Knisley, Lucy. Relish: My Life In the Kitchen.

Knisley, Lucy.  Relish: My Life In the Kitchen.  Macmillan/First Second 2013  173p  ISBN 978-1-59643-623-7  hs/adult      Hardback    E-BN  Memoir/Graphic nonfiction    

Warning: the reader will find that this book will cause hunger pangs as the writing brings the smells and textures of food alive, encouraging the reader to invite friends over for a meal based upon recipes at the end of each chapter.

This memoir traces the author’s fondness for food to her mother, who had a talent for creating exotic meals and earning a living based on food.  Her father had epicurean tastes and loved to eat at a variety of ethnic restaurants.  Humor abounds as Knisley grows up sampling various cultures through food and travel. Her artistic talent finds an outlet in this graphic-novel memoir, with characters clearly drawn and locales artistically detailed.  The book will appeal to foodies, people looking for a fun memoir that looks at the bright side of life, and those who appreciate sustainable agriculture.  The author is able to look back on her childhood and find the humor in the non-structured and slightly unconventional lifestyle she lived as a young person.  Experiences with food, both the successes and failures, are what make this book a winner for foodies as well as those who get dinner from a box.  The recipes are presented in a delightful graphic-novel format that will make even the novice want to attempt gourmet recipes.  More cookbooks should consider emulating this format.

Strongly recommended for high-school and adult readers who love food.

The recipes are enticing; the illustrations crisp and spot-on, whether they depict people, places, or putting a recipe together to create a fabulous dish; and the writing flows easily, with humor added to spice up this look at growing up around food and being a foodie.    

Summary:  Knisley, an avid comic reader and artist, reflects on her upbringing shuttling between divorced parents who loved food, whether as critics, farmers, or gourmet cooks.  Recipes also appear in this memoir in graphic-novel format.  Humor abounds. Grades 10-adult.    

Memoir, Food                                                      --Lois McNicol