Coming SOON!

Exams are days away and I've been very busy...but I promise that I will get up some new posts soon!

Plans for the future...

1. Review of Manga and Anime (new and old, new for your benefit and old for me even if you don't care!)
2. Cosplay!
3. Music reviews! My first!

some spoilers may include the words...claymore, headbands, ears, wigs, Air, wings, or necklace. Okay so most of it is cosplay...but I will have more reviews...I promise!

Oh Bento!

I have been completely overwhelmed by my abundance and busy schedule. I should be GRATEFUL that while so busy, do to upcoming semester exams for junior year, I don't have to worry about food. But no, I get MAD at my parents because I am trying to get some cooking in and they are bringing home Thai and Mexican takeout. What can I say "I don't want the sukiyaki beef to go bad!" too late...I have some bentos that I have been lazy and haven't told you about yet. For relatively good reason, first off, If I don't like the food I cook then you definitely aren't going to like it.

That's why I'm initiating a rating system where I will "grade my performance". From now on My creations' will get a score out of 5 stars...or ice cream cones (whatever I feel like). Almost a disclaimer, but not. The recipes will be revised though so they should be better then the original rating/recipe. I should also probably start pre-writing my posts on Microsoft Word first, as it automatically corrects all the misspelled words (I have to use spell check every other sentence).

Back to the bento. This was my favorite bento of recent as it was deliciously India inspired. What you are seeing is rice covered by two wonderfully spicy coconut and mango chutneys. I give this recipe Five Stars! Whoot!

Mango and Coconut Chutney Bento

By Me! Inspired by.... other recipes. Alton browns chutney + thai mango salsa recipe=My recipe!

Ingredients; For mango chutney

• 1/2 diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons of Sriracha chili sauce
• 2 Mangos cubed 1/2"
• teaspoon ginger (I use paste)
• 1 oz cider vinigar
• 1/2-3/4 cup cubed pinnaple
• Optional: garlic
• salt to taste
  

Saute the red onions in a tablespoon canola oil and a teaspoon of salt until soft and fragrant, mix the rest of the ingredients together and add cooked onion.

Coconut Chutney was a mix of like five obscure Internet recipes

• 1/4 tsp dried chili flake (more to taste if desired)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon curry powder
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp ginger (paste)
• 1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• Small can 14 oz/1 cup Beans or(use what you prefer..I used kidney because...well I wanted too, traditional Indian lentil's are also good choice)
• 1-1/2 cup frozen peas
  

Heat the oil and start cooking the spices, take off the heat add mustard and ginger and mix, immediately add the coconut and mix the "spiced"oil throughout. The coconut should turn yellow, from the curry poweder. Prep the beans/lentils and peas (cook and drain) and mix with the coconut.

This bento is tandori chicken on the right and rice topped with fish cake and furikake.

Don't even bother asking why there is bread in the left compartment...

Online Manga

I'm not talking about illegal downloads or scans. I'm talking about stuff that started online and is good, legal, and free.


MegaTokyo is one of the most popular web manga out there-I would start reading this again if I could remember where I left off...400's? Anyway I met the creators in person at a Q and A at Sakuracon. I think I asked about Japanese culture and..their favorite colors...I think.
http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php

Katie Bair is famous in the cosplay community for her fabulous wig skills, she is also a manga-ka, and doll maker. She hosts a online custom wig store as well as online manga such as the one I perticularly like, Aesir Corp. http://www.aesircorp.net/

While looking around her sites I found this really good link page which mentions some of the more popular (or not) online manga I haven't read such as penny arcade and other fun sites. http://www.katiebair.com/links.html

Penny arcade is really popular, but I haven't got to reading much of it.

My friend has a web comic thats...well...amazing! Its about Elves and adventure and awsomeness! The The Chronicles of Everglade! http://www.elvenparadise.com/

Shameless Plugs and Convention Facts

Hungry for convention-y "things" as Sakuracon rounded the bend and steepened its slope downhill towards its March due date, I hopelessly searched the Internet in order for the hunger to subside.


But I am not alone, for you see, many anime addicted zombies flock to these otaku gatherings all around the globe and every season of the year.


According to multiple sources (just Google it!...fine...animecons.com!) as of 2006 the estimated attendence for conventions was recorded as such


Anime Expo - 40,647 total, 32,930 paid

Otakon - 32,902 estimated total, 22,302 paid

A-Kon - 12,500 estimated paid

Anime North - 12,500 total, 11,286 paid

Anime Central - 11,500 estimated total

FanimeCon - 10,000 estimated paid

Anime Weekend Atlanta - 8,949 paid

Anime Boston - 9,354 total, estimated 8,854 paid

Sakura-Con - 8,300 estimated total, 7,500 estimated paid

Katsucon - 6,400 estimated total, 5,664 paid

The ten largest anime conventions in North America during 2007 were as follows:

1 - Anime Expo: 44,000 estimated total

2 - Otakon: 22,852 paid

3 - A-Kon: 14,500 estimated paid

4 - Anime North: 13,500 estimated total

5 - Anime Central: 12,769 total; 10,987 paid

6 - FanimeCon: 12,000 estimated total

7 - Anime Boston: 11,500 total; 10,559 paid

8 - Sakura-Con: 11,000 estimated total; 10,500 estimated paid

9 - Anime Weekend Atlanta: 10,200 estimated total; 9,825 paid

10 - AnimeNEXT: 7,100 estimated total

So the top five stayed strong, my little Sakuracon moved up from 9th to 8th and Anime Weekend Atlanta switched with Anime Boston.

Pink=Sakuracon

Red=A-kon

Orange=Anime Central

Yellow=Otacon

Green= Anime Expo

Blue=Anime North