REZEPTHEFT FÜR VRONI by Jennifer Braun

photo books 30. January 2020

“It took a long time – but it took the time it needed.”

Almost two years ago, after the death of her Aunt Vroni, German photographer Jennifer Braun decided to produce a collection of recipes with all the dishes her aunt always prepared for her – her nieces and nephews, godchildren, siblings and friends. This was often done on special request. Everyone in her family associates their own dishes with Vroni – for each of them she has cooked and baked the special favorites. For Jennifer, it was especially the shortbread, of which Vroni left a few completely without chocolate especially for her, because she loved them best. Often, as one of the few from the family who left the Upper Palatinate, a package with these shortbreads reached Jennifer at the beginning of December. A piece of home, which she received in Bayreuth, Dortmund, Mexico and later Cologne by mail. This tradition was continued a little bit by creating the recipe photos. For example, Jennifer’s mother helped baking the gingerbread and sent it to her by mail, lovingly wrapped in kitchen roll, also as a parcel. Unfortunately, she already ate them before taking the pictures, so that her mother had to bake them again later.

Jennifer Braun prepared many dishes herself and tried to collect the recipes from her – let’s call it “recipe notes” – as good as possible. For some pictures she had support from her mum and from friends of Vroni. So little by little they cooked and baked a piece of memory. With each recipe photo Jennifer said a little “goodbye”. This is REZEPTHEFT FÜR VRONI.