Mari Firkatian
Mari created a memoir cookbook as a way to keep her maternal grandmother, Iskouhi, close to her and to later pass on to her daughter. She decided to write a cookbook because her grandmother loved to cook, eat and was a farmer as well, therefore food came naturally to Mari. However, the cookbook became a memoir when Mari was doing research and came across the idea to record other people's recipes.
"And so I conceptualized a book that would be part history, Armenian history, and part an opportunity to place Armenian communities on the map. Because official Turkish government policy is literally to wipe Armenians off the map. So we don't exist on any map."
In hopes to pass this cookbook to her daughter, Mari had created a memoir cookbook that would help "maintain and support Armenian identity". Mari has left her mark by placing Armenian back on the map and allowing cultural Armenian foods to be passed along to future generations.