Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu Volume 2

 

My Thoughts:

This is not a new manga, but it is a heart warming story of a magical izakaya in some German made up village. It is placed in a world where what is foreign and exotic for this town is not ridiculed as gross and different. Instead, in this seemingly secretive space, regulars find good food, cold drink and the ability to fellowship with enemies and superiors. 

In this second volume the reader gets a look into the magic of the place and how the pub sits in one time continuum/place and the back door of the restaurant is a portal into a future Japan.  Through the eyes of a young girl and would be water thief, the readers get a glimpse behind the Nobu curtain. This is perfect for young middles  and upper elementary. Readers will understand that kindness and hospitality will go far. Here is a place where rivals can find more in common than what makes them different. In addition, behaving badly cuts you off from the goodies. Also, if you are in the middle of the continent, USA, try to find some of these Japanese foods. It will be an adventure.

From the Publisher:

Japanese-style pub “Nobu” is open for business in an odd, foreign world, and the ever-welcoming Shinobu and Chief are happy to serve up unusually tasty bar food to an array of strange customers. A little thief, an obnoxious messenger, and a pair of squabbling craftsmen are all ready to chow down! Kisu tempura, sashimi, omusoba, and shuto and more are on the menu... The delicious aromas of food and drink bring everyone together in this gourmet tale of humanity!

Publication Information:

Author: Natsuya Semikawa

Artist: Virginia Nitouhei

Translator: Caleb D. Cook

Publisher: Udon Entertainment (December 11, 2018)

Paperback: 180 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1772940688

Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu

 

My Thoughts:

What do I love about manga? I love the kawaii factor, but I also love the humor in good manga. I like that bitter or angry characters are softened within the manga genre. This manga series takes place in a fictional European town that seems like somewhere in Victorian times by their dress. But in the a forgotten alley is a Japanese pub, or izakaya.  Once patrons find this little pub, they love the food. The "Chief" and the waitress, Shinobu,  are pleasant and magical. Somehow they get the best ingredients. The beer "what'sontapp" is always ice cold. They serve fresh fish even though they are not near an ocean. What is funny is that the different characters come in with different kind of troubles, and the Chief and waitress know exactly what they need to make them feel better. The food is simple, almost homey, but everyone leaves happy. For Chief, seeing his patrons come in after a long day and leave with a smile on their face is a good day. Kawaii. 

From the Publisher:

A Japanese style pub called “Nobu” exists in a back alley of the fictional medieval European city of Eiteriach. Its customers? A pair of slacker soldiers, a spoiled heiress, an uptight tax collector, and more... When the citizens of this strange world sit down to enjoy some unfamiliar Japanese cuisine, their troubles simply melt away… The curtain rises on this otherworldly eatery and the gourmet fantasy about to unfold within!

Publication Information

Author: Natsuya Semikawa

Artist: Virginia Nitouhei

Publisher: Udon Entertainment (Sept 17, 2018)

Salt and Sugar

 

My Thoughts:

I do love an enemies to friends, Capulets and Montague trope centered on dueling food establishments.  Lari Ramires and Pedro Molina come from dueling bakeries in Olinda, Brazil. Lari's family runs Salt and Pedro's family runs Sugar, and although they are competing, and although their families have had disagreements for multiple generations, they must work together if they are going to survive the large chain grocery that is buying out all of the small businesses in town. 

There are interesting subplots, including a connection between Lari's grandmother, Pedro's grandfather and Lari's father. There is so much anger and grief between the two mothers that the children, Lari and Pedro, are hiding their individual dreams from their families. Lari just wants to be a baker like her abuela, but her mom has always wanted her to go to business school so when she is forced to go to a cooking club where Pedro Molina is the president, she tries to hide her lack of cooking ability while also trying to learn from the other students. Pedro Molina goes to cooking school because he wants to take over the bakery. But his grandfather fears that Pedro will change the traditional recipes and ruin the bakery.

