Episode Title: Cream-Soaked French Toast
I was restless last night after my Desperate Housewives binge (Susan is driving me up the wall #IYKYK), so I decided to head over to Max to look for something to watch before bed. I can’t tell you how shocked I was to see that one of my favourite historical dramas, Like Water for Chocolate, had joined the ever-growing list of rebooted classics, and the season’s first episode had premiered just minutes earlier. I’ll admit that I was hesitant about starting the series. The 1992 film is a near-perfect adaptation. Did we really need a reboot? But when I pressed play and saw that THE Salma Hayek Pinault was an executive producer? I WAS IN! No further questions were necessary. So, let’s get into my spoiler-free Like Water for Chocolate Episode 1 recap!
A Personal Connection
There’s a special place in my heart for Like Water for Chocolate. Written by Mexican novelist Laura Esquivel and first released in 1989 (the English translation of the novel and film adaptation were released in 1992), Like Water for Chocolate is the love story of Tita de la Garza and Pedro Múzquiz set in late 19th to early 20th-century Mexico. As the youngest of three girls, Tita is not allowed to get married; according to long-standing family tradition, she must take care of her mother until the day she dies. So when Pedro asks for Tita’s hand in marriage, her mother firmly rejects his request. To stay close to his true love, Pedro decides to marry Tita’s older sister, Rosaura, instead. Crazy, right?
Like Water for Chocolate is one of the only books I can vividly remember reading in my high school Spanish Lit class. I have fond memories of my teacher going to great lengths to make sure her small class of girls understood the magical realism of the novel and talking to us about the ways love can consume and transform us from the outside in, just as she herself was falling in love with the man who would become her husband. I am hoping against hope that this series is every bit as compelling as the novel. Fingers crossed!
In this Episode
Tita’s birth
Tita is born in the same place she’ll grow up: the De la Garza kitchen. After a difficult labour, Tita’s mother, Mamá Elena, is unable (and unwilling) to care for her properly, and Tita is left in the care of Nacha, the wise and elderly ranch cook.
Nacha
Nacha has worked for the De la Garza family since Mamá Elena was a child. She helped raise Rosaura and Gertrudis but naturally forms an incredibly close bond with Tita. Nacha becomes Tita’s confidante and teaches her many recipes and remedies. In fact, Tita grows so connected with cooking that her feelings are infused into her food; if she’s happy when she’s cooking, you’re happy when you’re eating.
The De la Garza Women
We meet all the De la Garza women. Mamá Elena, the family matriarch, is strong and stern (and that’s a gross understatement) but clearly grieving an unspoken loss. Rosaura, the first daughter, is moody and jealous and yearns to please her mother. Gertrudis, the middle child, is free-spirited and daring, and she feels like the heart and joy of the family. Tita, the youngest, is kind and sweet. There is no word yet on Señor de la Garza, but we’ll meet him soon enough.
Torrejas de Nata
As with the novel, we’re getting a recipe with each episode. This time around, it’s torrejas de nata (cream-soaked french toast), which Tita prepares for Pedro before he leaves to join the Mexican Revolution. I’ve never had torrejas de nata before, but I’ll be the first one at the kitchen table if Tita’s making it. It looked so decadent! Made with cream, egg yolks, and cinnamon, this sweet snack is soaked in syrup before serving. Considering what’s about to happen, watching Tita and Pedro in the tenderness and sweetness of their love was a comfort.
Tita and Pedro’s Almost-Love Story
Tita and Pedro meet as young children and fall in love at first sight. They vow to let nothing separate them, even as Pedro goes off to the city for two years to join the start of the Mexican Revolution. However, their plans to get married are initially hampered by the contemptuous relationship between Pedro’s father and Tita’s mother after a bad business deal and absolutely decimated when Pedro learns of Mamá Elena’s plans for Tita’s life.
Some Initial Thoughts
From the opening scene, it’s clear that the series will honour the source material. This reimagining brings the book to life in a way the movie didn’t have enough time to do and expands the scope of each chapter in the novel. For context, the 1992 film runs a little under two hours; this first episode is 50 minutes long. This gives the material room to breathe and makes for a far more robust story.
Shout out to the casting department! Every single actor is here to WORK. But I have to give the De la Garza ladies their flowers. Mamá Elena, played by Irene Azuela, and Rosaura, played by Ana Valeria Becerril, particularly stand out in this episode. Just watch those ball scenes and tell me you’re not watching Rosaura turn into Mamá Elena right before your very eyes! It’s in her every step, every turn of her head, every purse of her lips, and every dirty look she gave her sisters. An absolute star! We’re not meant to like her character, but I was utterly transfixed!
This episode lays the groundwork for a proper eruption between Rosaura and Tita. But this time around, unlike in the novel, it’s clear that Rosaura actively participates in arranging her marriage to Pedro. She is up to something. I know it! And I cannot wait to see Tita curse her clean out!
The Verdict
Welp, I have to take back all my misgivings. And I do so gladly! I will be in front of my television every Sunday evening for the rest of the season. Whether you read the book or watched the film, Like Water for Chocolate is some good must-see television to close out the year. I’ll be back next week for a recap of episode 2!
Happy watching!
