There are recipes in each section which I loved. The art has a bit of a chaotic feel to it which goes really well with the story. It's so relatable.

4 stars

This is a great funny graphic novel about dealing with cooking when your not that gifted in the culinary arts. It was fun reading the author's attempts and mistakes in cooking in this semi autobiographical illustrated story.

This is not a book for people who love cooking; it is a love song to struggles in the kitchen as a metaphor for any and all of life's hurdles. The art style fits the mood, showcasing that Jennifer Hayden's true talents lie outside the kitchen. Each section reads like a visual essay, closed out with a "recipe" for a life lesson. As a person who loves to cook, I did not particularly relate to the "I hate cooking but I have to feed myself and the humans who depend on me" of it all, but the use of kitchen struggles as a metaphor hit me hard.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of Where There’s Smoke, There’s Dinner: Confessions of a Cartoonist Cook.
I loved how the colours popped out, and thought that some moments were quite fun, but overall, I did not really enjoy it. I think it has to do with the fact that we are not really following a story. It felt like there were only snippets of stories, then it was over quite quickly and moved on to something else, which did not make me want to read the rest or make me attached to the characters. It was also probably a bit too chaotic for me.

I would rate it 2.5 stars and would not necessarily recommend it

The book stays true to its title and description. Some scenes were highly relatable—offering hilariously sharp takes on the daily chaos (misadventures) of cooking. The artwork, though vibrant, sometimes came across as too crowded, but nevertheless portrays the disorder. The concept is inventive and the running irony lands perfectly.

While I do love a food-based memoir, this one gives the idea a different twist. The recipes in this book are not quite what I expected, with an actual recounting of failed dishes, as well as more amorphous ways to express a feeling or a time. The approach to color in the illustrations is not really my cup of tea as it makes things feel a little too busy visually. I think the experiences around cooking as a parent will be relatable to some, with an open honesty about the ups and downs of the ways cooking intermingles with daily life.