This is a predictable rom com with nice little complex twists. Read first or read later:

• A Phò Love Story by Loan Le
• Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim
• Café con Lychee by Emery Lee

From the Publisher:

The grandchildren of two rival Brazilian bakeries fall in love despite their families’ feud in this delicious debut rom-com perfect for fans of Nicola Yoon and Gloria Chao.
 
Trust neither thin-bottomed frying pans nor Molinas.
 
Lari Ramires has always known this to be true. In Olinda, Brazil, her family’s bakery, Salt, has been at war with the Molinas’ bakery across the street, Sugar, for generations. But Lari’s world turns upside down when her beloved grandmother passes away. On top of that, a big supermarket chain has moved to town, forcing many of the small businesses to close.
 
Determined to protect her home, Lari does the unthinkable—she works together with Pedro Molina to save both of their bakeries. Lari realizes she might not know Pedro as well as she thought—and she maybe even likes what she learns—but the question remains: Can a Ramires and a Molina truly trust one another?

Publication Information:

Author: Rebecca Carvalho

Publisher: Inkyard Press

Publication date: November 1, 2022

Love From Scratch

 

My Thoughts:

This is the perfect summer, fall break, spring break, or even long weekend read if you want something with food, social media, competition and romance. It's not all sugar and marshmallow fluff, though. The dramatic issues are realistic and timely for the YA reader, but the cute factor still wins. 

If you liked the way different characters interacted in the movie The Intern with Robert DeNiro, this is similar with two interns competing for one fall intern slot at a station very similar to the Food Network. What made this stronger was that each of the characters bring their own talents and gifts. They are not both cooks so they are not having to compete for the same thing. Instead, what works is their chemistry and the way they are able to collaborate and be more valuable as a duo. Fun!

From the Publishers:

This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She's landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern—and her main competition for the fall job.

Reese's plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet's newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown—while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch.  

Author: Katilyn Hill

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication date: April 5, 2022

Pocket Change Collective: Food-Related Stories

 

My Thoughts:

This is a very short (65 pages) personal account of food and the lessons learned from food and cooking by chef and activist Gaby Melian. It was short enough that I finished it on my airplane commute between Honolulu, Oahu and Hilo, Hawaii island - about 40 minutes with time to spare. These are heart felt anecdotes about the different ways in her life that food has not just taught her lessons, but saved her life. 

Each of her mini chapters starts with Food is. . .and lists one truth. For example, her last chapter or vignette is Food is Love. From the first paragraph:

Oftentimes, I ask "Have you eaten yet?" before I say "Hello." You have to understand that it is not just a result of an ever-curious stomach, although that surely plays a part. It is out of a deep, deep love for every aspect of cooking, down to the very atoms.

Although the anecdotes are short, I feel like I learned more about Ms. Melian than if I read a traditional memoir. I wish the purpose of these books were not to be small books for big ideas, only because I was hoping for some recipes, but I like the concept of pocket change literature. It is like carrying a poem in one's pocket for poem in a pocket day. It has to carry the most punch to be shareable and fit in your pocket, like this series.

Like a good poem or a great vignette, essay, short story or collection of shorts like this, the publishers want to leave an impression in a short amount of time. What this book has done is to leave an impression but also cause me to search out more from this series. I spent more time researching than reading the book. So here is what I found. The Pocket Change collective is a series out of Penguin Random House. This 10 title series is touted as "a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists." 

Other books in the Pocket Change Collective series: The New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli; Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon; Imaginary Borders by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez; This is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew; Concrete Kids by Amyra León; Taking on the Plastics Crisis by Hannah Testa; Continuum by Chella Man; Skate for Your Life by Leo Baker.

From the Publishers:

Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us. This is a series of small books with big ideas from today's leading activists and artists.

