I love these little Pocket Change books. They create space for short short form nonfiction, and this one contains bite size (pun intended) stories of an Argentinian chef/food activist. She also reads the audiobook, which is great.

This would be a quick read for anyone interested in cooking and the legacy we inherit from those who teach us to cook.

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.

I really appreciate the accessibility of these Pocket Change Collective books. The short format makes them approachable and more easily digestible, so I love to see this collection take its place in YA nonfiction. As for the content of this book, it's like watching your favorite cooking show with a plate of something delicious in front of you. Melian's passion for food radiates off the page and is absolutely infectious. Her determination and courage to make her dreams come true are something to applaud and will interest even the non-food-obsessed.

Cooking has been a passion of this author for years. That, and sharing the meals she’s cooked with the people she knows and cares for. That pairing of food and love has been a constant in Gaby Melian’s life, from her days making and selling empanadas, from her own kitchen, in New York City, to her years of being a chef and teaching others to cook. Her warm personality comes through the text in this memoir, as well as how food and cooking have sustained her through her years of immigrating to a new country, years of culinary school and much hard work in restaurants, and finally to reminding her of her mother’s love while cleaning out her mother’s apartment after the woman’s passing. This short memoir was a pleasure to read, and had me wishing to hear more about Gaby's experiences.

Thank you Netgalley and to Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This book was interesting to read as an adult reader, her life and adventures are something to help people strive to persevere. When it comes to teens or middle schoolers I do not know if they would be as interested in the stories the author tells. The stories just feel as though they were meant to be read by someone in their 20s instead of someone in their early or late teens. I do like the compact nature of the book. It is very easily read and digested. I also enjoy how all the stories are about a certain subject like "love," "courage," etc.

This was a great quick, but enjoyable, read. I loved how the author shared personal life lessons and memories. One part of the book that really stood out to me was how the author said every memory, every place you’ve been in your life has a smell. I also really liked the message at the end of the book; your path in life can change over time and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Food-Related Stories is exactly what its title suggests. It is made of little vignettes that don’t quite come together to form a cohesive point. There’s a lot of biographical information that seems like it could either lead to more stories, or are irrelevant to the essay at hand. I love the Pocket Change Collective series, but this one didn’t live up to my expectations.