Michi Mathias. illustration & comics.
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Pancakes - childhood memories & linguistic confusion... 

3/12/2014

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This is another of JJ's Graphic Recipes that was voted on to my  tea towels made last month. 

These pancakes make me think of Sunday mornings when I was growing up (although in the US,  pancakes get made with Bisquick, a sort of self-raising flour mix with added salt and oil that comes in a box.  My dad would sometimes put in a bit of nutmeg, which I didn't think to draw,  and I'd sometimes include raisins which might be just a bit weird.  As always, these recipes are just guidelines to be played with.  

And speaking of playing, we often dropped a few dots or squiggles or backwards letter shapes in the pan to turn brown first, before covering with a full ladleful of batter.  My dad started it by presenting pancakes with our initials to my sister and me, and of course I've done the same for my boys.  You can see this taken to wonderfully silly and amazing extremes by googling pancake art - seriously!

The day I realised that 'pancakes' dont mean the same thing here in the UK was when I went to a Pancake Day dinner at a friend's house and was surprised to find she'd left out the baking powder and they were coming out all flat...  Anyway, my version does exist as well, but is called a drop scone or Scotch pancake, though those seem to have a smaller diameter and aim for max height. 

Whatever the terms are, they're delicious, very easy, take very little time to make and are a good fun way for kids to get involved in cooking, too.  You can buy the tea towels here if you like, or see the original booklet they were printed in last summer.   And do let me know if you like making them!

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the pizza that shouldn't work

28/11/2014

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When making pizza at home, it always seemed that you had two choices: Either make a quick base using baking powder as the raising agent,  essentially creating a big flat scone with toppings; or plan in advance, use baking yeast, and allow for quite a lot of rising time. 

So when my son decided to make pizza for dinner one night and did it amazingly quickly, from a recipe he found on the internet, I was quite intrigued. This is based on that recipe he used.  It's the only one in the booklet that comes from him, so I was especially glad to include it so he'd continue making it. 

I honestly don't know why this turns out so well, without being given the usual long rising time followed by more rising, but it works. 

And this was tied for second place in the tea towel voting a few months back,  so it's one of the four recipes featured in the initial print run.  (Pancakes [American type] and the very delicious Courgette Chocolate Cake are the remaining two, for which check back soon!)

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the Random Veg Soup mystery

17/11/2014

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This is one of the pages from JJ's Graphic Recipes, which I drew last year.  To my great surprise, it turned out to be one of the most popular choices to go on a tea towel when I conducted a survey this summer.

Of course, I'm delighted that people liked it, just mystified as to why!

I didn't ask voters to differentiate between what they liked looking at, and what they liked making and eating.  It didn't really matter; it was simply a question of which to print.  

-- So maybe it's just that the graphics filled the space well and would be visually appealing?

-- Or could it be that not everyone makes this sort of soup already?  Is it a case of "obvious to you, amazing to others" as explained so well in this fab short vid by Derek Sivers?

-- Or perhaps the fresh ginger isn't so common an ingredient and makes the soup a bit unusual?

-- Or, as one friend suggested, maybe it's the title, with the word "random" which she thought amusing and not how most people would name a recipe?

Anyway,  I made some yesterday, and it was very random and different from every other time I've done it.  (But everyone liked it!)  
Have a look at the tea towels here.  And if you voted, I'd love it if you would tell me why!
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and they're ready!

9/11/2014

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The first fifty graphic recipe tea towels were collected from the screenprinter on Friday and made their appearance at a craft fair in town on Saturday.   I'm pretty pleased with how they came out.  

If you think you might like one, have a look over here on this page to place an order. 

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graphic recipe tea towels progress...

17/10/2014

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Tea Towel Survey

2/8/2014

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A few people have been asking if I could make tea towels from some of the drawings in JJ's Graphic Recipes.  Seems a good idea!  But which ones?  Which do you think would be the best, whether in terms of usefulness or appearance or whatever?  Please have a look and and vote for your favourite(s) here with not the slightest obligation to buy, of course. 
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click to go to survey
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    Click to see: What am I doing right NOW?
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    ​Note: Two Shillings per Day graphic novel-related posts now appear over here on their own page. 

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Michi Mathias     illustration & comics    

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