In this inaugural episode of ReCurrent, host and producer Jaime Roque shares a heartfelt journey through his family’s history and the role of food in preserving cultural heritage. Jaime takes listeners into his mother Gabriela’s kitchen where she recounts her early days in Guerrero, Mexico, helping her mother sell homemade bread and tamales. The kitchen, filled with memories of four generations, is where Jaime’s childhood unfolded, enriched by family traditions and stories. He reminisces about the comfort of Friday nights, filled with movies and home-cooked meals, which helped him connect with his dual heritage. Jaime also reflects on the deep impact his mother had on his life, especially during her last days, and his ongoing efforts to understand and carry forward the cultural heritage through both physical and spiritual legacies left by past generations.

The episode features thoughts from artist Suzanne Joskow, who highlights how food bridges the gap between past and present generations through her work with the Community Cookbook Archive Los Angeles, and Mallory Frenier, the Special Collections and Archives librarian at Cal State Northridge. Jaime’s participation in the Archives Bazaar and his narrative about celebrating Dia de Muertos in Mexico emphasize food’s power in maintaining a connection with ancestors. Jaime’s visit to El Sazon Guerrerense, a restaurant that reminds him of his mother’s cooking, underscores the emotional significance of culinary traditions. Closing the episode, Jaime and his daughter Selah try making his mother’s tortillas, turning a simple cooking lesson into a meaningful act of remembering and preserving family heritage, ensuring these traditions continue to inspire and connect future generations.

Special Thanks to Suzanne Joskow, Mallory Frenier, and the Roque Family.

“La Madrecita” © 1974 Estudios América

Music by Epidemic Sound and Jaime Roque.