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
Ever wondered what it looks like when a coloring book author colors in her own book? As my weekends and all my free time can attest, it looks a little something like this. Flaunting my book around town, my friends and family have experienced a bit of premature performance anxiety seeing my edition limitée copy of Edible Paradise: A Coloring Book of Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables (Rizzoli’s Universe Imprint) But fret not! This like a serving suggestion for when you receive your copy.
When I was in the process of dreaming up the book, I didn’t think of it solely as a black and white artifact. Working so passionately with color in the rest of my work, I definitely thought of the color breakdown by seasons, the potential for good shading and all the little details (hello ladybugs!) to bring the still lives to life. So coloring in 3 limited edition copies brings the project full circle for me. But more about that very soon!
Preorder Edible Paradise here!
And celebrate the countdown to the release date March 15th, 2016 on Instagram.
Celebrate Paris in DIY technicolor.
For more coloring fun, preorder my upcoming book Edible Paradise: A Coloring Book of Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables (Universe) today!
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
In anticipation of my forthcoming coloring book Edible Paradise (Rizzoli’s Universe Imprint), Color Me Seasonal will be back the first of every month until the book launch, February 9th, 2016. November flaunts the thick-skinned pumpkin and all of her kissing cousins. Print it out, color it in, share and tag with #colormeseasonal. And for loads more coloring fun preorder a copy of Edible Paradise here today.
APRIL FOOLS!
Print it out. Color it in. Hashtag it #colormeseasonal.
Sharpened your colored pencils? Buy my coloring book here.
