Galette des rois MMXVI

galettes des rois_Jessie Kanelos Weiner

After the holidays, right when I thought I consumed enough foie gras to shut down the State of California,  it is on to January’s flavor of the month.  The galette des rois, or king’s cake, is as ubiquitous in France as New Year’s resolutions.  There’s another French paradox for the list.  Nonetheless, two layers of buttery puff pastry hide a rich layer of almond paste or apple compote.  Buried in the cake is a teeny tiny charm. In the spirit of Epiphany, whoever wins it is crowned king or queen for the day.  Although galettes are found in abundance at any boulangerie and social event in the month of January, they are a cinch to make at home.  Mine includes an apple compote with a Yankee Doodle dose of cinnamon and plenty of vanilla bean.  So hold onto your teeth.  You may be king or queen today!

galettes des rois_Jessie Kanelos Weiner_text

For much more coloring fun, please preorder my forthcoming book Amazon.com: Edible Paradise: A Coloring Book of Seasonal Fruits & Vegetables (Rizzoli’s Universe Imprint), March 15th, 2016.  It sets its readers on an enchanting journey, discovering the seasonal delicacies and creatures found in forests, fields, gardens, and urban farmer’s markets. This charming, elegantly designed volume of freehand illustrations is a treat for the senses, guaranteed to inspire food lovers, nature enthusiasts, gardeners, and parents wanting to encourage their children to appreciate the wonders of nature’s edible bounty. Preorder here.

Turkey Day to-do

Jessie Kanelos Weine_Thanksgiving shopping list 2I 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

 

 

 

 

 

MOUSSAKA to color & cook

Jessie Kanelos Weiner_Moussaka_They draw and cook 2

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 Jessie Kanelos Weiner_persimmons and pencils_thefrancofly.comshock. 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.

Jessie Kanelos Weiner_Moussaka

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