Lost interest on this one. I had high hopes when she started to write a story from a roach's point of view, but it didn't last. ( )

Between Two Fires is a charming collection of Laura Esquivel's thoughts on the intersection of food, culture and the modern world, which are illustrated with these quirky drawings about Mexican life. These were all previously published in Mexican Vogue, newspapers/magazines or as prologues to books.

Esquivel really delves into her thought process in connecting food to romance, the basic idea behind her hit book Como Agua Para Chocolate. Esquivel believes that food is one of the roots of Mexican culture because it connects people with the past through ingredients and the communal act of sharing a meal. Love (both familial and romantic) is passed through cooking. She is also emphatic about this idea of the "New Man" - when culture will reject its complicated, fast-paced lifestyle for the simplicity and ideals of the past.

Her writings are largely agreeable and insightful, but I found "God is Above, The Devil Below!" disturbing because it plays on the racist attitude that indigenous Mexicans are some less than Mexicans with more Spanish blood. I read the translated version so it's impossible to tell if Esquivel is being genuine or sarcastic, but either way, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Esquivel does show her depth as a writer, however, by being able to transition from writing from romance to the silly, yet meaningful tales of Manchamanteles and Apolonio. The only thing that is stopping me from giving this book 4 stars is that the prologues lack context without the full text attached. ( )

This book is basically a collection of 14 short speeches and introductions and forwards written by Esquivel for recipes or others' books. The stories are interesting and well written and the pages are beautifully illustrated. It probably takes about an hour to read so it's good for light reading. ( )