By August. The end of cohort 5. Same graduation feast. Walter cooked the pernil and was excellent. Fatima cooked arroz con gandules and was excellent. The class was complete.
Tuesday food bank: routine. Yolanda completed her second satellite cohort at Asylum Hill — twenty-six students, the same eight-week format, no problems. She was now a complete teacher. Marcus was prepping for his Frog Hollow launch in October. The kingdom was taking shape.
Saturday Lucas came over for tostone lessons. He spent three hours in my kitchen with me. We made tostones from scratch. He cut the plantain. He fried it. He pressed it. He fried it again. He salted. He ate two. He took six home for Jenny. Jenny called me Sunday and said the tostones were excellent. Lucas was beaming Sunday at dinner. He ate two more.
Mami this week — Mami had a five-day stretch of low function. She did not eat much. She slept fourteen hours a day. I sat with her every afternoon. I did not push food. I held her hand. She knew me. That was the main thing. Wepa.
After a week that held both something precious—Lucas beaming over his tostones, Jenny’s call Sunday morning—and something tender, sitting with Mami through those quiet low-function afternoons, I wanted to close it with something that tasted like reward without requiring much from me. Pineapple and cherry together felt right: bright, a little tropical, the kind of flavor that matches the joy of a student who fried his first perfect toston and took six home for his girl. This one’s for Lucas. And a little bit for Jenny, who called.
Pineapple Cherry Ice Cream
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes (includes freezing) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
- 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Whip the cream. In a large chilled bowl, beat the cold heavy cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 3—4 minutes. Do not over-whip.
- Make the base. In a separate bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, drained crushed pineapple, cherry juice, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined.
- Fold together. Gently fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream in two additions, using a rubber spatula and a light hand to keep the mixture airy. Fold in the chopped cherries last.
- Freeze. Pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan or a freezer-safe container. Smooth the top. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals.
- Set and serve. Freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm. Scoop and serve directly from the freezer. Top with an extra cherry if you’re feeling generous.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 32g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 110mg