Artists Who Inspire Me

The Dutch Masters, Including Rembrandt and Vermeer

Top Left: Young Woman with a Water Pitcher by Vermeer

Top Right: A Maid Asleep by Vermeer

Bottom Left: Man With a Magnifying Glass by Rembrandt

Bottom Right: Self Portrait by Rembrandt

I’ve been fascinated by and drawn to paintings by Dutch Masters like Vermeer and Rembrandt since I first saw their work in high school. I was drawn to their amazing talent and abilities to so perfectly paint people, but I also loved the strong attention to light and shadow and how it created a striking and moody feeling to the painting.

Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window by Vermeer

Vermeer’s ability to take a scene from everyday life and give it a sense of importance and elegance is inspiring. 

Left: The Courtyard of A House by Pieter de Hooch

Right: The Little Street by Vermeer

Apart from the portraitists in this group of artists I also admire the landscapes that were created. No matter if the setting is a field with trees, a cityscape with buildings and people, or otherwise, the artists were exploring similar ideas of light, composition, and daily life. I think the fascination with depicting your everyday life has existed across all time in art, and it's something that never ceases to be captivating to look at.

The Meaning Behind My Art

I grew up in a relatively small town in Vermont. The landscape was filled with areas of natural beauty, from small quiet ponds surrounded by summer cottages, woods filled with huge old trees, mountain ranges you could see from near and far, lush fields that were sometimes just green grass expanding untouched, and some filled with crops and animals, evidence of the state’s expansive farmlands. I grew up being immersed in this natural wonderland. Although I loved (and still do) that to grow up in, when I went to college I wanted to experience a different sort of life. The city called for me, and from the options I had I ultimately chose Philly to spend my college years and then to continue as an adult.

Washington Square Park in Center City during the Autumn.

Philly has changed quite a bit since I moved here in 2002, but in some ways it is also the same. You have a city rich in history that is both internal and external. There are many historic buildings and landscapes in the area to appreciate. You can see the history in the streets, from the cobblestones remaining in some streets, and the trolley tracks that eventually became unused when buses took on more routes . You have stone and brick homes and buildings that have been preserved and remodeled over the past 250+ years. Although there is a lot of contemporary architecture you often see buildings that have original signage or details that were built upon to create the building as it now can be seen.

These were some shots I took on a walk around the city that I feel encapsulate the magic you can see while walking around Philadelphia. There's so much history and beautiful architecture to draw your eye to.

A temple in Tokyo with skyscrapers surrounding it.

When I started painting landscapes and cityscapes as an adult I was inspired by my 2014 trip to Tokyo. The combination of history and the new was evident everywhere, on top of the awe of seeing a place that looked so different in many ways than where I grew up and even from Philadelphia. I wanted to show everyone how that looked and hoped they’d appreciate it too and would want to know more.

After I finished my Japan series I decided to take my focus much closer to home. For my first collection of Philadelphia paintings I walked around the city, starting in my former neighborhood of Pennsport and making my way west to Fitler’s Square through Rittenhouse Square. There was so much to see and appreciate that I decided to explore different neighborhoods and continued the series.

By painting these houses I want to bring people’s attention to the ways little moments can really influence how you see a building, and how if you take a little time to really look around you can see all the little moments that become a work of beauty.

My Time in College

A self portrait from my freshman year in College.

I went to college in Philadelphia at the University of the Arts, and got my degree in painting and drawing. 

These paintings were completed during my Sophomore and Junior Years of College. I was learning a lot about the foundations behind creating a successful painting.

College was an eye opener for me and taught me so much about what I wanted to do as an artist and how I could create it. There were some bumps in the road, and I wish some of the more practical tools we need to actually make a career out of art were taught, but creatively it was a priceless experience that would have taken me much longer to learn on my own.

This photo was taken during my Junior year in my studio at UArts.

During my college years I really explored my style and the mediums I like to use. As a teenager I was drawn to really representational portraits. I wanted to paint people and capture their personalities and lives like I’d seen in the art history books through artists like Sargent, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Manet, Mary Cassat, and etc. As I progressed through school I saw that there were a lot of different ways to paint a portrait, and I learned how they could look if you expanded your materials past just oils.

