Was playing my tbr piles yesterday and uncovered this one. Decided I should read it now as I‘m making dinner for old friends coming over tonight: chili, jalapeño shortbread, salad, baked potatoes, and an apple cake with crunchy nut topping for dessert.
pickMeal doesn‘t feel as polished as other comics, but it has so many wonderful things going for it. It‘s a food comic in the vain of What Did You Eat Yesterday but with bugs as the focus. The protagonist is queer and is involved in a very cute romance. The entire cast is diverse, which is fantastic to see. It‘s a fascinating read that has me rethinking my views on bugs and cuisine as a whole.
Reading this for #readharder2020 prompt “a book about a cuisine you‘ve never tried before.” This one focuses on insect-based culinary creations. 👩🏾🍳🐜🦗🐝🐛🌮
pickCheerful, cartoony grey-toned art; a lesbian romance between nonwhite characters; plus a passion for food: it‘s a winning combination. The focus on traditional insect cuisine as practiced in different parts of the world was enlightening. Eating insects doesn‘t appeal to me, but that didn‘t stop me from enjoying this heartwarming #graphicnovel. #LGBTQ
pickA #graphicnovel about a restaurant and its employees hoping to normalize entomophagy— that is, eating insects/bugs. More than that, though, it‘s a reminder that foodie trends come from somewhere, and westerners should actively work to decolonize eating culture even as we embrace new-to-us cuisines. It‘s a bit didactic at times but a good reminder. Lots of diverse representation in the cast and an LGBTQ+ romance as a side plot round out the book.
pickThis #graphicnovel touches on identity, history, ownership of food production, art, neighborhoods and a lot more. Love the rich backgrounds of the characters and how very, very strong each one is as an individual. Reading Soleil Ho‘s background essay after the drawn portion ends gives extra strong context to this fabulous book. (Pic from RacistSandwich.com, the podcast where I first heard Soleil Ho.)
Meal | 
