March 21, 2016
Ha, a professional cartoonist and amateur chef, gained online notoriety for her Tumblr project entitled “Banchan in 2 Pages,” a weekly comic with illustrated instructions for various Korean dishes. Ha now transitions to print with this collection of 65 drawn recipes, 50 of which are new for the book. Offerings range from traditional to contemporary, and include six types of kimchi, seafood dishes such as spicy octopus and pan-fried yellow croaker, and separate chapters for stews, porridges, noodles, and street food. Promoted as an “intersection of graphic novel and cookbook,” it is a work in need of a traffic light. The illustrations are colorful and charming, full of animated vegetables, a superhero can of Spam, and a winking squid. But her two-page compositions are highly nonlinear and extremely crowded, making the recipes appear more complicated than they actually are. Arrows and dotted lines are employed to give structure, but they further distract the eye. Meanwhile, numerous descriptions and instructions are presented in speech bubbles or crammed onto the page in tight paragraphs. It’s an adventure in risky chopping for those who like to read along as they prep.
June 15, 2016
On her blog Banchan in Two Pages (banchancomic.tumblr.com), cartoonist Ha publishes comics that illustrate how to prepare Korean foods such as steamed eggplant, pan-fried tofu, and tangy sea kelp salad. These and more than 60 other dishes fill her debut book, which presents culinary, cultural, and autobiographical content in graphic novel form. With supervision, even children and young adults can handle Ha's recipes, many of which are narrated by a sprightly character named Dengki. Readers will also benefit from supplementary spreads appearing throughout (e.g., intro to extreme temperatures in Korean dining, Korean regions & foods, Korean meal guide). VERDICT Like Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking, this highly recommended collection is a solid introduction for readers who feel daunted by Korean cooking and ingredients.
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