Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

Two of my favorite things- graphic novels and food! I thoroughly enjoyed Knisley's part memoir/part cookbook and thought it was one of the more original non-fiction graphic novels I've read.
Knisley's art style is very appealing to me- it's full of vibrant colors and descriptive lines, and she really makes good use of space. I especially liked the recipe parts of the art because of their easy-to-follow format. She has an obvious passion for food and experimenting with cooking, and parts of this book did inspire me to try a few new things.
I think a couple of the chapters were a bit short, or felt a tiny bit disconnected as a whole (EX: when she's writing about craving food in the mushroom chapter). I could definitely see this book easily show more being a bit longer and expanding on a variety of things (cooking techniques, more foods, etc) but it was still a satisfying read.
Knisley also mentions her travels a few times and that persuaded me to go look into her other books as well! She seems like a really interesting person, and I'd love to read more about her. show less

Lucy Knisley is the daughter of a chef/caterer and a gourmet foodie. So unsurprisingly she also loves food and equates many of her memories growing up with it. In this thoughtful and funny memoir, Lucy shares with readers key moments in her life -- her parents divorce, her moving to the countryside, trips out of the country -- and how food framed each moment of this journey. We see how a trip to Italy is influenced, not by Italian cooking, but by eating a local McDonald’s that brought the comforts of home. And we learn how even though her parents are separated that home cooked meals prepared by Lucy’s mother can bring them together once again. Through many meals and snacks, Lucy shares with us her memories of growing up and the show more unique experiences she has. Each chapter concludes with an illustrated recipe that ties into the just completed chapter, daring us to sample some of the adventures.

Like many people, I was first introduced to Lucy Knisley through her travelogue French Milk and I was quickly enthralled. Her simple, yet evocative, line drawings created an entertaining story that made me feel like I was sitting with a good friend, sharing a meal, and listening to their adventures. Since that time I’ve eagerly kept up with Lucy’s work and career and she has quickly become one of my all time favorite artists and storytellers. And her latest work of course is no exception.

What I love best about this story, is not only that Lucy shares her journey and her story with us, but I find it easy to relate to her work. I know that sounds strange because I’m not a foodie and I’m not female, but I can honestly say that I can look at her work and find some trace of myself in it. Mainly because Lucy doesn’t try to hide those unflattering moments that so many of us wish we could hide, such as being a brat and rebellious towards are parents. Lucy instead embraces it and share it with us in such a way that we can relate to it and remember our own experiences growing up. And I stress that point because some authors seemingly want nothing more than pity or take such a hard look at themselves they no longer seem human. Lucy’s writing puts us on her level and makes it easy to relate to her and feel like we’re talking with a good friend, which to me is the sign of a great writer.

While the story is fantastic, Lucy’s artwork is even better. Her watercolor paintings of her adventures are bright, colorful, and exude life. It makes me feel like I’m standing right there with her sampling exotic candies in Mexico and smelling fragrant cheeses in Chicago as she serves them to customers. She has an elegance to her work that easily captures the human figure without overwhelming it with detail and unnecessary lines and just brings the story to life. I could say more, but why give unnecessary detail? Go check out her work and you’ll be impressed as well.

As you can tell I really enjoy Lucy’s work and I think a y’all will as well. I highly recommend this book. The story is simple, easy to follow, and flows naturally and the artwork is beautiful. And I can’t give it any higher praise than that.

ARC provided by Gina at FirstSecond show less

The author of this palatable graphic memoir begins by telling us: "The book you’re reading contains a collection of my favorite stories, crammed with the taste-memories that draw them up through my mind from years ago.”

She writes, “I hope that you find your own appetite piqued….”

Well she couldn’t have been more correct about that!

Knisley was raised by food-oriented parents, who had food-oriented jobs and food-oriented friends, and we get to know about many of them in this not-necessarily-in-chronological-order salmagundi of food stories and suggestions.

