Two brothers have created a revolutionary app called “Make It Like Mama” that preserves family recipes and culinary traditions for future generations, helping Americans maintain important connections to their heritage through food.
At a Glance
- Brothers Zach and Matthew Mashaal developed the “Make It Like Mama” app after recording their grandmother making traditional couscous
- The app allows users to upload and share cooking videos of family recipes both publicly and in private groups
- Videos can be segmented into steps to simplify the cooking process for users of all ages
- The platform serves as a digital family cookbook that preserves cultural heritage and memories
- The app is designed to be user-friendly for both tech-savvy individuals and older generations
Preserving Culinary Heritage in the Digital Age
In an era where fast food and delivery apps dominate our eating habits, the Mashaal brothers recognized something irreplaceable was being lost – the family recipes that connect generations. Their “Make It Like Mama” app addresses this cultural decline by creating a digital vault where families can store and share their most treasured culinary traditions. The creation comes at a critical time when many traditional family recipes risk being forgotten as older generations pass on, taking their unwritten cooking knowledge with them.
The idea for the app sprouted from a simple family moment that many Americans can relate to. When Zach Mashaal wanted to preserve his grandmother’s famous couscous recipe, he recorded her cooking process to share with family members. This spontaneous preservation effort revealed a larger need for cataloging family cooking traditions in an accessible format that bridges generational divides and technological comfort levels.
How the App Works
The “Make It Like Mama” platform allows users to upload videos showing how to prepare traditional family dishes. These videos can be shared publicly or kept private within family groups, giving users control over their culinary heritage. Understanding that cooking instructions often involve multiple steps, the app includes features to segment videos into manageable portions, making it easier for novice cooks to follow along without becoming overwhelmed by the process.
“I decided to record my grandmother cooking her famous couscous that we all love, and I’m going to put it into our group chat,” said Zach Mashaal
User-friendliness was a top priority in the app’s design. The Mashaal brothers intentionally created an interface that works well for both younger, tech-savvy users and older generations who might be less comfortable with digital platforms. This cross-generational accessibility ensures that grandparents can easily share their cooking wisdom while younger family members can access and learn these recipes using technology they’re familiar with.
Connecting Families Through Food Traditions
For many American families, especially those with immigrant backgrounds, food represents more than just sustenance – it embodies cultural identity, family history, and cherished memories. The “Make It Like Mama” app recognizes this deeper significance by functioning as a memorial to loved ones who created these recipes. When users prepare dishes following video instructions from relatives who may have passed away, they maintain a powerful connection to their family history.
Despite their own heritage recipes, the Mashaal brothers revealed that their personal favorite dish on the app is actually spaghetti and meatballs made following their mother’s video instructions. This highlights how the app celebrates both cultural traditions and the universal experience of home cooking that crosses ethnic boundaries. The brothers recognize that what matters most isn’t the complexity of the dish but the memories and traditions associated with it.
Building a Legacy for Future Generations
As traditional family structures evolve and younger generations move away from ancestral homes, the risk of losing culinary heritage increases. The Mashaal brothers view their app as more than just a recipe collection – it’s a cultural preservation tool that ensures important family traditions continue for generations to come. By digitizing these recipes with video demonstrations, they’re creating a permanent record that can be accessed regardless of geographic distance between family members.
The success of “Make It Like Mama” demonstrates the enduring importance of family traditions in American life. In contrast to the impersonal nature of modern food culture, this app reestablishes cooking as a meaningful activity that strengthens family bonds while honoring ancestors. For families concerned about maintaining their heritage in an increasingly disconnected world, this digital solution offers a practical way to ensure that the tastes, techniques, and stories of previous generations remain accessible to children and grandchildren.
