Macaroni Fruit Salad

MACARONI FRUIT SALAD

“Your food is so weird!”

To many of us, that phrase and phrases similar to it evoke feelings of shame and self-consciousness about being othered. That’s what I got anytime I had to explain what was in my mother’s famous (to my siblings and me) macaroni fruit salad. You read that right, MACARONI FRUIT SALAD. This was the closest thing to stuffing, turkey, or pumpkin pie we had for the holidays. She made it for Noche Buena and New Year every single year.

Before you let your face scrunch up about the concept of a sweet macaroni dish, remember that rice pudding, tapioca pudding, and sweet polenta/grits exist. My mother was a child of the 50s, so not only were canned food and packaged pasta all the rage during that era, the Philippines’ cuisine is heavily influenced by the non-perishables brought to the country by Americans in times they aided us during war and times of attempting to colonize us. The thing that really makes people tell me this dish is weird before trying it is the secret ingredient my mother added, which is a few teaspoons of Best Foods mayonnaise for just a little tartness to round out the sweetness. I don’t know any other Filipino family that makes their macaroni salad this way, but it’s something of an upgrade to an ambrosia, mixed with the flavors of Magnolia Buko Salad Ice Cream.

I am my mother’s daughter, so I realized when it was too late that I didn’t really measure, but this is what’s in this dessert— I don’t add young coconut like she did and add extra pineapple because of my preference:

Macaroni (elbow or Ditalini) - a little less than one package

Nestlé Cream - one can

Condensed milk - about 1.5+ can (to taste)

Canned Fruit Salad - 1-2, drained

Canned Pineapple - 1, drained

Peanuts - coarsely crushed/chopped, about a couple hands full

Seedless Raisins - however much you want

It’s pretty much put everything in a large bowl, mix well, adjust to your liking, and then put in the freezer until ready to serve. Put in the fridge about 6-12 hours before serving (until soft enough to mix and scoop)

Stop telling people their food is weird.

With Love, Nori