The dish I created is chicken francese, pan fried chicken simmered in a lemon wine broth. This dish is not traditionally Italian, but actually Italian American. The dish originated in Italy but instead of chicken it was made with veal. This was changed by Italian Americans because veal is too expensive. I decided to make chicken francese because it is one of my family’s favorites. Whenever my family goes to an Italian restaurant, my mother and sister love to order this dish. Because of our current circumstances, going out is not really an option, so I wanted to make a dish we would all enjoy.

When I was recreating this dish, I needed to consult some recipes in order to gain a general idea of what I would need. Along my search I found an interesting recipe that retells the story of a Chinese immigrant’s experience with chicken francese. In America, the woman was exposed to all new types of food that were not available in China, and upon entering an Italian restaurant saw this recipe. Because it was served with rice she immediately ordered it since it reminded her of the cuisine from home. When retelling this story to her family the woman said, “It wasn’t just that it was served with rice––there was something about the egg batter and the mild sauce that felt familiar, and it stuck in my head” (Sarah). I thought it was incredibly interesting how this woman immediately saw the dish and connected it to home. Our course on Italian and Chinese cuisine has explored these similarities, which many of us were shocked to see. However, seeing a personal example of this was different; this Chinese woman found comfort in Italian American food because of all these similarities, which is amazing to see.

I loved making this dish because of how excited it made my mother. She is not known for her cooking, so most of our meals are mediocre. She often struggles to find something that is different and will make our entire family happy. When I read this assignment for class, I decided to use it to fix this problem. I had this dish prepared when she came home from a busy day of work. I had forgotten to tell her about this project ahead of time, so when she walked inside she was so excited to hear I had made dinner for everyone. Not only did everyone enjoy the dish, but I think my mother most appreciated the thought I put into it. And I’m sure she also enjoyed not having to worry about what to cook for one night. The funny part to me is that whenever I do something like this, she is always wondering where I find these ideas or recipes for meals. As I mentioned previously, our meals consist of about four things on repeat. So, it is always fun when someone in our family decides to try making something new. As a result of her intrigue, I did send her the recipe, and chicken francese will be added to our rotation of dinner meals.

While I do not have a cultural connection to this dish, seeing someone else’s personal connection is heartwarming. My family has always loved chicken francese, but I thought it was interesting how different my connection with the dish is from that of someone else. While it is evident food brings people together in a vast number of circumstances, looking at the how and why is more telling. For the woman who moved from China to America, this dish was a piece of home. For me, this is a dish I made to make my family happy in the middle of a pandemic. Whatever the reason is, there are infinite ways for food to connect us with each other.