Lokelani Alabanza has invented over 300 ice cream flavors, spent five years writing the cookbook she was born to write, and will absolutely change the way you think about what's in your freezer.

Loke is a classically trained pastry chef with 20+ years of experience, founder of Saturated Ice Cream (a non-dairy, plant-based brand based in Nashville), and the author of Ice Cream Queen: Flavors from Black America's Past, Present, Future — out June 16, 2026, the week of Juneteenth. The book covers 200 years of Black American ice cream history and includes 100 recipes.

In this conversation, they get into:

→ What it actually took to finish this book — surrendering control, surviving the silence, and betting on herself when no one could guarantee the outcome

→ Why you have to be a little delusional to see a creative dream through (and why that's not a bad thing)

→ The mission behind Ice Cream Queen — and what Loke hopes you feel the next time you walk down the ice cream aisle

→ What the publishing process really looks like from the inside, including the things nobody tells first-time cookbook authors

This episode is for the creatives, the dreamers, the people in the messy middle of something they can't quit. If you've ever had a big idea and wondered if you had what it takes to actually finish it — this one's for you.

Pre-order Ice Cream Queen: lokelanialabanaza.com

Connect with Loke: @yokiyanifanza

Amanda Polick is a cookbook coach, writer, and the host of Babe Cave. She helps creative people get their books into the world through one-on-one coaching, editorial services, and her blog about cookbook proposals and book marketing.

Shownotes: https://www.amandapolick.com/blog/lokelani-alabanza-episode Newsletter: Weekly insights on writing and creativity Connect: Instagram @amandapolick | amandapolick.com Work with Amanda: Apply here