Food in LWFC

Food in this novel is really the only form of self-expression that Tita is able to use. The fact she's not from the richest family, her mother is domineering, and that she lives in a traditional patriarchical society leaves Tita with very little room for expressing herself. Food is her solace, with food she can express her love for Pedro, communicate to others the depth of her sorrow, and is even able to solve common problems.

Rosaura has no real connection to food, besides that she's not very good at cooking it and that Tita's food effects her life (i.e. the wedding). Gertrudis' life is profoundly effected by the food that Tita makes, as it makes her do things she otherwise wouldn't do. Mother Elena is eventually brought down by food, or a lack thereof, for fear of poison from Tita.

Food acts as a catalyst in this book in the case of human relations and for Tita it is a form of self-expression.

Like Water For Chocolate

Food plays a very interesting role in the novel. First, every chapter starts with a recipe, and is surrounded by the preparation and eating of the food. The food itself is the basis of the chapters, and leads to the various stories told. Almost all major events in the book happen either in the kitchen preparing for the food or at the table eating the food. Food interacts with the characters as well. Based on what was going on when the food was prepared, people eating feel differently. When Tita cried tears of sorrow in the cake batter, everyone eating cake felt sad and got sick. When eating the quail and rose petal sauce, Gertrudis felt an aphrodisiac effect, because of the love the sauce was made with. Tita was so happy making the turkey mole with almonds and sesame seeds, everyone eating it felt unexplainably happy. These are just a few examples of how food played a big role in the book and how it effects each character.

Food Traditions

Personally, being from an Italian family, food is a big deal for us. Every Sunday, for example, is pasta night in our house. It's something that was started in my Dad's family, and he was very adamant about it being a tradition in our house, so that's what we practice. Even if we're out Sunday night and can't have a pasta dinner as a family, we just reschedule for Monday or do it on Saturday.

As for big occasions, once again, pasta is a big deal. At almost every big family gathering, Thanksgiving, Christmas, reunions, etc., pasta is almost always the first dish. After that, especially on Christmas, seafood, such as baked clams or lobster, is served. Seafood for Christmas is another Italian tradition that has been passed on through my family.

Our food traditions revolve around not only food, but the people gathered for the food, and they are traditions that I hope to keep when I have my own family in the future.

Food Traditions

In our family the most common made dish would be rice and beans with tortillas. If family was getting together, an issue that needed to be talked about, or a celebration...I was never disappointed seeing that on the table. Its a simple dish that was made every time all the time and holds multiple funny occasions and memories. It was a simple dish that brought our family and friends together to enjoy a simple meal and the taste of my grandmas famous tortillas. When she got to old to make them it almost seemed like people started to drift off and away from each other. I believe that food as simple as rice and beans can hold power since it would bring my big family together. I still have the memories; I'm a horrible cook but i still aspire to get that recipe down on how to make the beans and tortillas just like mi abuelita (grandma).

Like Water For Chocolate

In the novel Like Water for Chocolate everything that Tita is feeling goes into her food. She makes Turkey Mole for her baby nephews party. She loves him so much, and is so happy taking care of him that she puts those feelings into the food. Everyone who eats her food that night at the party feels happier then usual without understanding why.

It is also possible to say that Tita's food is so good because she is so selfless. She takes care of her mother, her sister, her sister's husband(whom she loves), and her nephew. She never asks for anything in return, but to be close to the man she loves. She does not even ask to be with him; she only wants to take care of him and her nephew. That could be why her sister and mother can not cook like her. She cooks so well because she has such strong emotions, and so much passion.

Food Traditions

My families main food tradition is the corn bread stuffing we have on Thanksgiving. When my grandmother was alive she made it every year, and now that she is gone my mother has taken over the tradition. Most of our family holiday traditions have ceased to exist since my grandmother died, but the stuffing remains. It is not Thanksgiving to me without the corn bread stuffing. It has sage sausage in it, and all sorts of other really tasty ingredients.

My family did Thanksgiving early this year, so I went to my boyfriend's house on Thanksgiving Day. I learned about one of their special Thanksgiving, food traditions: corn pudding. I had never had it before, and can now say that corn pudding is delicious. My boyfriend's grandmother makes it every year, and according to him and his brothers, their mom tried to make it once and it turned out awful. Their grandmother's corm pudding is special to them. Even if their mom's corn pudding was good they would never admit it, because it was not made by their Mimi(what they call their grandmother. It can not be Thanksgiving for them without corn pudding just like it can not be Thanksgiving for me without corn bread stuffing.

LWFC

Throughout the novel Like Water For Chocolate food seems to be personified in a sense. It carries out the novels overall theme of control. For T is seems to be food that rules and controls in every situation she is not in control of. One example of this is the 'poison' wedding cake. She was unable to control the situation of her sister marrying her love. Therefore the cake took on the role of a valiant robin hood type, silently sneaking in and making everyone at the wedding sick, just about as sick as T herself felt at the situation. I took great joy in reading this section. It reminded me of my sisters wedding where everyone (including bride and groom) got food poisoning... happy honeymoon?