My favorite summer comfort food is the fried chicken and potato salad dinner my mother made throughout my childhood – one I’ve spent three years trying to reinvent.

It turns out I’m not alone.

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According to a 2025 study by the Food Institute and Nestlé USA, more Americans – citing increased food costs, health concerns and a longing for emotional calm – are recreating the meatloaf, stews and other family meals they enjoyed as children.

But they’re not just copying old recipes – they’re reinventing them with bold new flavors and creative techniques, a trend called “new-stalgia.”

Though I’ve been experimenting with my mother’s fried chicken and potato salad recipes, I’ve not yet come close to improving them.

She’s 88 now and no longer makes meals to feed her large clan, but I was wise enough to capture her........

© Yuma Sun