Kate Meyrick My dad calls us “mutts.” We’re Europeans, no doubt, but after five generations in Chicago, the past is so far behind us that the heritage of towns, countries, and family names in Europe are now blended into short lists of great-great grandparents, stacks of unlabeled photographs, and stories about life in London, in…
Keating Potatoes: A Food to Connect Us
Hannah Keating My dad pulls into the driveway of my mom’s house to pick us all up. My three younger siblings and I jump in, rushing off to the grocery store. We are always in charge of last-minute groceries for dinner. Once we arrive there, I am the one, being the oldest, who runs in,…
My Food Story: Mole Poblano
Paulette Atenco My eyes slowly open but then quickly reclose. The sunlight shining through my blinds is overwhelming. Somehow I force myself to turn over and reach for the phone on my nightstand. It’s 2:43pm. Having to get up early this morning for church has prompted this afternoon nap, a Sunday ritual. My final moments…
Ddok-Bok-Gi: Spicy Taste in My Memory
Jungeun (Jessie) Shin I was enjoying a moment of silence that rarely happens in my house. Sitting on a comfortable yellow sofa and drinking bitter green tea made me feel like I had become an adult. I had a fashion magazine on hand but instead I was visualizing various sorts of food that my mom…
Kugelis: Lithuanian Potato Pudding
Brittany Dole The table will be set for Thanksgiving at the Dole residence. All eyes will be on the kitchen. I envision my mom standing by the oven in her nice holiday clothes. Christmas music will be playing in the background. In fact, I can perfectly hear Mariah Carey’s rendition of “O Holy Night” in…
American Lumpia / Filipino Egg Roll
Andrea Taylor The San Francisco Bay area is my home—a center of diversity and culture in every way, especially food. Because we live in a large city near a port, finding food from my mother’s home country, the Philippines, was never an obstacle. My mother’s go-to place for food from the Philippines was the International…
My “Secret” Family Recipe: OJ Banana Bread Muffins
Kelsie Thornell In my family, we have very few traditions. We never do things exactly the same. Thanksgiving and Christmas are a little different every year, and this may be because we are disorganized. The one thing that did remain the same is the warm aroma of my mom’s OJ banana bread muffins. We’ve had…
Janchi Guksu: The Noodle Dish
Shin Hye Hwang ’19 The heat is unbearable, I thought to myself as I did my homework. The hot weather of Cambodia had not decided to be gracious this day. Sweat ran down my back and soaked my buttoned-up blue school uniform. Even from the fourth floor of my apartment, I could hear the…
Beer Brats: How Food Brings Family Together
Emily Lemmenes ’19 What I love most is when family gathers together after having not seen each other for some time, especially when food is involved. The Bible often talks about breaking bread together in fellowship. It’s described as a practice of worship. What better way to catch up with loved ones than around…
Young Yang Bob “Nutritious Rice”
Yuseon (Ellen) Lee It was a beautiful sunny day in fall; the humid and hot air of summer had gone and cool winds accompanied sunny days. The relatives on my mother’s side had gathered to have dinner together. My mom was hanging out with her sister, and once they start to talk it usually…
The Stories Our Foods Tell 