Like Water for Chocolate

Magical realism isn't really my reading “thing”, so this wasn't a story I found all that compelling. The main “villain” of the story, Mama Elena, was the most interesting character to me: “Unquestionably, when it came to dividing, dismantling, dismembering, desolating, detaching, dispossessing, destroying, or dominating, Mama Elena was a pro.” Love that quote.
Even though the book was just okay for me, I'm still interested in seeing the movie, just to see how Mama Elena is portrayed.

I did enjoy the recipes and instructions for cooking various Mexican dishes intriguing. I wished there had been more focus on the historical context of area and time period, but that's because I'm a nerd. :-)