This movie is one of those rare movies which manages to be dramatic and funny and unfolds a good story. I didn’t mind that this German-made film was all in subtitles. Martha Klein is an excellent chef at a popular restaurant. She doesn’t mind leaving the kitchen and going out to argue with patrons when they occasionally complain about one of her dishes. In one scene when a man complains that his rare steak is not rare enough, she walks out to the table and places a piece of raw meat on his plate! She takes pride in being “precise” with her recipes and food preparation.

Tragedy strikes when her sister is killed in an automobile accident, leaving her daughter, Martha’s niece, to recover in the hospital and facing life without a family. Martha takes her niece in with the initial plan to find her father who is living somewhere in Italy. Martha and her niece Lina face a few bumps in their relationship but they become close, just as her father from Italy shows up. Lina also had come to like Martha’s new boyfriend, Mario, who encouraged her to eat by feeding her his great recipes and helping her to get past a “no eating” stage. Martha finds herself attracted to Mario, even though she once viewed him as strictly competition when he was hired to help her out in the kitchen.

As the story winds down the viewer will wonder if young eight-year-old Lina will remain with her father, or find a life back with Martha and possibly with Mario, who has fallen in love with Martha. The humor, perseverance of the characters, and realistic situations will draw the viewer in. It includes scenes of forgiveness and of being willing to change and grow. We gladly award this film our Dove Seal, this movie which is much more than a movie about chefs and great foods. Bon Appetite!