Japanese Plum Wine Donuts, How to Survive A Broken Heart, #RED #TwelveLoaves
Like butterfly wings, Life is fragile. There is beauty.The searing pain of leaving the known territory of a cocoon is also Life. Sometimes I want to take flight to a Japanese garden and soak in serenity. No matter the escape, reality always comes marching in.
Life is like a bento box of donuts...You never know what you'll get!
Enchanted by the idea of taking on another persona, I pursued the life of an actor into my twenties. My 5-year-old self set sights on the acting profession. (Escaping my seat in a Tokyo movie theatre, I twirled down the aisle to I Could Have Danced All Night. My sister ran down the aisle to capture me.)
I worked as an actress in Japan and America. In the US, jobs were few and far between. Oscar's red magic carpet eluded me. So, I entered the corporate world. Fast-forward several decades: Serendipitously, I was introduced to a manager. I went on a few auditions. No jobs. The manager said goodbye several months ago.
Maybe there is a hole in the middle of the donut
so we can savor and appreciate everything surrounding it!
The message is clear. Pursuing bright lights is illusive. Childhood dreams belong in childhood. Building a bridge between the cultures of Japan and America, spotlighting the beauty of this world seems to be my lane. (To borrow an expression from today’s youth.)
Currently I write a monthly bilingual column for Motto LA Magazine. The opportunity came easily and naturally. (If you are in the Southern California area, pick up a free copy at any Japanese market and flip to my column Motto Organic LA.)
Japanese Plum Wine Donuts blends a soupcon of sour with sweet and sour...
Like Life!
To assuage the sting of the acting world’s closed doors, there are few exercises that have helped me survive a broken heart. The process is similar to the one I’ve employed after saying sayonara to relationships. FYI I kissed a lot of frogs before marrying my Prince Charming at age 47. Suffice to say I've experienced a lot of Valentine's Day without a significant other.
How To Survive a Broken Heart
Look for beauty…Clouds of depressive thoughts may hover. It’s okay. We can still appreciate the diamond sparkle of sunshine on a snow bank.
Allow emotions…No need to deny feelings. What we resist persists. If the emotion is too overwhelming, call a friend or…
Do free form writing…Tell the censor in your mind to take a hike. Forget about being a good girl. Swear, scream – let it all out on paper. Immediately toss the pages burning with rage and anguish into the fireplace. Or into the steely teeth of a paper shredder.
Remember the healing powers of time…New friends, jobs and joys will come.
Practice random acts of kindness…First and foremost to you! Get that pedicure. Buy yourself a rose. Your spirits will lift. (I’m always amazed how content one rose or Gerber daisy can make me.)
Breathe…Fill your lungs with luscious ocean air, mountain air, with Life!
Get busy…Dive into new projects.
Pursue your hobbies…Like baking up batches of the Ninja Baker’s Japanese Plum Wine Donuts!
Take flight to the song of your heart...But eat a donut first!
My gluten-free, vegan Japanese Plum Wine Donuts made me giggle. No. I did not take sips of wine while whisking the batter. But the donuts do have a hint of Japanese Plum Wine. I felt like that older auntie whose baked goods are identified by that snippet of sherry! Seriously, the gluten-free, vegan donuts taste like regular donuts splashed with scrumptious Japanese Plum Wine.
Japanese Plum Wine Donuts are dainty dynamite donuts. The vegan gems are also gluten-free and accented with Japanese Plum Wine. They’re perfect for the grownup whose inner child still jumps for joy at the mention of donuts.
1/3 cup coconut oil plus more for brushing the donut molds
¾ cup rice flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
½ cup potato starch
¼ cup arrowroot
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 baking soda
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
¾ cup agave nectar plus 2 tablespoons
6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon
¼ cup Japanese plum wine
¼ cup hot Japanese plum wine
Drops of rose pink food coloring
Sugar sprinkles
Directions:
Set the oven to 325° Generously coat mini donut pans with coconut oil.
Whisk together the flours, potato starch, arrowroot, baking powder, salt, baking soda, xanthan gum in a large bowl. Stir in the agave nectar, applesauce, Japanese plum wine and rose pink food coloring. Mix well.
Scoop up 2 tablespoons of batter. Smooth evenly in each well with a spoon.
Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan in the oven after 5 minutes.
Let the donuts cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Gently remove and sprinkle with sugar.
#TwelveLoaves is a monthly bread baking party created by Lora from Cake Duchess and run with the help of Heather of All Roads Lead to the Kitchen, which runs smoothly with the help of our bakers. This month we'll be baking breads with a RED theme in honor of National Heart Month, Valentine's Day, and the Oscars (red carpet) - any red ingredient goes! For more bread recipes, visit the #TwelveLoaves Pinterest board, or check out last month's mouthwatering selection of #TwelveLoaves "new to you" type of flour!
