Emma Joyal's recipe for Feminism

The text and images in the recipe stand alone (in the pdf below), but in the "response," Emma Joyal explains why her creative approach lends itself so well to expressing her manifestx.

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Recipe for "The Ultimate Best Most Delicious and Most Gooey Feminist Vegan Cookie Recipe" (pdf)

Response

Hi there! My name is Emma, and my pronouns are she/her! I am entering my fourth year at the University of Winnipeg with a major in English Honours and a minor in Women and Gender Studies. I appreciate that both these areas of study allow me to incorporate my interests in queer theory, social justice, and feminism. WGS courses are some of my favourites to take part in. As a queer woman I feel a deeper sense of safety, representation, and fulfillment in spaces dedicated to actively dismantling oppressive systems of power.

In her response, Joyal states that, "Despite its satirical approach, my manifestx works to earnestly convey the concerns which are of importance to my feminism."

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My feminist manifestx embraces a creative approach by taking the form of a recipe. Manifestxs have the potential to be fairly dense, and thus, my final product seeks to be accessible in regard to language and ideas. The choice to format my manifestx as a recipe partially stems from the fact that feminist manifestxs are somewhat similar to an ingredients list- one which details the social justice initiatives and/or approaches which are imperative to an individual’s vision of the feminist movement. In writing my ingredients list, I indulged in crafting a series of baking puns that would reflect my feminist passions and desires. I also engage with certain tropes of recipe writing, as can be seen in the title of my manifestx. It is commonplace for recipe sites to promote their work using a series of buzz words, with each recipe claiming to be ‘the best’ or ‘most incredible’ version of the dish. These details contribute to establishing a more authentic and satirical take on the recipe format.

The ingredients in Joyal's recipe consist of "a series of baking puns," such as "Chocolate chipping away the patriarchy" as in this image.
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My manifestx also aims to subvert misogynistic expectations of domesticity- those which are commonly associated with baking, cooking, and recipe writing. There is power in reclaiming the kitchen space, not for domestic work, but simply for the gratifying and communal aspects of creating food. Despite its satirical approach, my manifestx works to earnestly convey the concerns which are of importance to my feminism.  

I hope you enjoy my recipe and please let me know if you give it a try! :)