Everybody Cooks, Even in a Pandemic

Inspired by Norah Dooley’s 1991 children’s book Everybody Cooks Rice, which introduces children to the cooking traditions of a variety of cultures, Westminster’s Lower School has been celebrating the diversity of cultures and cuisines represented in our school community with a special pot luck family event every spring since 2006. Every spring, that is, until COVID hit. Last year, the event had to be cancelled at the outset of the pandemic, but this year, our creative and passionate PAWSinLS volunteers were determined to find a way to keep this cross-cultural bonding experience going even though the dinner could not take place.

With the support and encouragement of the Lower School administration, parent volunteers Elisabeth Irwin, Kori Sanchez Smith, Tiffany Robinson-Smith, and Stacy Sanders set out to create a cookbook devoted to celebrating Lower School family traditions and recipes. They put out the call for recipes, stories, and photos, and Lower School families responded with a flood of submissions highlighting their favorite family food traditions. 

The result is a beautiful, full-color cookbook featuring 130 pages of Lower School family recipes from across the country and the world, heartwarming stories, and fun family photos. The cookbook, which is available online and was also made available for purchase in softcover, provides a glimpse into the lives of Lower School families and creates connection and community even during a year when families could not gather to break bread together on campus.