In my first semester of senior year I stopped using oils and transitioned to fluid acrylics on paper. I loved how the fluid acrylics could be used similar to watercolors but get levels of opaqueness that resembled acrylics. I also experimented with line work. I wanted to play with the positive and negative space both in and around the figure, and I liked the contrast between black and white and color in the same piece.

I continued to paint people during this time, but I started to think about the internal life of the subject and the view that was projected to the outside world. Even though I don’t paint as many people as I used to, I think that introspection and the idea of having hidden beauty is connected between humans and the landscape. My cityscapes are portraits in their own ways. Each house, although it might have many of the same qualities as other houses and buildings, is unique in its own way, and we can see that if we just take the time to look.

My Beginnings As An Artist

Shown Above: Pages from a few of my earliest sketchbooks

I have been drawing ever since I can remember. My earliest sketchbook is from 5th or 6th grade, so I guess I started really practicing and analyzing my art when I was around 11 or 12. High school was the most transformative time of my young life though, and a large part of that was due to the art teachers I had. They introduced me to life drawing, a variety of painting styles and mediums, sculpture, critical thinking in regards to art, and really paved the way for me to pursue my passion.

Shown Above: This painting was one of the first paintings I had in a school art show. I painted it using a photo from a magazine as a reference.

Shown Above: This painting was inspired by a summer trip to my aunt and uncle's house on Monhegan Island in Maine and was the first time I really felt proud of a painting I had created.

The summer between 10th and 11th grade I took part in the Governor's Institute of the Art at Castleton State College where we did drawing from live models and studied all sorts of art forms, from sculpture, dance, theater and music. I knew from that summer that I was meant to follow my dream of becoming an artist.

A self portrait I completed during the Governor's Institute of Vermont in 2000.

This still life was completed at the Pre-College program at Maine College of Art in 2001.

During senior year of high school I took an independent art period both semesters. I tried applying what I learned the previous year to experiment and create what became my portfolio for college.

This drawing was part of my portfolio that I used to get into college. 

My art has changed over the years, but I have always had a strong interest in color and representational painting, drawing inspiration from classic painters like John Singer Sargent, Vermeer, and the Hudson River School. My experiences through high school led me to take the path I did, and I am grateful for all of the opportunities I had to explore my creativity.

My Earliest Memories of Art

I grew up in a very creative family, and throughout my childhood I was exposed to a wide variety of types of art. My mother has always been a very creative person, and that definitely inspired me growing up. I remember sitting at our dining room table with her while she worked on her tole paintings and going with her to my grandparents (who were also very crafty. My grandmother is a talented lifelong quilter, and my grandfather was a veteran carpenter who took pride in his craftsmanship) house to cut out wood blocks that would later become the crafts she would create and sell at craft shows.

Left: My grandmother and a quilt she made for me upon my high school graduation
Right: My grandfather working in his wood shop on some bird houses.

Beyond that one of my aunts is a watercolorist, and I was able to see her art studio and shop in Maine from a young age, able to envision what being a professional artist could look like.

Seeing all of these things while being surrounded by loving and encouraging friends and family gave me the encouragement I needed to pursue a career as an artist. I went to art school in Philadelphia, and got a degree in painting and drawing. I’ve worked since then to grow as an artist and move towards having this be my full time career.

The style of my art may be different than that of my relatives and earliest inspirations, but I think their value of history, tradition and the natural beauty of the everyday comes through.

How I Stay Creative Outside of Painting

Growing up with fiber artists in the family helped me develop an interest in needlework. When I was younger I enjoyed doing cross-stitch, and then after college I got a job at a needlepoint shop here in Philadelphia, and I learned how to needlepoint as well as developed my interest in embroidery further. As an artist who loves to draw and paint I found myself drawn more to the art of embroidery. It is fun to create a design and use needle and thread to “paint” it on fabric.

I recently finished a sampler dedicated to my previous cat, Macy, who passed away 3 years ago and to my current cat, Lucy. I liked deciding on a layout and choosing which flowers would look best, and then digging through my thread stash to choose the colors and thread that would suit it best. I look forward to getting it framed and hanging it on my wall.

My current work in progress is a design by MadisonTeaseColors I found on Etsy. I loved the design of the witch and her cat, so I purchased it and started choosing threads to bring it to life. I look forward to finishing it, getting a pillow insert and having it ready to display in time for Halloween.

