I’ve just heard the news that Foodoodles From The Museum of Culinary History by my friend and mentor L. John Harris, author of The Book of Garlic (1974), has won Best Graphic Memoir in the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association 2011 Book Award Program.

I have written about the book and its author in a couple of blog posts, which you can find here and here . You can also listen to my interview with John on Mouthful, the Wine Country’s Most Delicious Hour, here.

“The book is superbly packaged and designed,” one of BAIPA’s  judges writes, “I love the way it looks and feels . . . I’m actually unclear how much of this is satirical vs. serious . . . That said, it did keep me reading and made me laugh.”

The book is smart and wry and exuberant, in a subtle way. There is so much wisdom within both the doodles and the commentary but it is delivered so delicately you may not realize how much you are learning until much later, when insights suddenly emerge when you least expect them. But this wisdom, the knowledge that seeps in almost without your noticing, is secondary to the sheer entertainment of reading it. It’s a delight.

Locally, the book is available at McCoy’s Cookware (2759 4th St., #A, Santa Rosa. You can also order the book through the Web site.

John also contributes essays and new foodoodles to zesterdaily.com. You’ll find his most recent one here.

Author L. John Harris, in his Garlic Toque

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