NYTable staffers share our own food memories — dishes that matter, and not only because they’re delicious.
Memories in a meat sauce
By Sophia Morris
From bolognese to ragu, a meaty sauce holds happy memories.
Tagliatelle al ragu in Bologna. Photo: Sophia Morris.
Different coasts, different mac and cheese
By Jordan Muto
My mom’s mac and cheese was my favorite dinner. until the night when I found out that my life was about to change.
My truffle mac and cheese that I made for my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Photo: Jordan Muto.
From iceberg to romaine
By Natasha Payes
For me, the Caesar salad is not just the appetizer before the main course.
A traditional Caesar Salad. Photo: Natasha Payés.
Reading beyond the recipe
By Cassandra Basler
Recreating the past isn’t always as easy as it looks.
Cassandra Basler’s aunt and father dressed in traditional dirndl and lederhosen before an outdoor feast at the Austrian Society of Detroit (1964).
The happiness of Haitian bread
By Ayana Osson
Haitian bread, pastries and sugary drinks bring comfort and happiness to a child of Haitian immigrant parents.
My mother holding me and my twin brother Khalif crying.
The chocolate cake that makes me feel old and young all at once
By Clemence Michallon
To me, growing up tastes like chocolate cake.
Turning five was apparently an emotional milestone in my life. Photo: Clemence Michallon.
Steak tartare at Café Les Sports, Le Touquet.
By Alistair Gardiner
The town of Le Touquet on the North coast of France was a home away from home during summer and Easter breaks, and this all centered around a particular dish.
Alistair at (probably) 8 years old, on the beach in Le Touquet.
Brownie points
By Brittany Robins
The bittersweet nostalgia for a famous family brownie recipe.
My attempt at replicating my mother’s famous brownies. Photo: Brittany Robins,
The dish on identity
By Bernd Fisher
One French onion soup recipe and so many questions.
My great-grandparents Rudolph and Anita Begemann.
Slurping blue slush in my brother’s truck
By Lisa Spear
Falling in and out of love with Slurpees.
Advertisement for a blue raspberry Slurpee from 7-11. Photo: Lisa Spear.
Tuna: a celebrated dish
By Mayah Collins
As a child, I loved when my mother made tuna, best served with macaroni and cheese and mixed vegetables.
My brothers and I, smiling hard and bonding.
Friends, family and hot pot
By Eunhye Lee
A one-pot meal brings a family together.
Chongqing sauce.
It’s strange that Chinese hot pot would mean so much to a Korean family, but for us, hot pot meant that everyone was home for dinner.
Like mother, like son
By Devon Henry
Ackee and saltfish, a favorite dish in Jamaica — and in a Jamaican-American family.
More stories, from 2014
My Arepa, My Home
By Alexandra Torrealba
The first bite of a Venezuelan arepa, no matter where I am, is an instant reminder of home.
An arepa sliced in half, filled with deli turkey slices and served with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Photo: Alexandra Torrealba.
Wild Maine Robin
By Amanda Burrill
Oh the smells that remind you of home; bacon and eggs, roasted chicken, lasagna, chocolate chip cookies, the robin that crashed into the window and died on impact…
Artist rendition of a dead robin. The one my mom cooked started off like this. Photo: Amanda Burrill.
A Spanish Year Fat with Memories and Queso
By Amber Jamieson
Roasted red bell peppers always make me feel homesick, but for a home that is not really my own.
Photo: Amber Jamieson.
Fruit Spans Continents–and Generations
By Marie-Jose Daoud
As far back as I can remember, my mother has always peeled fruit for us.
Clementines. Photo: Marie-Jose Daoud
Sushi Dinner with Mom
By Johanna Barr
The first time I saw sushi, I was 9 years old, and sitting on a cushion on the floor of a Japanese restaurant on 83rd Street and Broadway that is now a Chipotle.
A bowl of chirashi at Sushi Yasaka. Photo: Johanna Barr.
The Universally Delicious Dumpling
By Ellen Park
Dinner time was a standoff at the table between my parents and myself. But the one thing that would go down without a fight were dumplings, because who doesn’t love dumplings?
Pan-fried Korean dumplings. Photo: Ellen Park
My Life in Cupcakes
By Jenna Dagenhart
Cupcakes carry weight in my life. I could not care less about the calories or the taste, yet these dainty pastries have weaved their way into my life timeline through a series of lessons and memories.
Photo: Jenna Dagenhart.
Dumplings, A Symbol of Love
By U-Jin Lee
I was five years old and my grandma was flailing her arms, chasing me around with a dumpling in her hand. “U-Jin, have one more bite…please, just one more!”
Handmade dumplings using my grandmother’s recipe. Photo: U-Jin Lee.
Dadi’s Lunch
By Imatyiaz Shariff
For a portion of my summer from the ages of six to 14, my parents sent my sister and me to our paternal grandparents’ farm in Stockton, CA.
Photo: Mohammed Shariff.
Matzo Ball Soup
By Mary Wojcik
Little did I know that a night of matzo balls, brisket, storytelling, singing, family, tradition and love, would change my life forever.
Matzo Ball Soup
Photo: Jessica Spengler/Flicker Creative Commons
The Mindful Meal
By Esha Mahajan
I spent New Year’s Eve alone at a yoga retreat an hour away from Bangalore airport in December 2012. I’m not quite sure why.
Yoga poses. Photo: AP Photo.
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