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magazine

Welcome to the first ever issue of V&Tree Magazine! V&Tree has been my photo journal blog since I began my first year of university in 2010. I have since been documenting my life and inspirations, posting my daily doings, often shown through my camera lens.

Over the years I have been blessed enough to be able to travel across the world, from Sweden to Singapore, across jolly old England and even to Japan. Each moment since documented on V&Tree, sharing my experiences first hand of the different food and cultures I have experienced.

In this issue of V&Tree Magazine, I will be highlighting upon each one of my favourite cultures: Chinese, Japanese and Swedish. Each page features a mixture of my photography through my travels, my tips and culture guide, recipes and home cooking. Also inside contains a series of collaborative illustrations thanks to my partner Alan, who I work with as Alovera Studio.

To my family and friends, thank you for the love and enthusiasm you have shown me over the years for V&Tree. I hope that you enjoy reading this as much as I have making it. This is for you.

My Mum, Alan’s Mum & my Granpa, who have always eagerly waited for my updates on V&Tree. You have

given me so much encouragement with my work, through my writing, photography and cooking, of which I have truly found happiness doing. This first edition is for the print lovers, who love my photography enough to want it in print form and for my Aunty Margaret & Uncle Douglas, who don’t have a computer.

My other half - Alan, who has been so supportive and reliable during the most important moments of my degree. He has spent every single day and night working late with me until the sun rises, whether it’s with my own work or together as Alovera Studio. Alan, you have been my up when I am down, you have taken care of me when I could not, even at the worst of times, you have always believed in me, right through to the end.

The designer, photographer & writer of V&Tree blog/magazine, Victoria Coppen is a Chinese/ Scandinavian/ English Mudblood living in London. Professionally she’s a Graphic Designer, but also a soon to-be Graphic Novelist and the Co-founder of ‘Alovera Studio’. Unprofessionally she is a Blogger, Photographer, Toy Maker, Dress Maker, Cook and Jet Setter.

Victoria has many passions within the creative field, but moreover she loves to cook and as a die-hard Jamie Oliver fan, she enjoys making new meals for her family to indulge in every day. Currently however, she is in the process of unwinding from her series of all-nighters while making this magazine.

Alan Laguna graduated in 2010, having gained his degree in Animation; he quickly found his passion was within illustration and storytelling; this conveniently was the perfect skill set to begin writing a graphic novel. Together with Victoria, they collaborate their best skills to create the perfect graphic novel as Alovera Studio.

Alan is currently working as a freelancer, but otherwise has dedicated his life to completing the first graphic novel publication with Alovera Studio for 2014 as concept designer and storyboard artist. In this issue, Alan with Alovera Studio has also created the illustrative pages, showcasing a variety of stylistic skills.

Special thanks to...

hen I was growing up my older Cousin (‘Jiejie’) Liz, stayed with my family to help take care of my brother and I whilst

my Mum was writing her PhD to become a doctor. I was always a really picky child when growing up and nothing quite tickled my fancy like really rich food (usually found in Creamy Swedish Cuisine or Traditional English Roasts), and so this made Jie Liz’s job much harder than anticipated.

She used to then make 2 different cuisines a day! One Singaporean/ Chinese meal catering to Mum and herself, then a bog standard Western one for myself and Dad (my brother Dan being indifferent/ non-picky made him the favourable child). Of course time passed and it wasn’t until a few short years before she

left did I finally begin to adapt to different cultural food - but then naturally it was too late and she left our house to pursue her own life. It was then more than ever did I realise what I took for granted, then when all of us were on the brink of starvation (and my Mum being unable to cook due to illness), I picked up the pieces from what I had observed in the past and I taught myself how to cook with the help of Jamie’s books.

Since then I now have grown to love cooking and relish the social eating experience with my friends and family. Below are my favourate ways to enjoy Chinese cooking, then coming up next is more info on the 3 branches of Chinese cuisine and my own giant dumpling recipe, enjoy!

