I Want Pineapple

I want my pineapple. It sits on my counter top a soft prickled slump of tropical goodness ready for the asking. I smell its sweet scent and wish to poke it. It is too far away to touch it. I draw it instead- an eye that is slightly plump and golden, heavily delineated by a darkness that suggests the other side of ripe. Rot. I feel anxious knowing there is a precise moment that a thing reaches its peak. Before that moment there is a steady joyous climb of wait and thrill, an imagination egged on by memory. Noon is here and in a breath shadows grow lean and long. Will tomorrow be too late? I have another person’s time that is superimposed upon my own. I am clumsy moving about my life. Different pairs of hands and feet, sensibilities, and thought processes added atop my own. This brings to mind childhood 3 legged races and the difficulty of moving in unison as any person in relationship knows. Too much push and pull sends both people stumbling over one another. I long for elegant movement. How much I took this for granted in my earlier life, the ability to bring desire to life. The moment is Now-- I have watched and waited as green turns to gold…I want to eat pineapple! Open the drawer and pull out the right sized knife for the job. Grab the pineapple and place it gently on its side, respectfully. Slice both ends off, careful of the juices spilling forward. With a thinner knife edge gracefully alongside the interior contoured side. Voila, the naked fruit slips free from its rough nubby exterior glorious in unabashed ripeness. I would pause a moment I am sure- in appreciation of that exact moment in time; my patient deliberate actions coinciding with pineapple’s perfect peak existence.

Mint Julep Pineapple from Epicurious.com

This is for college Professor Mulcahy who used to cryptically remark during review while faintly looking off into the distance..."I can see myself drinking a mint julep in this corner of your space." None of us students could figure out what the heck that really meant, but we figured it was a favorable comment and our buildings were worthy of the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. To this day I have yet to drink from the silver julep cup. But when I saw this easy recipe on Epicurious and with a handful of fresh mint in the fridge, I knew that the moment was now.

Mix 2 Tblsp of good bourbon, 1 Tblsp superfine sugar and 1/2 cup chopped mint into a bowl for about 20 minutes for flavors to blend. Strain the syrup through a sieve to capture the spent mint. Meanwhile skin, quarter, core and chop a ripened pineapple into 1/8" pieces. Place fruit and mint syrup into bowl and throw in a few extra whole mint leaves. Mix and chill. Enjoy in an elegant well lit space with genteel company.