"Food rescued me so many other times -- not only because I sold food to survive. I cook to entertain; I cook to be liked; I cook to be loved." In this installment, chef and activist Gaby Melian shares her personal journey with food -- from growing up in Argentina to her time as a Jersey City street vendor and later, as Bon Appetit's test kitchen manager. Powerful and full of heart, here, Melian explores how we can develop a relationship with food that's healthy, sustainable, and thoughtful.

 

The Art of Sushi (Graphic Novel)

 

My Thoughts:

This graphic novel, similar to Feast Your Eyes on Food as well as the journalistic, anecdotal food "stories" like To Drink and To Eat: Treats & Tribulations from a French Kitchen is both a travel guide and a food biographies of Japanese masters. This book gives an insider look to the kinds of Japanese food that many of us will never enjoy, including 3 Michelin star omakase experiences.

 I enjoyed the history of sushi coming out of Edo, the older name for the region now known as Tokyo, and the birthplace of modern sushi. What was also valuable, though is that this is not just about sushi. This is about rice, taking care of the fresh ingredients and types of sake. 

Although the borders to Japan are still closed to us, I definitely started a travel folder to Japan. Ikimashō!

From the Publisher:

Fly to Japan and come discover all there is to know about sushi. After revealing the secrets of chocolate to us, Franckie Alarcon offers a gourmet panorama of this exceptional dish that has conquered the planet! But do you really know sushi? The author traveled to Japan to meet all the players involved in the making of this true work of culinary art. From the traditional starred chef to the young cook who is shaking up the rules, including all the artisans and producers involved, this book covers the most emblematic of Japanese products from A to Z. A fascinating journey of discovery that, along the way, tells a lot about Japan itself. You’ll never believe the precision and detailed obsession with quality ingredients involved.

Feast Your Eyes on Food (Nonfiction Picture Book)

 

Publication date: October 26, 2021

Author: Laura Gladwin

Illustrator: Zoe Barker

My Thoughts:

This graphic encyclopedia is illustration centric with just enough text and information to invite readers to skim and scan then go and find out more. The illustrations, like the cover are clean, detailed and a sensory feast. The art is the key to, as they say in the introduction to this book, feed more than just our bodies, but to use food to also bring us joy, as well as bring the world to our lips. Finally, this book is highlighted here because not only does it diversify the kinds of books students can pick up and read in your classroom, but it also hits all of the crucial characteristics of a well designed nonfiction picture book.

Crucial Characteristics of NonFiction Picture Books:

• Visual appeal - illustrations should be both  appealing and accurate
• Accurate and authoritative information - this book has a glossary, further reading references and a section on 10 ways to eat some of the foods.
• Engagingly written - the text in the book focuses on the amount of illustrations but the text is separated like a museum card where the text gives enough information in a couple of sentences. For example, for macadamia nuts, in the first sentence I find that they are natives of Australia and have been grown widely in Hawaii since the late 19th century. The second sentence gives some physical characteristics of the macadamia nut. 

Regarding the macadamia nut, a food that I am very familiar with and something that I have often brought with me as little gifts when traveling around the world, that first sentence about the nut being a native to Australia would have clued me in on bringing Kona coffee instead of macadamia nuts when I presented at a conference in Australia. Now I know and I did not have to read a whole books on Australia or on macadamia nuts. 

Dumpling Day - Picture Book

 Publication date: September 17, 2021

Words by: Meera Siriam

Art by: Inés de Antuñano

Recipes by: Laurel Paula Jackson

My Thoughts:

In one story about dumpling potluck, we see diverse families not only expanding our definition of dumpling, but giving readers a glimpse into family kitchens with The short text is a counting dumpling book that includes little taste hits followed by actual recipes and real photos. 

