Celebrating all the food that reminds us of home this Mother's Day

When I first moved to Ithaca for college in 2018, I remember being so excited to meet new people, try new things and explore. I realized quickly, though, that no restaurant or meal I made tasted like home.

No waking up to the sizzle and pop of fried plantains and fried dumplings, water rushing over mangos or music traveling from the kitchen. Instead, there was only the thumping of fellow residents walking down the hallway.

So, I decided to make Ithaca feel like home my sophomore year in my residence hall's kitchen with an all-time favorite — sweet fried plantains.

Sweet fried plantains and friendships

Finding the plantains alone was a feat — not too ripe, not too young — but once I did, I started with a pan that paled in comparison to the cast iron pot my mother and father used but would do the job.

I thumped the plantain against the counter to soften it, sliced the skin with a small knife from top to bottom, peeled it, cut it diagonally into oval shapes and placed it on the frying pan with bubbling oil. While I did almost burn the plantains to a crisp and nearly set off the fire alarm, it was the first time that I had truly felt at home.

Over time and with practice, other students would come to the kitchen, peaking their heads in to see where the smell was coming from.

What started off as piqued curiosity turned into sharing my piece of home with friends from Caribbean households like mine, and people who were once strangers to me. Sometimes we shared stories of cuisines that reminded us of home cooking, sometimes we just exchanged smiles and sometimes friendships bloomed.

Community building and reminiscing on home

In Ithaca, where there is a smaller number of options for Caribbean, Latin and Southern soul food cuisine, I found that people make home where they can and love to share. It's a love language that builds community, shows care and opens the door to deeper connections.

Even this past weekend, Cornell student organizationQuisqueya co-hosted a dinner for people to try delicious cheese and chicken pastelitos, beef empanadas and small candies from across different Latin American countries.

A friend shared the meals that reminded them of home in Houston, Texas, and her mother. First up was a baked chicken and potato dish.

"She was not very interested in culinary arts when I was growing up, so she always used to make, you know, very simple dishes like this one," LeiLani Lattimore said. "But she — and most of my family — they have a knack for making things flavorful."

Second, it was shrimp and broccoli with white rice –– a staple her mother would order from their local Chinese restaurants.

"That's like the only thing she will order. So at a certain point, I recognized that. When I started really cooking around 13, I just started making it at home," Lattimore said.

Moments like these are opportunities to see people's pasts — to learn about the people who formed the meals that are reminders of home and who nourished their bodies.

It's your turn

What are some foods that remind you of home? Is there a specific meal that reminds you of your mother? I would love to hear your recipes and memories.

Caroline Johnson is a food, drink and culture reporter at the Ithaca Journal. Email her at cejohnson@gannett.com. Follow her on @carolinewrites2 on Twitter for more stories and graphics.

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Mother's Day: Ithaca food traditions celebrate family, home