Lucy Knisley has lived the kind of foodie life I often fantasize about. As the daughter of an artist-turned-chef mother and fine dining-obsessed father, she’s always had a special relationship with food. Hers were the type of parents who fed their infant daughter poached salmon in cream following her baptism and saw to it that their daughter cultivated an adventurous palate and a lifelong appreciation for food. Relish, Knisley’s second graphic memoir, traces the role food has had in her life by recounting some of her most memorable food-related experiences.
I’m just going to come right out and say it: I loved this book. Loved the colorful artwork, loved the writing, loved the recipes, loved it all! Knisley writes about food — everything from McDonald’s to $250 prix fixe dinners — in a humorous and down-to-earth way. What really holds it together is the book’s heart: you can tell that she loves everything she’s writing about and wants you to love it, too.
Another thing that really shines through is Knisley’s relationship with her parents, especially her mother. Her parents divorced when she was young; her father stayed in Manhattan, while she and her mother moved to upstate New York to start over in the Catskills. There her mother truly thrived, planting her own garden, raising chickens, and working with local farmers while running a catering business. By her side the whole time was Lucy, learning the ropes of country life and developing a more organic relationship with food and food production. Meanwhile, visits to Manhattan and trips abroad with her father exposed her to the other side of food since he loved fine dining. It’s about as well-rounded a food education as one could ever hope for.
Ending almost every chapter is quite possibly the coolest presentation of recipes I’ve ever seen. Below is an example of Knisley’s recipe for huevos rancheros (click to enlarge):
Foodies won’t want to miss reading about Knisley’s enviable food journey. It’s impossible not to be utterly charmed by Relish, and I know I’ll happily be revisiting it in the future.
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen was published on April 2, 2013 by First Second Books, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press.
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I read it as a(n): Paperback
Source: Library
Pages: 176
Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads.
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I loved her previous book, French Milk, and keep waiting for my library to buy a copy of this one. It doesn’t seem to be happening, so I may have to just get one for myself. Great review!
Love the illustrations. Cheers
I’ve heard nothing but great things about this book. Looks like I might have to break down and purchase a copy soon! Thanks for the review – I love illustrated recipes.
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! This particular recipe was one of my favorites. I can’t wait for a little time to pass, and I’ll be reading it again!
I just brought this book home from the library. And now you have inspired me to read it today!
Here’s my Weekend Cooking post.
I reviewed RELISH this week, too! Loved it, just like you did. I thought Knisley’s style was great, and her tone pretty near perfect. I kind of want to be her friend now!
As I said just a little while ago — I loved Relish!
Hi, I just remembered this review and wondered if you would like to link it in to the current monthly collection of books that people loved on Carole’s Chatter. This is the link There are already some great books linked in that you might be interested in. It would be super if you came on over. Cheers
Melissa, thanks for adding this to the “library”. I hope to see you again soon. Cheers