Greenwich Market has to be my favourite place for new talents, crafts and food in the whole of London. In the Market, during the week days, there’s a Chinese food stand that makes by far the best noodles I have ever tasted in the UK, right there and then in front of you! I always order ‘Char Siew Law Mein’, sweet BBQ style pork on a thick bed of noodles with the most delicious broth.

Home made Chicken Sweetcorn Soup is such a treat and is great to have in bigger portions than the small bowls you get in restaurants. ‘Steamboat’ (Shabu-Shabu) is a celebration food; made often with my family for events like Chinese New Year. Finally my Dumplings go down so nicely - Alan loves them so much he could eat the whole bowl to himself!

DUMPLING MANIA

STREET FOODGREENWICH MARKET

TRADITIONALHOME COOKING

W

Dim SumDim Sum are bite size parcels of Asian goodness, stacked inside steaming bamboo basket towers. Dim Sum, as compared to take away is a much healthier alternative, being mostly steamed food. It’s quick and easy to eat with good company: the dishes are plentiful and shared amongst one another. Enjoying dim sum is a very social culinary occasion. Dim Sum is commonly found in Chinese restaurants (not takeaways) and the most unique I have ever discovered was from the ‘Ping Pong’ restaurants in London.

Real DealTraditional Chinese dishes are more soups, salads, pork, duck, fish noodles and steamed rice more than anything else: this is the real deal. Chinese meals are always served as a banquet, with at least 6 different courses accompanying one another; the meal can last for hours! I always remember as a child, being together with my family overseas, eating these extravagant meals and getting so tired even before the 3rd course had arrived!

Chinese food is all too often known for its quick noodles, salty rice and deep-fried meats smothered in sweet’n’sour sauces, but this depiction is so far removed from the original, it’s shocking that so many see it as the real deal. This take on Chinese food is actually a form of fusion food; a combination of two cuisines merged to make a new one. The reason why this is so wide spread today as Britain’s most popular take away food is because we altered it to suit our palates and tastes.

Take Away

CHAR SIEW LAW MEIN

CHINESE PORK DUMPLINGS

STEAMED SEABASS

LEEKS

IN A SMALL BOWL, ADD 200g FLOUR & 50g WATER, MIXING WITH CHOPSTICKS UNTIL IT FORMS A DOUGH. COVER IT & PUT ASIDE.

IN THE BIG BOWL ADD THE PORK MINCE, A SPLASH OF SOY SAUCE & RICE WINE. FINELY CHOPPED LEEKS, SPRING ONIONS, GINGER &1 tsp OF GARLIC, MIX TO COMBINE.

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE COMBINE THE SOY SAUCE, RICE WINE, A SPRINKLE OF GINGER & SPRING ONIONS.

POP DUMPLINGS INTO THE BOILING STOCK. THEY ARE READY WHEN THEY FLOAT TO THE TOP!

POUR THE HOT STOCK AND DUMPLINGS INTO A SERVING BOWL, IT WILL BE ENOUGH TO FEED 4 PEOPLE OR 1 VERY HUNGRY ALAN!

SPOON SOME MINCE INTOTHE CENTRE OF THE DOUGH...

& CAREFULLYFOLD IT OVER, SEALING THE EDGES USINGA FORK.

ROLL THE DOUGH INTO A SAUSAGE & CUT ANINCH PIECE OFF, ROLL UNTIL THIN...

DIPPINGBOWL

ALAN’S FAVOURITE

GIANTPORKDUMPLINGS

CHOP STICKS

CHICKENSTOCK

1 SMALL BOWL

1 LARGE BOWL

GARLIC&GINGER

ROLLING PIN

WATER

WAT

ER

CLING FILM SHAO

XING

RICE

WIN

E

PORKMINCESPRING

ONIONS

1 2

43

P.Stry making a giant bowl dumpling instead of little ones! You can also pan fry them instead of boiling?

Why not try adding to your bowl some egg noodles, udon, pak choi, chinese cabbage or even crack an egg into the broth for some extra depth?

