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Stories about women and food

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Tita is a Mexican woman who is forbidden by her mother from marrying her beloved, Pedro because of the family tradition: the youngest daughter must stay single to take care of her mother until she dies.

Her only way to express herself is through food. When Pedro marries Rosaura, Her tears in the wedding cake she bakes makes every guest violently vomits other than her. Her sister Gertrude literally burns in desire because of the quail in rose petal sauce she makes.

The book title comes from a Spanish idiom that means that one's emotions are on the verge of boiling over. There are a lot of forbidden and repressed feeling and dysfunctional family dynamic ready to boil over. Tita's struggle with her duty to her smothering mother and her true passion is powerful to witness.

the Oxtail Soup recipe from Like Water for Chocolate

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Vianne Rocher arrives with her daughter Anouk in a small French town to open a chocolate shop It infuritates the priest because of the contrast between delicacies and the focus of self denial during the Lent. With her compassion, courage and subtle magic, she changes a lot of people's lives.

Vianne is a fascinating character. She's stubborn and principled, but she also has fear and doubt, for example when Anouk gets isolated because Vianne opens the shop on Sunday and doesn't go to the church. I really like her interaction with other townfolks like Josephine (a domestic violence sufferer) and Armande (a free spirit who loves Rimbaud's poetry and estranged with her daughter)

Chocolat: Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake Recipe

Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl

Mary Maloney is a pregnant housewife waiting for her husband, Patrick, to return home from his job as a police detective.

Then Patrick breaks the news that he will get a divorce.

Shocked, Mary takes out a large frozen leg of lamb and prepares dinner. The rest will be spoiler

It's a witty short story with black comedy elements. It's best experienced by reading it.

Easy roast leg of lamb recipe