For ABC News correspondent Stephanie Ramos, nothing says family like food.
She joined her mom Lissette and brother Pierre Funderburk to cook some Dominican fried sweet plantains to help celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.
"This is a typical Latin food that's used every day in Latin homes," her mom said as she peeled back the skin of the green plantains.
"Whenever my kids ask for that, it makes me feel so good because they have a little bit of that connection," Ramos said of the family dish.
Ramos and her brother joined "GMA" on Thursday to share a full recipe for another dish using the staple starch -- plantains.
Check out their full recipe below.
This dish is made with mashed plantains, salami and cheese.
Ingredients
Green plantains (about 4)
Frying cheese
Latin salami
Onions
Vinegar
Oil
Salt
Directions
Boil water, add about 1 tablespoon salt.
Peel 4 green plantains cut into half pieces thru middle and place in water. Boil about 15 mins or until tender.
While plantains are boiling, cut half red onion in small pieces and place in small bowl with vinegar and salt, until onions soften and become translucent.
While onions are softening, mash plantains with 1 teaspoon olive oil and some butter.
Sauté vinegar-onions in oil until cooked.
Drain onions and mix into mashed plantains. Mix well. (You can also garnish the plantains with the onions, but mixing in gives them a better taste.)
Once plantains are prepared, cut salami in medium rounds and fry, then cut frying cheese in squares or long rectangular shapes and fry til a golden color.
Garnish a mix of salami and cheese on plantains and serve.