Miss Christina (AKA Rina, Teena, Peanut, Hey you in the boots, etc.) is my oldest friend and the person I am currently happiest to have with me in Chicago, having returned in 2025 from a nearly 10-year stint in Arizona. She picked up a lot of southwestern qualities when she moved away from Chicago: primarily her cowgirl attire and ability to spend infinite hours laying in the sun and somehow never look burnt or greasy. However, the things I love most about her still come from her Chicago roots: her indestructible optimism about the White Sox, her willingness to go see a local band at a real shit venue, and her understanding of the value of a good hot dog on a sweaty summer day, to name just a few. Apparently, Rina’s family has a special banana raspberry cake in their repertoire that is difficult to make and for which no one seems to have the recipe. I tried to replicate it from her description, including the banana-based cake, raspberry jam and a salted caramel buttercream.
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