P2

Ahn and Nicholson are personally attached to food from their childhoods. They are very similar in that both of them have parents who have passed on, and certain foods remind them of their parents and their childhoods. Ahn’s connection is more of a cultural one, where cooking and eating traditional Korean food reminds him of his upbringing by immigrant Korean parents. Nicholson’s connection to ‘white foods’ reminds him specifically of his mother, and her penchant for foods with white coloration. Nicholson’s food memories are somewhat culturally related, too, however. Having grown up in England, he discusses how different the food there was from similar foods he has attempted to buy in the states. Both of the authors also use their food-related memories to compare and contrast their parents. Nicholson discusses how his father was a meat-and-potatoes man, and his mother cooked to please him, so most of the time, it wasn’t the white foods that she most enjoyed that she prepared for the family. Ahn discusses how his mother had a more difficult time adapting to American life than did his father, including their willingness to incorporate American foods into their diets.

After reading these pieces, I realize that I do have a strong connection to food from my childhood. There are certain dishes that were household staples growing up that I will always associate with my parents, primarily with my mom, because she traditionally did most of the cooking. Now, living away from my parents, I try to emulate their recipes when I cook for myself, similarly to how Ahn describes trying to recreate meals his mother made simply from memory. Some foods have become comfort foods for me because of their association with home and with my childhood. Interestingly, most of these foods are incredibly simple- much like the meals Nicholson prepares for himself to channel his mother. For me, though, they are cost-effective and easy meals- spaghetti, tacos, burgers that my dad grilled on the barbecue. However, it can’t just be any plate of spaghetti or tacos- nothing ever tastes quite like mom’s, and especially after moving away, I realize that I prefer my parents’ home-cooked food over any variation of the same dish from even the fanciest restaurant.