Dizer sem dizer
Ana Pinto
Dizer sem dizer (Saying Without Saying) is an editorial design project that explores cooking as a form of affective communication. Starting from the idea that it is not always possible to put what we feel into words, it turns recipes, memories and gestures of care into an editorial object able to preserve and pass on those emotions.
The book gathers recipes from different origins — some of my own, others shared by people close to me, others tied to specific memories or relationships — each accompanied by a short narrative explaining its importance. The content is organized not by culinary category but by four emotional dimensions: that I adore you, that I need you, that was left unsaid, and that I carry with me. Each recipe thus works both as an instruction and as the record of a relationship, experience or memory.
Formally, the project balances the functionality of a cookbook with the intimacy of a personal notebook. The editorial structure combines practical information, narrative text, handwritten elements and illustration, using typography and color to differentiate and heighten the emotional dimension. A binding that allows pages to be added extends the concept, making the book an object open to participation and to new memories.
More than a collection of recipes, Dizer sem dizer is an object to keep, share and keep filling, celebrating food as a vehicle for memory, affection and communication.
Imprint / Technical Rider:
Year: 2026
Dimensions: 210 × 190 × 65 mm
Materials: Textured watercolor paper 300 g, fabric, hot-stamping transfer paper, acetate, colored paper 90 g…
Production and finishing: Inkjet printing, binding, cutting and handmade production.
Resources and credits: Illustrations by the author; handwriting by the people who shared the recipes…
Curricular Unit:
Project (1st year)
Supervising Professor:
Cristina Ferreira
Keywords: Cookbook, Affective Memory, Culinary Narrative, Non-Verbal Communication
See this project in the Material Archive interactive archive →