Another entry in my continuing adventures with Book Riot’s 2016 Read Harder Challenge.

Lucy Knisley begins her food memoir — yes, this month’s challenge choice — with a note that her memories are tied to how things tasted: the licorice rope she shared with her first crush, trying buttermilk for the first time with her best friend, and the myriad of meals she shared with friends while living in Chicago for school. This is my kind of girl. Someone who enjoys food and appreciates the emotional ties it can create.

Lucy grew up surrounded by food, good food. When she was young, her mother worked in catering and special events while Lucy got to hang out in the kitchens, taking everything in. Following her parents’ divorce, she got first-hand experience working on a small farm and subsequent farmer’s markets in Rhinebeck, New York. While in college, she tagged along with her aunt to review restaurants in Chicago and eventually found a job in a high-end cheese shop (living the dream!).

I really enjoyed the short, digestible chapters (pun very intended), and I loved that each one ended with a recipe or food guide. They read like a friend giving you a quick lesson in her kitchen. I will definitely steal her carbonara recipe. This book would pair well with a marathon of the PBS series Mind of a Chef. 

Jess is the Clerical Specialist at the Woods Run branch on the North Side. She’s your girl for YA lit, romance novels and knitting.