Certification
Genealogy certificate
Boston University, 2019
Self-reported
All professionals
Personal storytelling in Bloomfield
Elena Vasquez
Personal storytelling and Cooking lessons: Recipes and the stories behind them
Genealogist who records family recipes and the stories that come with them
- 5.0 from 12 reviews
- Lives in Bloomfield
- All five checks passed
Ask a question before you book. Contact details stay private.
Credentials
Professional experience
Family history researcher
Self-employed, 2019 to present
Self-reported
About me
I am a genealogist, which mostly means I love untangling who married whom and which cousin came over first. Somewhere along the way I noticed that the best family history was not in the records. It was in the kitchen.
My storytelling visits often start with a recipe card. We cook something simple or just talk through it, and I ask who taught you, what holiday it belonged to, and who always burned it. I record the conversation on my phone, sketch a family tree as names come up, and leave the household a short summary with the recipe written out and the stories that go with it. If you would rather sit with albums instead of cooking, that works too.
I grew up in Newark and now live in Bloomfield near Brookdale Park with my husband and our daughter. My grandmother's arroz con pollo card is framed in my kitchen, grease stains and all.
What a first visit looks like
- 1
Minute 0 to 10
Look at a recipe card or photo you picked and decide on today's story.
- 2
Minute 10 to 15
Set up the phone recorder on the counter or table.
- 3
Minute 15 to 45
Talk or cook through the recipe while sharing the stories behind it.
- 4
Minute 45 to 55
Sketch the family tree names that came up.
- 5
Minute 55 to 60
Plan the next recipe or album.
What to have ready
Nothing to buy before the first visit
- Old photo albums
- Family recipe cards
- A quiet room with a table
- Names and dates you want to remember
Where Elena goes
- BloomfieldLives here
- Glen Ridge
- Montclair
- North Caldwell
- Roseland
- West Caldwell
Where in the home
Dining tableLiving roomKitchen
Usual week
Mon
Off
Tue
10am
to 2pmWed
1pm
to 5pmThu
Off
Fri
9am
to 12pmSat
Off
Sun
Off
What families say
“The written summary is now in the family binder.”
Lisa W.
“Second month now. Still the highlight of Dad's week.”
Frank G.
“Showed up with everything and left the kitchen cleaner than she found it.”
Robert T.
“Mom actually set the table early for this.”
Raj R.
“Mom wrote the recipe on a card for me.”
Michael K.
“We have hours of Mom's voice now. I cannot put a price on that.”
Steve E.
“Kitchen smelled amazing for hours.”
Nancy G.
“Mom wore earrings for it. Enough said.”
Frank M.
“We played the recording at Thanksgiving and nobody spoke for ten minutes.”
James L.
“The questions were so thoughtful. We finally have Grandma's story about coming over, in her own voice.”
Angela S.
“Patient and kind. Dad looked forward to it all week and the written summary was a treasure.”
Robert K.
“Mom told stories I had never heard. We played the recording at Thanksgiving and everyone cried, in the good way.”
Linda M.
Checked and vetted
- Online search
- A real conversation with our team
- Signed provider agreement
- Criminal background check
- National sex offender registry check
$75 per hour
Plus a $2.50 booking fee and 10% service fee.
Free cancellation up to 3 days before.