Who are you?
Olivia Brazier, based in London, @brazinraisin
What does veganism mean to you ?
I have been a vegan for the last five years and I think it’s great that veganism is becoming more and more popular (purely for selfish reasons as it means there’s more choice and places to eat out at).
I was raised vegetarian and milk was not a common guest in our house so veganism naturally happened to me.
Our relationships with food are so intriguing as they are unique and personal to ourselves. It is strange that we ask people questions about their food choices and habits so casually when we wouldn’t necessarily question them about other aspects of their personal life. My artwork draws parallels between our food relationships and sex relationships and as a vegan, plant-based foods play a pivotal role.
How and when did you start to cook?
Food has always been a big part of our family. Every celebration is surrounded by food and growing up we cooked and ate as a family. My sister is a great cook and allergic to most things, from a young age she taught me her vegan secrets to cooking up a delicious meal, unfortunately her magnificent skills in the kitchen have yet to rub off on me.
What is your best food related memory?
Best early food memory is probably from the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar (it did used to annoy me that the caterpillar only ate through the middle of the fruits) it’s wonderful watching that bug chew their way into the next stage of life.
Another fond memory is that my uncle was a vegetable farmer so adventures in green houses, seeing vegetables growing and bringing back fresh food is a fond memory of mine- the smell of tomato vines is, and forever will be, the best smell ever made.
What is the last thing you ate?
The last thing I ate was lotus root, cabbage and rice🤘🏻
Any all time favourite eatery/restaurant/cook?
My favourite place to eat is a little restaurant called Helios, on the beach in Menton, France. It is run by a small Italian family and they make spaghetti pomodoro. Even though it is such a simple dish it really does taste better than anything I have ever had. I don’t know what they put in it but I’m addicted and make everyone who visits try it.
In your creative practice, any challenge that you had to overcome in terms of veganism? (Supplies, process etc)
Not really. I feel like people don’t always notice that my artwork is of “vegan foods“ as vegetables and fruits are common in most of people’s diets whether they are meat eaters, pescatarians ..etc.
Artworks and pictures by Olivia :
1. Lettuce Bathe Together, 2020, collage
2. She is Sub-Lime, 2020, collage
3. Ain’t No Tomotain High Enough, 2020, collage
Olivia's Mushroom Stroganoff
My go to is vegan mushroom stroganoff as its really cheap to make and feeds a hungry crowd or an exceptionally hungry individual.
To make it you need
2 red onions (dice them)
About 1kg of mushrooms (chestnut are the best)
2 cans of coconut milk
4 garlic cloves (no kissing)
2 tsps of dijon mustard (the stronger the better)
4 tsps of paprika
2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp of coconut oil
1tbsp of sesame oil
Handful of fresh parsley for a delightful finish
Salt, pepper and chili flakes
Step 1:
Heat a large wok with the oils and add the prepared onions followed by the garlic and mushrooms (add salt, pepper and some chili) and stir/cook for about 5 minutes
Step 2:
Once the mushrooms are soft add the cans of coconut milk, lemon juice, mustard and the paprika and stir it all together
Step 3:
Cook this for about 20 minutes on quite a high heat until it has a thicker consistency (make sure its stirred so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan)
Step 4:
Stir in some of the fresh parsley but make sure to leave some as a garnish
Step 5:
Serve on its own but it does taste great with rice!