Can I eat food my non-Muslim mom cooked?

Her cooking isn't the problem

There's nothing impure about a non-Muslim's hands, kitchen or cooking. The Quran even says about Christians and Jews:

And whatever your mom's beliefs, vegetables, pasta, rice, bread, eggs, fish and dairy are halal no matter who cooks them. The only real questions are about specific ingredients.

What to check

• Meat: many scholars say it should be halal-certified. Others accept regular meat in Christian-majority countries. See the discussion in Can I eat Thanksgiving turkey with my family?
• Pork in disguise: bacon, ham, sausage, lard in pastry, pork stock.
• Alcohol: wine in sauces, beer batter, liqueur in desserts.
• Gelatin: in desserts, marshmallows and some yogurts. See Can I still eat gummy bears?

What about her pots and pans?

A companion asked the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about eating from the dishes of the People of the Book. He said that if they had other dishes, they should use those, and if not, they should wash them and eat from them (Sahih al-Bukhari 5478).

So a pan that once cooked bacon is fine after a normal wash. No special ritual is needed. Some converts like to have one or two pans of their own at their parents' house for peace of mind, and that's fine too.

How to talk to your mom

• Lead with thanks. Tell her you love her cooking. Because you do.
• Explain before the meal, not at the table.
• Make it easy: bring halal meat, offer to shop together, or cook with her.
• Don't refuse dramatically. If you're unsure about a dish, simply eat more of the sides and ask about it later, privately.

For many converts, family meals are where parents first see that becoming Muslim didn't take their child away from them.