Discussion Question 5

5. Why do you think that Laura Esquivel uses the title, Like Water for Chocolate? Do you think it is used symbolically or because it is a main recipe?

Discussion Question 4

4. Why do you think Tita refuses to talk to Doctor John when she is first taken to his house?

Discussion Question 3

3. Why do you think Tita was so mad about Esperanza having to take care of her mother, Rosaura, for the rest of her life? Do you think she was being rational? Was it o.k. for her to be so mad when it wasn't even her situation or child?

Discussion Question 2

2. Do you think Tita lead on both John and Pedro? If yes, do you think it was o.k. or just for her to do so? Explain.

Recomendations from the editors

We personally did not like this novel, Like Water for Chocolate. The book was very hard for us to follow and we were confused many times. We were also puzzled with the book, trying to figure out if it was supposed to be real life or more fiction. The ideas of this book seemed not be too clear. At times we were even unsure of who the author was talking about or what they were doing. The recipes also broke up the flow of the book. It made it even more confusing.



We would not recommend this book to anyone, especially if you are looking for more of a happy, upbeat, Cinderella kind of fairy tale. Even though the ending of this novel is happy, the events before it are sad and ruthless. We would definitely recommend this book to adults more than children or teenagers. The content of this book is more adult, and the book doesn't have the reading language or material kids and teenagers like. This book showed great language skills and writing expertise, on the authors part, but the theme of the story was not for us.

Recipes

The book, Like water for Chocolate, is filled with new recipes every chapter including these:

Chabela Wedding Cake:
175 grams refined granulated sugar
300 grams cake flour, sifted three times
17 eggs
grated peel of 1 lime

Quail in Rose Petal Sauce:
12 roses. preferably red
12 chesnuts
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 drops attar of roses
2 tablespoons anise
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic
6 quail
1 pitaya

Northern -style Chorizo:
8 kilos pork loin
2 kilos pork head or scraps
1 kilo chiles anchos
60 grams of cumin
60 grams oregano
30 grams pepper
6 grams cloves
2 cups garlic
2 liters apple vinegar
1/4 kilo salt

For more delicious recipes and how to make chocolate, get the book Like Water for Chocolate at your local book store or at Amazon. com. (link for Amazon.com and more provided below!)

Disscussion Question 1

1. Do you think Mama Elena's box has something to do with the treatment of her daughters? Why or why not?

Summary

This novel starts out with a beautiful girl named Tita who lives with her mother, Mama Elena, her sister Gertudis and Rosaura, ranch hands, and her family cook, Nacha. Mama Elena is harsh and demanding of her three daughters, making Tita's life hard from the beginning. Since Tita is the youngest of her sisters, she is forced to stay home and take care of Mama Elena until she dies because of the Mexican tradition.


Tita falls in and out of love with a man named Pedro and a man named John. Conflicts keep her away from her first love, Pedro, but not as much with her second love, John, because of her mother's death. With the help of food and her sister, Gertudis, she is able to find her true love through all the confusion.


This book, Like Water for Chocolate, is about a young girl who struggles with family and love. With tasty recipes thrown in, this book is entertaining and delicious. This heart-wrenching tale of a Mexican family and their cruel traditions will keep you reading. As tension between Rosuara, Pedro and Tita sky rocket, the actions of Tita's daily life will keep you intrigued. the drama makes for facinating actions, with some devastating ends. Read Like Water for Chocolate to find out who Tita really marries!

Setting

The book, Like Water for Chocolate, is set in past time Mexico during a time of turbulence and upheaval. This time period is set during the Mexican Revolution when it has just begun. The main part of the novel is set on the De La Garza ranch in a more rural part of Mexico. In the middle, the setting changes from the main character, Tita, living in the De La Garza's ranch to moving in with the village doctor John Brown. Tita spends most of her time in the kitchen of the small ranch house, cooking and cleaning which is where most of the events occur.