The next time you’re looking for a new recipe to cook, you can ask a scientist. Lab Culture Recipes is a new cookbook that combines scientists’ personal stories with their favorite foods. With recipes and biographies from more than 120 scientists, the cookbook brings together diverse stories and dishes to celebrate cultural influences that shape the scientists’ cooking and scientific journeys.

The book was compiled and designed by Ahna Skop, professor of genetics; Diana Chu, a professor at San Francisco State University; Hareem Rauf, a recent UW–Madison graduate who majored in economics and data science; and Crystal Qing, a UW–Madison graduate student in nutritional sciences. With Skop leading the team, Rauf compiled recipes and profiles while Qing focused on design and layout.

“Since I was younger, I have had a keen interest in learning about people’s stories,” says Rauf. “I was drawn to working on this book because it serves as a way to humanize scientists, highlighting their unique backgrounds and interests, and shows how they, like all of us, balance personal passions with professional work.”

In addition to the cookbook, Lab Culture Recipes offers an online community as well as a blog containing additional personal stories from researchers. The authors see the book and website as tools to help the public engage with scientific information, making it accessible through the lens of food, recipes and stories. They hope readers come to understand that scientists’ diverse backgrounds shape their personal and professional experiences and help them tackle complex problems.

“As an international student, I appreciate using food to communicate culture and get to know people from diverse backgrounds,” says Qing. “And with my background in graphic design, I was able to use that skill set to communicate science to a broader audience though this book.”

Qing is in her third year of her graduate program where she studies how diet alters metabolic pathways and how the gut microbiome influences disease. She hopes to continue working in the field of metabolism and on projects that improve science accessibility. Rauf recently graduated from UW–Madison and plans to pursue an advanced degree. She is interested in exploring how data can be used to solve problems and inform strategy. The backgrounds and interests of the authors, along with those of the scientists featured, resulted in a cookbook that celebrates culture and connection.

“It was a long journey, but I think we created a truly unique product. I hope we help people see scientists through a different lens,” says Rauf. “Food is a universal experience,” adds Qing. “Food is part of our identity, and this book helps scientists share pieces of themselves.”