Rosie Grant has embarked on a unique culinary journey, baking her way through history, one gravestone recipe at a time. The 33-year-old from Los Angeles has resurrected 23 recipes etched onto tombstones across the United States, ranging from simple spritz cookies to more complex dishes like blueberry pies and even meatloaf.

Grant's unusual hobby began during her master's program at the University of Maryland in 2021. While visiting Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, she stumbled upon a headstone featuring an open-book design with a spritz cookie recipe inscribed within. Intrigued, she baked the cookies and brought them back to the gravesite, initiating a ritual of remembrance through shared recipes.

This initial experience ignited a quest to discover more gravestone recipes. Grant, now a librarian and communications manager, discovered that the practice is more widespread than she imagined. Her culinary explorations have taken her to cemeteries in Utah, Iowa, Alaska, Louisiana, Washington, and other states.

Grant's project goes beyond simply baking; it's about connecting with the past and honoring the deceased. She has revisited six of the gravesites with the corresponding dishes, sharing the culinary creations with the individuals who inspired them. Her dream is to visit all the graves, bringing with her the snickerdoodles, blueberry pies, party dips, and other dishes memorialized on the stones. She also hopes to collaborate with the families of the deceased, further strengthening the link between the recipes and the lives they represent.

Grant's unique journey has resonated with many. Her TikTok account, @GhostlyArchive, documents her baking adventures and has amassed nearly 8 million likes and over 193,000 followers. Families of the deceased have reached out to her, sharing stories and connections to the recipes. While once apprehensive about the topic of death, Grant now sees these culinary creations as a celebration of life and a way to connect with those who have passed. She believes the recipes are "for the living," a testament to the enduring power of food and memory.

Looking to the future, Grant plans to include her own recipe on her gravestone: clam linguine, a dish that holds special meaning for her family. She hopes it will serve as a lasting reminder of shared meals and cherished memories. Reflecting on the patterns she's observed, Grant notes the prevalence of cookie recipes, attributing their popularity to their simplicity and adaptability, perfectly suited for the limited space of a gravestone inscription.