Get Ready to Cook! New GSDM Student Cultural Cookbook is a work-in-progress
Leah Ahdoot DMD 25, American Student Dental Association chair of diversity and inclusion, was looking for new and innovative ways to showcase the many cultures among the school’s student body, when she had a vision: Why not ask dental students to submit their personal recipes to create a cultural cookbook.
Ahdoot believes this new platform will give students an opportunity to learn more about different backgrounds using something everyone can relate to – food.
“I thought it would be a nice way that we could all share our food and culture,” Ahdoot said. “I think food is such an integral part of the different cultures around the world, and it’s a great way to bring people together. So, for people to be able to share a recipe that means something to them or reminds them of home or something, it is just a nice way that we could share the different aspects of ourselves that isn’t dental related.”
To submit a recipe via the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) Google form link, students must include the dish name, type of cuisine, prep time, cook time, necessary ingredients (with measurements), and step-by-step instructions. They also have the option to submit a photo of the final product and a short description of why they selected that dish and what it means to them.
“People can submit recipes left, right and all day long, but when it has some kind of meaning to you and why it’s important, I think it’s really special when you share that piece of yourself with others,” Ahdoot said.
The final recipe submissions will be organized into a digital cookbook. Although the design details are still a work-in-progress, Ahdoot said ASDA board members are envisioning categorizing the cookbook by geographical region and by type of food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.)
If this year’s cookbook is successful, Adhoot said she wants the ASDA cookbook to become an annual tradition. By allowing students to submit every year, this will give future students an opportunity to be included. She hopes recipe submissions will increase every year, both from new and former students.
“I think there are always new people coming in and [there’s a chance] people want to submit different recipes,” Ahdoot said. “This way, it gives them the option to, and that way you’re always getting new ideas. Diversity is the different kinds of ideas and flow of information that you get from the different kinds of people.”
Once the digital cookbook is ready to be shared, the entire GSDM community will have access to download the final PDF from the ASDA’s diversity and inclusion website page.
“We can come together and can look at it for years to come and then try recipes that you didn’t know existed or maybe didn’t know how to create,” Adhoot said.
Note: the Google form link has been reopened for recipe submission.