience with an understanding that what people are the heart behind any recipe, and my slideshow helped me convey the message. Moreover, the slideshow also allowed me to easily incorporate pictures which help keep the recipe engaging. I believe that an engaged audience is a learning audience.