One of the reasons I keep coming back to embroidery is because I find it so meditative. If I don’t have the concentration or energy to paint I can pull out my embroidery and feel like I’m relaxing and creating something just for myself. It’s nice to have something to do while I watch tv or a movie as well. I have a bin in my studio full of assorted threads, patterns and fabric, and I look forward to creating more pieces I can enjoy in my home.

Time Lapse Painting

If you follow my Instagram you will have seen that I posted a little section of a recently finished painting of mine. For this painting I wanted to also record myself in a time lapse video to show the painting as it progressed.

Watching the video was fascinating, even for myself. I enjoyed seeing how the painting progressed, seeing how I made choices with what to do next, but I also realized as I was working on it that I could never quite forget that I was recording myself, and it definitely made me more conscious of each move I made.

The video is around 14 minutes long, so grab a cup of tea and sit down to watch.

Rum Raisin Gelato

Being summer it is a perfect time to try out a frozen treat recipe. Rum raisin is a flavor of ice cream that I have never tried before, so when I was looking through all of the recipes I could choose from this one struck me because of its uniqueness. 

Yumeiro Patissiere is a shojo series (shojo is the Japanese word for young girl) created by Natsume Matsumoto. It is about a middle school girl named Ichigo Amano who up until the start of the series was a clumsy but good natured girl who stood a bit in the shadow of her talented younger sister. In the first episode of the show you find out that as a young girl she ate a cake made by her grandmother, who was a talented pastry chef. At the time she had declared that she wanted to grow up to be a patissiere as well, but it wasn't until after a competition her sister performed in and won, that she went to a sweets fair, and it was mentioned that she has a very sensitive pallet, and should consider going to a pastry school in Tokyo.

Ichigo convinces her parents to let her transfer, and once there she meets three boys who are very talented despite their age, and begins her journey with them to becoming a talented chef in her own way. She is still clumsy, and because she doesn't have any experience she is learning from scratch, but she is very industrious and works hard to complete her tasks. Each episode is heart warming and makes you cheer for the main characters.

In one episode the four main characters are competing in Paris with a bunch of other teams from around the world. They decide that the sweet they are going to make is Gelato, and the flavors they come up with are Peach, Pistachio, Rum Raisin, and Salted Sakura Blossom. 

Having never made this recipe before I relied on a recipe that I found online to give me a starting point. It was a pretty simple recipe, but like with any ice cream recipe, you need to make sure to plan ahead. Not only do you need to let the mixture cool after you have cooked it on the stove, but you also have to let the raisins soak in the rum, so definitely make this a day before you plan on eating it. 

Rum Raisin Gelato

Ingredients

1 C. Raisins

1 C. + 1 T. Rum (I used Bacardi Silver. Depending on the type of rum you use the flavor will differ a bit, so choose whichever type you prefer to drink)

1 inch strip of Orange Zest

3 C. Almond Milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice, preferably one that is rich)

1/3 C. Organic White Sugar

1/3 C. Stevia

3 T. Corn Starch

1 pinch of salt

1/4 C. Silk Creamer (or non-dairy creamer of your choice)

1. Place the raisins, 1 C. of rum and orange zest in a small sauce pan. Heat until it simmers and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let it sit overnight. 

2. To a medium sized pot add 1 C. of almond milk, sugar, stevia, cornstarch, and salt , and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the remaining almond milk and continue stirring until it comes to a low boil. Turn the heat down and continue to cook while stirring for another minute.

3. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the creamer and remaining tablespoon of rum. Transfer to a container and let it cool until room temperature. Once it is cool put it in the fridge overnight. You do not want to put warm gelato mix into the ice cream machine or it will not freeze, so be patient and wait until it is completely chilled.

4. Unless you have the type of ice cream machine that does not require you to freeze the bowl you should put the bowl of the ice cream machine into your freezer at the same time you put your mixture into the fridge. By the the next day the bowl will be frozen and ready to go. 

5. Once your mixture is cold, and the bowl is frozen you are ready to begin the final stage.

6. Strain any remaining rum mixture as well as the orange peel from the raisins and keep the raisins to the side of the machine. 

