Relish by Lucy Knisley

As tasty a read as the myriad of foods it celebrates, Lucy Knisley’s Relish is a treat for many age groups. Recipient of a 2013 Alex Award, an honor conferred on outstanding adult books that appeal to teen audiences, the twenty-something author generously shares her memories of food and life in a wholly entertaining graphic novel.

          Daughter of a chef and a self-proclaimed gourmet, Lucy has grown up loving almost all foods, from salmon en papillote to McDonald french fries. Born in New York, raised in the country near the Catskill Mountains, and educated in Chicago, she considers her life to be one long culinary encounter, which she relates via amusing pictures and wry prose. Whether it’s being attacked by killer geese, picking bugs off mushrooms for a summer job, serving celebrities at catering events or attempting to solve the puzzle of whether a college student can afford to eat anything other than ramen noodles, Lucy describes each experience with a compelling mixture of zest, humor, and practical reflection. Neither advocating poor-quality edibles nor encouraging her readers to swear off donut chains (her advice about procuring the best croissant is to use prepackaged crescent rolls), she infectiously shares her view of food as an important and festive aspect of life.

          As the publishing company did not see fit to include a warning, herewith some advice: Do not read this book on an empty stomach. It will make you ravenously hungry. Knisley, however, shows remarkable foresight by including a simple, delicious-looking recipe in every chapter, making each section of her story doubly delightful.