For some heat, Give it a kick with some sweet chilli sauce or fresh cut chilli!

okyo to me really was a cultural wonderland. Food was in abundance and each day we made

sure to try something new, and never succumb to the familiar. Sweet breads, for breakfast cute cafes, street food sensations & smashing watermelons on the beach, This collection of photographs show every one of our fun times, new joys and discoveries eating in Japan.

T

TONKOTSU RAMEN,HARAJUKU, TOKYO.

RUMBLE

n the summer of 2010, my brother Dan and I ventured on our first holiday together alone to Tokyo, Japan. It was so amazing and actually the first set of posts that

kick started V&Tree into what it is today as a photo based food and travel journal.

Arriving into Tokyo, we had made our first big mistake by taking a taxi from the airport; and I have to be really clear when I say BIG MISTAKE. The mapping system for the trains in Tokyo is the most complicated mess I have ever seen, and so it just seemed like the obvious decision to take a taxi instead, but this short ride took the biggest chunk out of our wallet before we could even step foot onto the city grounds! So the lesson is, unless you are in a life or death situation, don’t take taxis - this isn’t NYC!

Tokyo in the summer is incredible; in fact I’m pretty sure every season is, since it’s always so pronounced. In the UK we are familiar with 3/4 of our year as winter, then maybe a small gap for any other season at random, but Japan is so beautiful in every season.

Pink cherry blossoms in spring, the sound of cicadas and lush greens in hot summer, red leaves and cool weather in autumn then snow in winter. It’s like a fairy tale.

We were staying in an area of Tokyo called Akihabara, known for the Anime & Gaming district of the city, which was as equally dodgy as it was fantastic. The heat was the hottest I had ever felt in my life, it was like combining the dry heat of Spain and then humidity of Singapore! We were actually so unprepared for it that Dan almost got heatstroke within the first few hours.

From that day on we planned every day to a T and I always packed our bag with essential survival items for our big days out. We found out some really interesting differences while staying in Tokyo and how different Western Culture is interpreted from the other side. One thing the Japanese are really good at is food. As in, their own food - because whatever they think Western food is was an absolute laugh! Dan and I had witnessed first hand their take on Western Breakfast

(cocktail sausages and salad), Spaghetti Carbonara (indescribable) and even Grill House Steak (beef patty with egg on top). It was really funny!

Their own cuisine however was no joke, as it was some of the best food I have ever had! One of which I loved the most was when I tried my first ramen...angels sang. It was the best thing I have ever had there and made it to my top list of absolute favourite things in my life. I had never tried anything quite like it ever before, it was so rich, creamy, meaty, chewy and delicious, to this day after returning to the UK, I have not found anything that compared!

My experience in Japan was short lived, but truly magical. It created irreplaceable memories, experiences and photographs, of which I’m so happy to be able to share with you, my reader. It really is another world. So to the weary traveller, I hope that these pages may be of aid to you in your travels and if anything, give a small fragment of the wonderland I saw.

RAMENI

Taiyaki is a fish shaped waffle filled with typically sweet red bean paste but can also have chocolate, custard, sweet potato, cheese or sometimes even sausage inside too! I have seen these come in a variety of styles and sizes in different places. It’s really fun to see how each place makes it differently.

Shaved Ice is an amazing summer treat; big blocks of ice are shaved down, creating literally as its name is, shaved ice, topped with sweet syrup! You can chose between many fruity flavours like strawberry, melon, peach, lemon, grape & more, it’s essentially like DIY ice lollies.

Dango are sweets, made from flavoured rice flour, similar to mochi, but these jelly dumplings are served on a stick. You may find this sweet in more traditional areas of Tokyo, like in Asakusa.

When I was in Tokyo, I often found that meals in restaurants were unreasonably expensive, whereas in contrast food stalls or cafes found down the street or at frequent summer festivals, offered better food and bigger portions at extremely cheap prices.

In the city, the best food is found in the strangest of places, hidden gems at stalls and even in machines! So for those who are on a budget, here are some of my favourite finds, straight from the streets, each one costing only a fiver (¥500) or well under!

