Many of us who grew up cooking with our families have memories of a recipe box. My family’s  recipe box is wooden with a painted floral design and belonged to Alice “Nana” Mantho, my maternal great-grandmother. It is full of index cards with typewritten recipes and handwritten notes to add a tablespoon here or a few minutes of additional cook time there. We referenced the same few cards over and over again and they became stained with sugar, cinnamon, and buttery fingerprints.

 The recipe box (with handwritten notes and well-loved index cards) is a classic way to organize recipes, but it is not the only one! Recipe organization is challenging because it is so dependent on the personal preferences of the chef – some people cook exclusively with physical recipes out of books or printouts, while others prefer to go all digital to reduce clutter in the kitchen.