7. Put the ice cream bowl into the machine with the paddle that churns the ice cream, and turn the machine on. Slowly pour in the gelato mixture, and then add in the raisins. The machine will mix everything, and in 15-20 minutes depending on how hot your kitchen is, the gelato should be ready.   

This was a very unique flavor. It is definitely one that I think is best enjoyed in small quantities, perhaps along side a cookie or pastry of some sort. If you really like the taste of rum definitely use the quantity of rum mentioned above, but if you don't want the taste of rum to be quite so strong perhaps use a little less rum to soak the raisins in. The rum flavor is quite strong, so adjust it depending on your particular taste. Also, due to the quantity of liquor in this dish I would not recommend serving it to children. I have a low tolerance for alcohol, and I think it definitely gave me a bit of a buzz (I'm quite a lightweight now, but even knowing that I don't think it would be appropriate for children). 

If you try this recipe let me know what you think, and if you like cute feel-good anime definitely try out this anime. Crunchyroll used to stream it, but the episodes are no longer up on their website, so unless you have a dvd copy of the show, you can watch it on Youtube. Be warned that those episodes aren't high quality due to being uploaded by fans, but you can still enjoy the show. I hope that someone gets the rights to the show again and releases it online officially, so that we can watch it in higher definition (and more importantly legally). If you know of where we can watch it legally online let me know, and I will update this post with links. Being an artist I always want to support the creators and content owners.

Strawberry Parfait

I think that Japanese style desserts are known for their visual appeal. Parfaits in particular are always very cute, and look delicious. This was one of my most eagerly anticipated recipe adventures, and I look forward to sharing the recipe with you! My version is actually pretty healthy, all things considered, so this could be a dessert you could have more than just once in a while.

Gintama is one of my favorite anime. It is adapted from a manga created by Hideaki Sorachi. It is a comedy set in an alternate universe version of Edo-era Japan. The series centers around a man named Sakata Gin, who is a former samurai who is taking on odd jobs to make ends meet. He's not very motivated, and often fails to pay his bills on time. The other two main characters are Shinpachi Shimura and an alien race girl named Kagura. Together they work to solve the problems of the locals. 

The thing I love about this series is that it perfectly blends comedy and drama. Most of the show is comedy. There is a lot of farce and silly humor, but then after a purely silly arc you will get an arc that really brings out the characters and leaves you on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. You get really invested in the characters and care about what is going to happen to them. I look forward to seeing where this series goes in the future. You can watch it on Crunchyroll if you are interested in checking it out yourself.

One of Gin's quirks is that he is addicted to sweets. He is often eating parfaits, strawberry milk, and desserts. I thought that creating a dessert in homage to Gin was a no-brainer for this blog series. 

Strawberry Parfait

2 Servings

Ingredients

3 Bananas, cut into chunks and frozen in the freezer

1/2 C. frozen strawberries

2 T. cocoa powder

1 T. Maple Syrup

Wafer Cookies (I veganized this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite vanilla cookies from the store)

Waffle Cookies (I veganized this recipe, but feel free to use any decorative cookie you like best)

Strawberry Preserves

Vegan Whipped Cream

Chocolate Chips, melted

Maraschino Cherries

Directions

1. Take the bananas out of the freezer. You are going to make three flavors of banana ice cream, so make sure that each batch has roughly the same amount of frozen banana. 

2. Start with the plain flavor. Pour one banana into the bowl of a food processor (it should be one that can handle chopping frozen bananas. Lightweight ones may literally jump around on the counter because the bananas can get very hard, and the blades don't like chopping through foods that frozen). Put the lid on and blend until the banana becomes smooth like the photo below. You may have to stop frequently, and using a spatula scrape the sides of the bowl so that everything is blended. If you need to you can add a tablespoon or more of non-dairy milk to smooth out the mixture, but you likely will not have to if your processor is powerful enough.

3. Place the plain banana mix in a bowl and put it in the freezer until the end, so that it does not melt.

4. Next we will do the berry flavor. Place another banana in the bowl of the food processor as well as the frozen berries. Put the lid on and process until smooth. Once smooth, put the mixture into another bowl in the freezer.

