When I was studying Spanish at A-Level, our wonderful teacher (the aptly named Mrs Smart) used to let us watch the most beautiful Spanish films. It was through her that I was introduced to Almodovar, now a favourite director of mine. But the film I'd like to tell you about isn't one of his. The one I'm thinking of today is called Like Water for Chocolate. The film was adapted for the screen from the book by Laura Esquivel. We were lucky enough to watch it and read the book at the same time (dontcha just love doing that?).
Set in Mexico, it's a soulful story about love and loss and at the heart of it all is a family's relationship with food. Tita, the protagonist has a deep connection with food, to the point where she can influence people's emotions through her dishes depending on how she felt when she was cooking them. I couldn't possibly convey the magic of this film here, you simply have to see it for yourself. The book is revelation, too. Every chapter begins with a sumptuous Mexican recipe, which helps keep our minds focused on the food (and our mouths watering). A particularly memorable one is Quail in Rose Petal Sauce...
One of the reasons the film struck a chord with me is because my mum has always said that if you cook a dish in a bad mood the food will taste bad too. And I can attest to this - the number of times we've had an argument and my mum's cooking has tasted off. Does she do this deliberately by way of punishment, or could her feelings really be transferring onto the food? Or could it be my own bitterness post-argument that tarnishes the flavour of the food? Being a fanciful type, I like to think that her theory is right. And I swear when I come home some days and she's in a fabulous mood, the food tastes just as fabulous. In fact when something tastes dreamy I sometimes joke with her that she's definitely cooked 'x' with love.
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