Picture Books in Secondary Ideas:

Food as culture as writing inspiration 

Expanding a definition of one thing  like dumplings = shish-barak with baba, bourekas with Saba, gyoza with oji-san 

Creating a recipe book with family stories and pictures

Anything that gets culture, food and writing with a link to community

With the Fire on High

From the Publisher:

Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

My Thoughts:

My waiting list is months long on my Hawaiʻi State public library e-book queue so I do not always remember what a book is about until it pops up months later and I start to read it. That initial excitement about finding a book I want to read and knowing what I was searching for at that time is elusive. Books start to blend together. I look at this cover and maybe I was in the mood for minority literature, girl power, something from the islands. Maybe I was looking for a book by the author of The Poet X. But based on my last post and the way these books fell into my inbox at the same time, I was definitely on a quest for new foodie fiction.

Like Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim, this is a book where food is magic and talent is tied to innate ability rather than schooling. What makes this different is it is foodie fiction- magic realism breaking into the YA contemporary market. So yes to girl power, minority characters struggling and thriving with very adult responsibilities. 

If you liked Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival and are looking for something more contemporary and less adult steamy, this one is for you. 

Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune

From the Publisher:

At the news of her mother’s death, Natalie Tan returns home. The two women hadn’t spoken since Natalie left in anger seven years ago, when her mother refused to support her chosen career as a chef. Natalie is shocked to discover the vibrant neighborhood of San Francisco’s Chinatown that she remembers from her childhood is fading, with businesses failing and families moving out. She’s even more surprised to learn she has inherited her grandmother’s restaurant. 

The neighborhood seer reads the restaurant’s fortune in the leaves: Natalie must cook three recipes from her grandmother’s cookbook to aid her struggling neighbors before the restaurant will succeed. Unfortunately, Natalie has no desire to help them try to turn things around—she resents the local shopkeepers for leaving her alone to take care of her agoraphobic mother when she was growing up. But with the support of a surprising new friend and a budding romance, Natalie starts to realize that maybe her neighbors really have been there for her all along.

My Thoughts:

I am a sucker for foodie fiction. Add some magic and a bit of romance and I devoured this book. I love the idea of food as healing and a source of magic that can change fortunes of a community. This was a great read. 

Tween Tuesday: Baker's Magic

Description:

Bee is an orphan, alone in a poor, crumbling kingdom. In desperation, she steals a bun from a bakery, and to her surprise, the baker offers her a place at his shop. As she learns to bake, Bee discovers that she has a magical power. When a new friend desperately needs her help against an evil mage, Bee wonders what an orphan girl with only a small bit of magic can do. Bee's journey to help her friend becomes a journey to save the kingdom, and a discovery of the meaning of family.

My Thoughts:

This has all the upper elementary, tween appeal of those classics like Anne of Green Gables or Pippi Longstocking, some of my favorite tween books growing up. As an only child, it sometimes seemed like I was an orphan and left to fend for myself. But I was shy and introverted. Nothing like the characters in my favorite books who were spunky and unique and unafraid. Bee, like Anne and Pippi  must fend for herself, but like these two other characters, she is spunky and brave different (and unafraid). She not only finds the source of her magic, but she is able to harness that magic to save her "family."  That kind of magic has never felt far fetched. Young ladies will find much to admire in Bee.

Sota's Knife

Description:

Sota Kitaoka, 20 years old, working at Ginza's famous "Tomikyu" under a strict but passionate boss, struggling and aiming to be a chef.  One day he will make food that reaches peoples' hearts...

My Thoughts:

I am so glad that I found this on Net Galley as it combines my love of manga with my love of foodie stories. Although this is a fictional account of a young wannabe cook at a famous Tokyo restaurant, Tomikyu, I feel like the stories reveal cultural and foodie culture truths that make Japan so very unique. 

I appreciate that the first story really identified the humility of Soto and his work ethic that will help him to succeed. That was a great way to identify this character and his  gambatte spirit. Other values that are highlighted in this manga:

• there is honor in even the most menial jobs
• if you want to learn something, you have to show that you are willing to put the work in beforehand to show that you are "teach worthy"
• ingredients, including water, are important
• there are no cutting corners on quality

More from this very enjoyable character please. 

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.