Knisley clearly loves food, and peppers her account with recipes, colorful pictures of baking, cooking, and eating, and anecdotes about food-related experiences. My favorite show more chapter has to do with trying to recreate a particularly wonderful croissant she found in a small bakery in Venice:

"The layers were flaky and buttery, concealing the fresh jam in the depths of the thickest part of the crescent, where the pastry was so soft that it nearly disintegrated in my mouth. Unspeakably good.”

After innumerable unsuccessful attempts, she gave up, concluding:

"I suspect that the ingredient I lacked in Chicago was the anticipation and delight of waking on a morning of possibilities, far from home and school, in an ancient, watery city.”

I could so relate to this. I have had so many similar failures of replication, only to conclude that atmosphere and mood play huge roles in taste!

Evaluation: This little volume may never replace Marcel Proust in English departments for a paean to the evocative power of food, but for my money, it’s way more enjoyable. The art work is bright and colorful, and the text even includes restaurant recommendations. Food lovers will savor this mouth-watering tribute to food. show less

The backstory: After adoring French Milk, Lucy Knisley's graphic memoir about traveling to France with her mother in 2004, I was eager to read her newest graphic memoir.

The basics: Relish is a memoir of Knisley's life told through food. As the daughter of foodies, Knisley traces her relationship with food from childhood to today.

My thoughts: Lucy Knisley has a wonderful ability to share the emotions she felt with her readers. It's not simply a matter of her signature art, although her visual aesthetic certainly contributes to it, particularly the way she uses space. At the heart of what I love about her work is her raw honesty. She doesn't hide, and that inhibition draws me right in. Knisley isn't just showing and telling her story, show more she's inviting her readers to share it.

Relish is obviously perfect for foodies. The images of Knisley tasting her first foie gras at a dinner party as a child and proceeding to ask every grown up at the table if they had any extra brought tears to my eyes. When she visited Alinea, I shared her excitement (and was filled with jealousy.) While I loved the food moments individually, collectively this graphic memoir is much more than simply a life of food. Knisley's journey, which she marks with food, is the real treasure.

The verdict: Relish is a more ambitious graphic memoir than French Milk, and it succeeds on more levels because of it. It's a graphic memoir I'll return to re-read again and again over the years, as I, too, form more new food memories. show less

Knisley, daughter of a chef mother and gourmand father, had the kind of upbringing that would make any foodie salivate, and she’s happy to share. In this collection of memories studded with recipes, she explores how food shaped her family life, friendships, travel experiences, and early career as a cartoonist. Loosely connected chapters chart a child- and young adulthood surrounded by cooks and bakers, bouncing between Manhattan kitchens and upstate farmhouses, and through art school and the booming culinary scene in Chicago. Knisley’s artwork has a classic, Richard Scarry vibe, and her illustrated recipes—from a family-special leg of lamb and huevos rancheros to the trick for perfectly sautéed mushrooms—are particularly show more delightful and inventive. Knisley tempers any navel-gazing impulses with humor, humility, and honesty, noting, for example, that even someone who loves fine food can still put away a truckload of McDonald’s fries from time to time. Just about everything in this rambling memoir is handled with good cheer, which hints at the positive energy and personal fulfillment Knisley has wrought from her young life in food. --Ian Chipman

-Booklist review show less

I am predisposed in every way to love this book -- I love food memoirs and I enjoy graphic novels and I love graphically illustrated recipes and, and and. Well done, and I love the author's completely non-snobby relationship to food and taste and storytelling.

I first read this book when I found it in the ridiculously small section of fun books in the Snow College Library. I read it in one sitting on the moderately-comfy chairs and then promptly checked it out to take with me so I could read it again. As I read this again, I again relish (:)) in the naturally calming presence this book gives off. My first time reading this kickstarted my unexpectedly serious fondness for croissants and helped me appreciate how food has played a role in my life.

Relish is one of [a:Lucy Knisley|731384|Lucy Knisley|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1361051635p2/731384.jpg] many memoirs, and it is absolutely my favorite. It doesn't lose flavor as a reread. In fact, I was able to try her pesto recipe this time show more around, and it lived up to my expectations. It's as good as she describes. I recommend reading this book and then making the food described inside. It makes your mouth water and your heart calm. show less