Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley

The process of reading this graphic novel was one of steadfast determination. Ask me why? I was hungry ever so often while looking at lovely illustrations and the mouth watering descriptions of gourmet foods, street snacks, cakes and cookies. There is only so much one can resist! I finally decided that the best way to go ahead with reading this book was to have a huge bowl of pasta with tomato garlic pesto next to me as I devoured page after page of Lucy Knisley’s autobiographical gastronomical journey. 

Born to New Yorker parents who appreciated good food, Lucy had her encounter with gourmet dishes and elaborate preparations much before she discovered the usual fare of junk food. From toddler years in New York to her teens in the countryside and later to arts school in Chicago, Lucy was always surrounded by foodie corners and people who influenced her palate with their distinctive styles. The most important among them being her mother, an arts school graduate, who she says is among the best and most versatile cooks and also a caterer by profession who catered to the likes of Annie Leibovitz. 

Lucy’s food memories are so tangible that thanks to her excellent medium of description, mouth waters at the mention of enchiladas, her mother’s famous basil pesto and the most delicious croissants she reminisces about. These famed croissants in question were the ones Lucy had in the city of Venice in a bakery close to her hotel with the yummiest core of apricot jam and buttery layering. The struggle to make them at home with similar effect on her palate lead to the point of a nervous breakdown with exhaustion which needed a friend to finally intervene and stop her. Incidents like this are scattered in various sections of the book reminding readers like me that food memories are hardest to erase. 

The beauty of the book lies in Lucy’s ability to laugh at herself and her adventures. Needless to say there are many adventures that will keep the reader engrossed though not in an entirely chronological order. Divided in to chapters based on foods of her choice and sometimes on events, the book sees Lucy from her time on high chair to the point of her being an illustrator who loves cooking, working alongside her mother, whom she regards as Demeter to her Persephone!

This book is an invaluable addition to any book shelf .