5. Last is the chocolate layer. Put your last banana in the food processor as well as 1-2 T. of cocoa powder. Blend until smooth. At this point taste the mix, and if it is too bitter add the tablespoon of maple syrup and blend to combine. Place in the freezer and move on to the cookie layer. 

6. Take your wafer cookies out of the package. You will need approximately three. Place them in a ziploc bag and using a rolling pin or something strong, smash them into bits {this is where you can get out any frustrations you may have ;)}.

7. Take the jar of preserves and spoon out approximately 2-3 Tablespoons worth. I added a little bit of water and stirred it up to make it thinner and more spreadable.

Time to assemble the parfaits!

8. Take two parfait glasses or wide cups that can hold approximately 2 C. of filling.

9. Divide the chocolate layer between the two cups. 

10. Divide the crushed cookies between both cups and place on top of the chocolate ice cream.

11. Divide the berry ice cream between both cups and place on top of the cookie crumbs.

12. Divide the Strawberry preserves amongst both cups and place on top of the berry ice cream.

13. Put the plain banana ice cream on top last.

14. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, and to either side put one of the waffle cookies and a wafer cookie. Then drizzle on some more thinned preserves. Top that with the melted chocolate and a cherry on top. 

Voila! You have a delicious and relatively healthy dessert. I think that Gin would appreciate, and I hope you try it out and enjoy it yourself!

Custard Style Pudding

Pudding is a sweet treat you often see in anime and manga. It has a soft creamy base with caramelized sugar that overflows over the top. I've always wondered if there was any difference between the kind of pudding you often see in anime and manga, and the Snack Pack pudding I grew up with (besides the fact that Snack Pack pudding didn't have any caramelized topping). When I was thinking about what foods I wanted to recreate for this blog series I thought that pudding would be an excellent choice, as most store-bought types are not vegan to start with, so it would be a challenge to figure out how to not only recreate pudding, but the custard style I am familiar with from anime and manga.

The show Nanana's Buried Treasure is a comedy originally created by Kazuma Ōtorino. Despite the fact that the main audience for this show is definitely teenage boys, as is quite obvious from the design of the characters, as well as the abundance of fan service, I decided to give it a try when the anime was being simulcast on Crunchyroll back in 2014 . I thought overall the show was fun and a good escape kind of show. It wasn't going to make me feel any deep emotions, but it was a way to enjoy 30 minutes of my day.

The show centers around a couple of characters, namely Nanana Ryugajo, a girl who was murdered 10 years prior to the main timeline of the story, who haunts the apartment of our main male character, Juugo Yama. When she was alive Nanana was an explorer who helped create the man-made island (with a group of 6 other young geniuses) that the story takes place on. In her short life Nanana found many treasures, and hid them throughout the island. Nobody knows where the majority of them are, although there are a few teams of people who are eager to find them (due to their high value). Nanana's murderer was also never found, so knowing that this is one of the reasons why Nanana's spirit has never moved on, Juugo agrees to find her treasures and also her murderer, so that she can gain some peace. What happens after that are a series of hijinks while we get to know the characters. 

This series ties into the topic of this post because Nanana is obsessed with pudding. She likes pretty much any type of pudding, and in fact, it is the only thing she can eat in her ghostly form. Juugo uses most of his money to buy her pudding every day, sacrificing his food budget to keep her happy.  

I wouldn't really know where to start when it came to making custard, so I looked up a recipe for Japanese custard. I found this recipe online. It was obvious that I would have to do a bit of experimentation, but the recipe was pretty simple to follow, so I went ahead and jumped in.

The recipe came out well, and I thought it was pretty tasty, so if you are curious like I was, to try the confection, give it a try! Just be prepared for it to take about an hour, plus setting time in the refrigerator, especially if it's your first time trying the recipe. I would recommend having all of the ingredients out and ready, as some of the steps finish quite fast and require quickness. Also, you will need at least 6 custard ramekins for this recipe. I got mine on Amazon.com.