Yakisoba can be found anywhere as a common street food. Although I first had this beautiful concoction, by the sea; a strange mix of fried noodles and rice cooked on a hotplate, delicious!

Okinamiyaki is a layered savoury style pancake/ omelette cooked on a hotplate. Don’t think breakfast food, and don’t be afraid to try it, it’s really a truly unique dish of its kind! Layered with cabbage omelette, udon noodles, meat, sweet sauce, spring anions, mayo, seaweed and bonito fish flakes.

Sushi in the UK is so different to the one in Japan, mainly due to its freshness. I don’t need to explain what sushi is, since we all know, but during my time in Tokyo, the sushi was so fresh, I could see the fish being taken straight from the tank! It tasted so light & soft, compared to the stodginess we so often find here and for a fraction of the price!

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Always carry a water bottle with you; cafes always provide ice cold water for free with a meal, ask for some to keep topped up!

WATERYou will be so thankful for the bit of breeze to relieve your overheat, keep cool!

PAPER FANThere will be bugs about, hungry for your flesh in the summer heat. Be prepared when you travel to more natural environments like parks, forests or temples.

BUG BITE RELIEF

In Japan you can find super cute varieties of face cloths, which leaves no excuse not to have one. It’s so important in the scorching heat, wipe away your excess sweat!

FLANNEL

Sweat leads to smell. Basic cleanliness.

DEODORANT

TOP 10 SURVIVAL ITEMS

FLANNELTOP 10 SURVIVAL ITEMS

Don’t laugh, it’s not about fashion, it’s about survival. This will save your ass from serious sunburn.

PARASOL

Apply 3 times a day, every day! Save your skin from burning, they don’t care about your tan there anyway!

SUN BLOCKSerious sweat means serious friction and with less clothes, chafing will occur. This is not only painful, but can also lead to heat rash - keep yourself fresh!

POWDEREven your comfiest shoes will betray you when walking all day. Prevent blisters ahead of time.

SHOE PLASTERSA phrasebook will save your skin in Japan, they speak as much English as we do French, so be prepared with key phrases.

PHRASE BOOK

GOLDRUSH

Sweden has always been close to my heart since I was a child. My family used to go visit my grandmother’s home town Båstad every other year, where we would spend time with the family and sit by the sea. Come Autumn time the Swedish forests are truly enchanting, where delicious chanterelle mushrooms spout from the ground and everybody goes in search for them as precious gold.

WILD CHANTERELLE,KUNGSBACKA, SWEDEN.

have always loved how natural everything is in Sweden. Staying in Båstad we would often visit our Swedish family and friends. Mum, Dan & I always hired bikes and cycled

through the town and into forests, where we would often come across many magical forms of plant life while exploring.

As Dan & I grew older, we got to visit our relative Boel who lives in a town called Kungsbacka, an hour or two away from Båstad. She lives in this cul-de-sac amongst her family, where all the children run about outside and play - it’s very utopian.

So last year, I drove to Kungsbacka with Dan, to see Boel and her family for tea. We then got to go mushroom picking with her and the grandchildren, Segrid & Alma in the forest just over the road from their house.

Swedish forests are very different from the English ones - for one thing, there is no scratchy long grass or stinging nettles in your path, but rather soft spongy star shaped moss which you walk upon under the twigs, its really a fairy tale like environment.

Very soon after entering, we had struck gold finding our first handful of chanterelle scattered by the trees. On our search we had also come across many other types of poisonous or inedible mushrooms; red toadstools, thick step-like mushrooms stuck to the trees and other colourful varieties like this purple mushroom. Tourists, who go to Sweden to pick mushrooms,

often don’t have any guide as to what’s edible or poisonous, which is unfortunately the highest cause of death! I have never tried without my family being there, as I reckon as Swedes they are professionals. After all its not just a hobby, its a way of life to many who live in the country.

mushroom picking in the swedish forests

chanterelle

*on toast

SAUTEE WILD MUSHROOMS ON A HOT PAN FOR 5MINTHEN ADD THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS. ENJOY*!

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MEMORIES OF BÅSTAD, SWEDEN.