When you live far from your homeland, you often crave a dish that tastes like home, but then you remember that you're also far from your ingredients. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why many people are hesitant to cook. You think that because you don't have everything the recipe calls for, it won't turn out well or it will be a failure. Locro is traditionally made with Macre squash and huacatay, which are not available. So what do we do? It's time to play, create, and try new flavors. I'm using butternut squash, a squash that is sweeter than Macre but delicious. I replaced the huacatay with basil and let me tell you, it goes perfectly! It also calls for fresh cheese, but there was none at the supermarket so I used feta, and the bites of fried plantain were very satisfying. I'm not saying this version is better or worse than the traditional one, my intention is to encourage you to explore new flavors, either because you don't have all the traditional ingredients of a recipe or simply because you want to discover new tastes.