Japanese Custard Style Pudding

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce

2/3 C. Granulated Sugar

2 T. Water

2 T. Boiling Water

Custard

1 T. Agar Agar Powder

1/4 C. water

2 Egg's Worth of the Vegan Egg

1/3 C. + 1 T. Granulated Sugar

1 3/4 C. Soy Milk (you could also use Coconut Milk beverage if you prefer. I do not recommend substituting any thinner non-dairy milks though, as this is supposed to be a thick base)

1/2 C. Soy Creamer (or your choice of non-dairy creamer)

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Keep a kettle of hot water ready. Once the water has boiled, combine it with the sugar on the stove top. Cook, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved raise the heat to medium-high. Boil, without stirring, until golden brown. (In the original recipe it said it would turn into a dark brown and would caramelize, and while mine turned dark brown, it did not turn thick like caramel, and because I did not want to overcook it, I stopped before the 5-7 min. in the original recipe recommended. I would recommend keeping an eye on your mixture. When it reaches a darker brown color like the photos below you can turn the stove off).

3. When the mixture turns darker brown in color, immediately remove from the heat. Pour in 2 T. of boiling water. It may create a splash, so be careful. Stir the mix to combine. This will thin out the caramel and ensure it does not harden into a rock on the bottom of your custard ramekins.

4. Briefly dip the ramekins in hot water to keep them warm. This will make sure the sugar does not harden too quickly.

5. While the caramel is still hot, evenly distribute among 6-8 custard cups (I made 6). Set aside and let the caramel thicken as you prepare the custard layer. 

7. Using the vegan egg, prepare 2 eggs worth. You will need 2 T. of the egg substitute plus 1/2 C. of ice cold water per egg, so keep some water in the fridge before you start this recipe. Whisk the powder and water together until it becomes thick. 

8. Mix in the sugar to the "egg" mix.

9. In a medium saucepan heat 1 C. of the soy milk over medium heat until it is warm to the touch. 

10. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly (make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the pot) until the mixture is hot, but do not boil. 

11. Add in 1 T. of Agar Agar powder the mixture and whisk quickly to make sure it does not create clumps in the mixture.

12. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the rest of the soy milk as well as the creamer and vanilla. Whisk it all together. 

13. Divide the custard equally into your 6-8 ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight or up to a week (since it is non-dairy it will last longer than typical homemade pudding).

14. To serve, run a small knife (such as a butter knife) around the edge of each ramekin to loosen the custard. Place a plate or small serving bowl over the top of the ramekin and flip it over, so that the mixture moves quickly from ramekin to plate. If the sugar is hardened on the bottom of the ramekin microwaving it for 5 seconds should warm it enough to pour over the top. 

I enjoyed this dessert. It was light and creamy, but not too sweet. It was a nice little treat during the week, and I recommend trying it out for yourself! 

Fried Rice

One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda, is an adventure series focusing on a group of pirates, headed by a young man named Luffy. Over the course of the series he meets and recruits a crew of interesting and captivating characters to join him on his quest to being the Pirate King. The series is full of laughs, action, and drama. The combination of light-heartedness and intense drama and feelings really helps draw you in as a reader. I started by watching the anime roughly six years ago, and after catching up to the anime in the simulcast within 6 months, I decided to start reading the manga because I didn't want to wait to find out what happened next. Since then I have been a devoted fan and love reading the manga every week to find out what happens next on Luffy and his friends' journey. 

One Piece is not a series about food, but it does have its place in the story, especially once Sanji (the eventual cook of the crew) arrives on the crew. "Food should not be wasted" is Sanji's mantra. Due to a past tragedy where he and his mentor, Chef Zeff, almost starved to death after being shipwrecked, Sanji takes the preparation of food very seriously, and along with his dream of seeing the All-Blue (a place he heard of as a child where you can supposedly get fish and foods from all over the world in that one place naturally), he also makes it a point to use every part of the food he has at hand, and to not waste anything. This is because he understands from experience that food can help you survive, and not just that, should be delicious and nutritious. 

When we first meet Sanji he is a sou chef on a restaurant at sea called the Baratie. His mentor, Zeff, is the head chef and former pirate. He has taught him all of his skills, and besides being his mentor Sanji sees him as a father figure. The first conflict in this story arc comes when a pirate named Gin shows up in the restaurant. He comes through the door with blood in his face, clearly looking beat-up, and has a bad attitude as well. His one request is for food.

The other chefs on board refuse him the food, claiming that if you can't pay you aren't a customer, and they kick him out. Sanji takes it upon himself to create a stir-fry for Gin, and brings it to him himself, much to the consternation of the rest of his coworkers (minus Zeff). Sanji's feeding of Gin kick starts the rest of the plot, and we learn more about his ideals, and Luffy eventually manages to inspire him to join the crew and pursue his dreams.

