In the Kitchen with Sam Choy and Lillian Cumic in Moloka’i
Nice-cream Platter from top left clockwise: mango & lilikoi, blue spirulina & mac nut, dragon fruit & ‘ulu, chocolate chip & shio koji, blueberry & pecan.
Excerpt from CRAVE Aug 20, 2025
Story and Photo by Lillian Cumic
When the summer sun cranks up the heat, there’s nothing more tempting than a cold scoop of ice cream. But what if you could have that creamy, frozen indulgence without the dairy, refined sugar, or calorie overload? Enter “nice-cream”- the two-ingredient wonder that’s as easy to make as it is to love.
All you’ll need is two parts frozen banana and one part frozen fruit of your choice. Toss them into a blender or food processor, whiz for about 1 minute until creamy, and voilà—instant nice-cream! No ice cream machine, churning, or waiting for it to freeze. Jazz it up with add-ins like protein powder, chocolate chips, matcha, nuts, dried fruit, fruit powders, raisins, or even fresh herbs like mint and rosemary.
The real magic of nice-cream lies in its nutrition. One cup of mango nice-cream made from blended frozen mango and banana has roughly 140 calories, no added sugar, less than half a gram of fat, and about 4 grams of fiber. Compare that to a cup of regular mango ice cream that contains dairy, which clocks in around 280 calories, 16 grams of fat (with 10 grams saturated), less than one gram of fiber, and approximately 25 grams of added sugar—that’s over six teaspoons. Nice-cream doesn’t just satisfy your sweet tooth; it nourishes you with vitamins, antioxidants, and hydration.
Every scoop tells a story, with flavors that change with the season- think watermelon-mint, plum-cinnamon, nectarine-vanilla, or mango swirled with lilikoi. This summer, I’ve been experimenting with pirie mango freshly picked from my friend Linda’s tree, blueberry with lavender, lemon-ginger–shiso for hot days, and dark chocolate chip, Thai basil, and a pinch of shio koji for a decadent Japanese-inspired twist. I even paired equal parts tropical dragon fruit with buttery ʻulu and two parts frozen banana for the ultimate island version- the possibilities are endless. All it takes is a freezer stash of peeled ripe bananas (the riper, the sweeter), and whatever fruit you’ve picked up at the farmers’ market.
Frozen Treats Worth Melting For
In a world where frozen treats often sacrifice health for fleeting pleasure, nice-cream delivers a rich indulgence without compromise and easily transforms into a superfoods smoothie bowl powerhouse- ideal for refueling after a long beach day or intense workout. Simply blend one frozen banana, quarter cup of frozen fruit, half an avocado, two scoops of protein powder, two tablespoons chia seeds, and 1 tablespoon each of flax and hemp seeds. Top it off with fresh fruit and crunchy nuts for a nourishing boost.
Image courtesy of ʻĀina Momona
I’ll be joining Chef Sam Choy and Kapeneta Teo Tafiti in celebrating Hawai‘i’s beloved breadfruit at the Molokai ʻUlu Fest on Saturday, September 13, 2025, from 9:00am–1:00pm at the Molokai Community Health Center. Hosted by ʻĀina Momona and sponsored by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, this cultural event celebrates and revitalizes ʻulu as a key element of Hawaii’s food system and an important part of a healthy diet. Find me on stage from 10:15am to 11:15am, creating my vibrant ʻulu dragon fruit nice-cream during a live cooking demo and Q&A.
Check out my guest appearance on KHON’s Sam Choy’s In the Kitchen with co-host John Veneri, on February 26, 2022, where I prepared my version of tofu poke for the “King of Poke”. It was such a fun experience sharing the kitchen with Uncle Sam and John- watch the full episode at the link above!
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