Relish: My Life In The Kitchen (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
This book was a recommendation from a friend who likes food memoirs. Turns out they didn’t care too much for this book anyway, but I liked it, for a graphic novel memoir. I cut my teeth in college both writing and editing short creative nonfiction (aka short story memoirs), so I tend to judge book-length ones rather harshly, and in my very limited experience with graphic novel memoirs, I feel like the author/artist is allowed to ramble more. Editors don’t want to cut a panel or a page or a section because something feels different about a graphic novel. Perhaps. I don’t know. All I know is most nonfiction graphic novels I’ve read suffer from a lack of coherency. And a clear “So what” from the editorial staff.This one is similar in that respect, but still enjoyable. The illustrations are clean and simple, the text is easy to read, and the book is chopped up into chapter-like sections with clear breaks so you can take a break. Each section contains a full spread detailing a recipe from the author’s childhood, and the rest of the section tells some story of growing up, discovering yourself, or just humorous anecdotes from childhood. It’s much more of a childhood memoir than a food memoir, but I thought it was still cute.There are some not-to-graphic references to sexual content (the author and a friend, age 12-or-so, discover porn magazines on vacation in Mexico) but on the whole this book could be read by a young person. I doubt they’d want to, though – it’s a memoir of childhood, growing up, teen years, lessons learned, family connections, etc. It’s the sort of thing 30-somethings and older read when they hit that quarter-life crisis and don’t want to attempt to cook everything by Julia Child or visit India and learn to meditate. The reflections on identity are par for the course for the age of the author (late 20s? 30s?) and teens probably would be bored. Unless they like reading memoirs about what it feels like to look back on being a teen. Which is not the same thing as being a teen.Still. Good recipes. Cute pictures. Nice easy read for me. I’d recommend it as a summer travel book. It’s light, it’s not controversial, and it’s about travel and food. Stuff it in your backpack and enjoy the rest of July.TL;DR: Colorful but mild plot of a memoir themed around food and cooking. Artwork and text is accessible but perhaps boring for teen audiences; memoir-loving 20s and 30s and older will like it. Author reflects on childhood experiences of growing up, traveling, being raised by two foodies, etc. with graphic novel sections of memoir accompanied by illustrated recipes. Lucy Knisley, our author and autobiographer, was raised in a foodie environment in New York City. Her mother was an artist, but also a very fine cook and caterer. Her father was an advertising man and lover of haute cuisine. Lucy shares with us her years growing up with an amazing array of foods, and parents who bought only the freshest and best ingredients.As an adult, Lucy has become an artist herself, a graphic novel artist and writer. Her illustrations are warm and expressive and indicative of a modern world obsessed with fine food. It is obvious that Lucy admires her mother and her cooking skills. She often worked with her mother at food stands and at her catered events. She learned to cook by first learning to bake chocolate chip cookies. Relish is dotted with recipes which are reflections of key times in her life, and the illustrations are great step-by-step instructions.Despite her parents' divorce, Lucy provides a very upbeat tale in Relish. Her life is not easy, but in the easy way of children, they don't realize it at the time. Relish is a great look back at Lucy's life as a foodie and the influence of her parents. Like a sorbet, it is light and refreshing. Relish was named an Alex award winner, which is given to books written for adults that will appeal to a teen audience. We have placed this in the YA section of our library system. Highly recommended.
What do You think about Relish: My Life In The Kitchen (2013)?
This treasure combined two of my recent favorites: foodie memoir (with recipes!) and graphic novels.
—googg
A comic about food and memory. I was destined to love and be charmed by this book. And I was
—Woodsfamily2
Exploring self through food is what I do every day, so.
—simone
