Begin with a dish they enjoy talking about.
Ask which recipe they would like to share. It might be a holiday meal, an everyday breakfast, or something they learned from a parent or grandparent.
You can talk at the kitchen table without cooking. If you do cook together, ask before recording and choose a place for the phone where it can hear the speaker without getting in the way. Make a short sound test, especially near a fan or running water.
Ask about the person and the memory.
- Who taught you to make this?
- When did you first make it yourself?
- What do you remember about eating it when you were young?
- Was there a person who always asked you to make it?
- Did your family make it differently from other people?
- Has the recipe changed since you first learned it?
- What is a memory of making or sharing it that you love?
- What would you like us to remember when we make it?
Capture the details that never made it onto paper.
Family recipes often rely on familiar bowls, a handful of something, or knowing how the mixture should feel. If you want to make the dish later, ask what those details mean while they are easy to show.
You might ask “How big is the cup you use?”, “What should it look like at this stage?”, or “How do you know when it is ready?” Write down quantities and instructions separately so the story does not have to become a cooking lesson.
If you are unsure about a step, repeat it back and let the cook correct you. Keep an unclear measurement marked for checking rather than quietly guessing.
Record the story in their own voice.
With permission, use Quick Memo in Full Days to record the conversation. An active trial or subscription is required for new recordings. You can also choose a guided question if you would like help beginning.
Let them finish a thought before asking about the next ingredient. The story may wander into the people they cooked for or the kitchen they grew up in. That can be the part your family is most glad to hear later.
Make it easy to find again.
Give the recording a title that includes the person and the dish, such as “Auntie’s lentil soup and Sunday lunches.” Keep your written recipe with a matching name so you can connect the instructions and the recording.
If you create a transcript, check ingredient names, quantities, and family names against the audio. Do not rely on an unchecked transcript as your only set of recipe instructions. Transcription availability varies by device and language.
Keep the names and expressions they use.
You do not need to replace the original name of a dish with an English one. Ask how they say it and whether it has a special meaning in your family.
A translation can help someone follow the words, while the recording keeps the original voice. Full Days offers English translation for supported transcripts on iOS 18 or later with supported language downloads. Availability varies by device and language.
Agree on how the family will keep it.
Ask whether they are happy for you to share the recording and the written recipe. You might send a copy to a sibling, keep it for a family gathering, or keep it private for now.
Full Days saves recordings on your iPhone, with optional private iCloud backup. Consider whether you also want a separate exported copy. Before sharing it more widely, check that the person speaking is comfortable with that.