Mexican films and books

This is easy to recognize: sooner or later a ghost appears in the story. Mexican cultural history of Aztec and Maya is combined with Spanish Catholic beliefs, so the supernatural is never very far away. The Mexican celebration of Dia de Muertos (the Day of the Dead on Nov. 2) is world famous, and the memory of deceased ancestors is always kept alive. In the best Mexican food film Como agua para chocolate (Red Roses and Tortillas), people also live with the spirits. Tita is born on the kitchen table, so no wonder Tita becomes a good cook and the food she prepares “lives. When Nacha, the family’s friendly cook, dies, Nacha’s spirit guides Tita through life with good advice. When Tita’s strict mother dies, she becomes an evil spirit and haunts Tita with misfortune. Tita is in love with Pedro, but she is not allowed to marry him. He marries her eldest sister just to be close to Tita. Unable to communicate her love directly to him, she “communicates” with him through the food she makes.  

A dinner with passion

When Tita is sad while cooking, her emotions are absorbed by the food. As soon as the guests eat her food, they are overwhelmed by the same emotion as Tita. For example, eating the wedding cake causes the entire party to turn into a crying fest, ending in a collective vomiting session. When Tita receives roses from Pedro, she is full of love and lust. She prepares quails with rose petals and as soon as one of Tita’s sisters eats it she has a passionate session with a passing revolutionary. The magic is in the food and in the cooking.

Pièce de Résistance

Finally, when Pedro and Tita are free to do as they find, Tita cooks Mexico’s famous tricolore: stuffed green peppers with red pomegranate and white walnut sauce. By her good fortune, the feast ends in a giant orgy.

The writer

The film is actually not nearly as famous as the book, written by Laura Esquivel. It has been translated into 33 languages, and what makes it special is that the 12 chapters merge with 12 recipes. Each meal reflects a month in the year and also reflects a particular time or mood in Tita’s life. It is a rare combination of a really fun book to read with very good Mexican recipes. Almost all of the recipes are also used by Cinema Culinary. Her husband Alfonso Aura is a famous actor/director/screenwriter and directed the movie of her book.