an illustrated journey of an american in paris
Still in need of that April Fool’s Day je ne sais quoi for your special someone? Before Saran wrapping the toilet seat, take a note from the French tradition of offering the farcical gift of fish on the first of the month.
Download and color in a very special card here…https://www.dropbox.com/s/879pbpykolg8y0m/1er%20Avril_Jessie%20Kanelos%20Weiner_thefrancofly.com.pdf?dl=0
I perused the butcher the other day in search of a proper turkey to crown my Thanksgiving dinner. And what I found was no hermetically sealed Butterball. The turkeys were proudly displayed in the window with their black claws stretched out to the clouds and their heads still fully plumed. And at a cool 30 euros/kilo, I think a turkey breast roulade will do just fine this year.
Although this is my 7th Thanksgiving in France, this year has been especially emotional one with the earth-shattering recent attacks. Anxieties run high and the comfort of home and family is half a world away. The best way I can endure being a long-term expat during the holiday season is create my own comfort. Pulling myself out of my pity party today, I prepped all the food for my Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. I thought of rolling out overnight rolls with my mom while watching the Macy’s Day Parade. I thought of some of my early culinary ambitions, taking on the turkey and fixings as a cookbook obsessed teenager. Under the tutelage of Gourmet Magazine and Martha Stewart, I learned what a chestnut was and why it should always be added to stuffing. Although the French do know their food, I can’t begin to explain the importance of Thanksgiving to me. But I can still craft a Thanksgiving dinner with a full heart and the best of intentions and share it with the people that I love. And if all else fails, I can tell you one thing, a weeks worth of leftover baguette makes a wicked stuffing. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
P.S. This illustration was featured this week on They Draw & Cook.
http://www.theydrawandcook.com/illustrations/7476-thanksgiving-2015
Whenever I have a lull in my work, my first response is a backbreaking downward spiral of questioning my life choice of being a professional zucchini illustrator. My second is considering going back to school. Why wouldn’t I need a pastry certificate from Le Corden Bleu ? Sticker 
shock. Nevermind. Once the panic wears off, I am always reminded that slow moments have often been my most fruitful times. And probably some of my happiest. I have a free moment to impulsively hop on a silly illustration idea I have in the back of my head. Persimmons ? Pencils ? Get it ? Ok neither do I, but it has me thinking about abc books of fruits, vegetables and inanimate objects. Don’t steal that one, ok ?
On my to-do list has been creating an illustrated recipe for They Draw & Cook, a vast collection of illustrated recipes from all around the World. From a distance, it has been an encouraging presence on my Instagram feed seeing what other professional zucchini illustrators have their hands on. Nevertheless, I gave it a shot with my favorite moussaka recipe (from a previous post about an unbelievable, international flea market discovery). But I challenged myself to do it in the style of my forthcoming coloring book Edible Paradise : A Coloring Book of Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables (Universe)…
Preorder Edible Paradise here.
MOUSSAKA adapted from Greek Cooking for the Gods by Eva Zane
Ingredients
3 eggplants
2 pounds ground lamb or beef
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 can tomato sauce (8-ounce)
1/2 cup red wine
olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cups bechamel sauce
grated parmesan cheese
Peel and cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices; sprinkle with salt and set aside on paper towers to absorb the moisture. Meanwhile prepare the meat sauce. Saute the ground meat in butter with salt, and pepper, onions and garlic, crumbling the meat with a fork. When the meat is evenly browned, add 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, parsley and tomato sauce; stir, mix well, add wine, and simmer for 20 minutes. Wipe the salted eggplant; lightly oil a skillet with pastry brush and quick fry the eggplant over high heat; lay on paper towels to drain. In a greased 9×13×2” baking pan, place a layer of eggplant, top with meat mixture, sprinkle with grated cheese, cover with the remaining eggplant, sprinkle with grated cheese, and cover with bechamel sauce. (Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to the bechamel, and for an exceedingly rich sauce, add 3 egg yolks to the sauce after it is cooked.) Top moussaka lavishly with grated cheese and bake at 350° F for 1 hour. Allow to cool, and then cut into 3-inch squares. Variations: Substitute 2 pounds zucchini, sliced lengthwise and fried, for the eggplant. Or, substitute 2 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut in 1/4-inch slices and fried, for the eggplant.
For 12 servings