It only seemed natural that when I created a dish inspired by one of Sanji's that I would create something healthy using many of the ingredients I had on hand already. A simple fried rice satisfied that thought, and with that in mind, I set out to create a dish like what Sanji would serve to Gin (minus the fish) or to anybody on his crew. 

Tofu Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 1 T. Coconut Oil
• 1 Medium Onion
• 1 L. Clove Garlic
• 1 Celery Stalk (the leaves as well), chopped
• 1 L. Carrot, chopped
• 4 Baby Bella or Button Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 C. Edamame, shelled
• 1 Pkg. Lemon Pepper Baked Tofu (or seasoned tofu/vegan protein of your choice), chopped
• 1 C. Corn
• 1 C. Green Peas
• 1 T. Chili Paste
• 1 T. Mirin
• 1 tsp. Coriander
• 1 tsp. Ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 2 tsp. Parsley
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. Salt (or to taste)
• 1-2 T. Soy Sauce (to taste)
• 3 C. Cooked Rice (chilled or room temperature)

Directions

1.  Dice the onion and garlic

2. Put the Coconut Oil in a large skillet and heat on medium-high heat.

When the oil has melted and the pan is hot add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent. Make sure to stir, so that the garlic does not burn.

3. Dice the carrot and celery while the onion is cooking. 

4. Add them to the skillet and stir to combine.

5. While they are cooking slice the mushrooms. Add to the carrot and celery.

6. Cook, stirring often to evenly cook the vegetables. While they cook, defrost the edamame and shell the beans. 

7. I do not compost because I don't have the room in my apartment, but if you have a garden the shells can be used for compost if you prefer not to throw them away. Discard them as you wish and add the beans to the pan.

8. Take the tofu out of its package and cut up into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the skillet and stir to combine. 

9. Add the corn and peas to the skillet and stir to combine. If you are using frozen vegetables you don't need to defrost them first. They will defrost as they cook with the rest of the vegetables.

10. Now you will add the seasonings. Using the measurements in the ingredients list above, add each seasoning. Stir to combine and cook until the vegetables are cooked. You want the carrots to be soft enough that they are not crunchy, but are not mushy.

11. Add the rice to the skillet and stir to combine. 

12. After the rice is stirred in taste it and adjust the seasoning as you like. You may need to add more soy sauce. Cook until the flavors have combined, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes. 

This was a hearty main dish that served 4. Feel free to adjust the seasonings and/or add some if you like the taste of a particular spice, or if you have certain vegetables on hand at that time. This is a really easy dish to make your own, and in the spirit of Sanji, it is great to be able to use what you have on hand to make a hearty and satisfying dinner!

If you want to check out One Piece you can watch it online at Crunchyroll, and you can find the manga at most large bookstores with a comics and manga section, as well as online. The anime can be found on DVD online on Amazon, Rightstuf, and more.

Embroidered Handkerchiefs...Anime Style!

For my most recent blog post I wrote about making vegan Katsudon, inspired by the show Yuri!!! On Ice. In one of the last photos of that post you may have noticed a handkerchief on the table with Yuuri's face on it. I decided for my last set of handkerchiefs (which I bought this past fall with the intention of stitching on) I wanted to stitch the main characters of this show. I stitched (starting from the right of the photo above) Yuuri, Victor, Yuri, and Makkachin, Victor's poodle.

I am happy with the way they all turned out. I tried a few different stitches, but stuck for the most part with DMC floss as the thread. I like DMC for its versatility. It works really well with a lot of different stitches, and there are a wide range of colors. I still have quite a stash of threads from my time at the needlepoint store, so I didn't have to purchase any new threads, which was a plus as well!

I have definitely enjoyed getting back into embroidery over the past few months. It has been a nice stress reliever, and I have enjoyed being able to incorporate them into my posts. I don't have a new project decided on, but I have a stash of projects waiting, so once the urge to start stitching again reappears I will be able to find a project very easily. I hope you enjoyed seeing these, and if you're inclined to figure out a way to incorporate a fandom or image you like into your own crafts, this is a great way to do it!