From Scratch

Dear fellow readers,

If you like Hallmark movies, you'll love this heartfelt and moving series, From Scratch.

Warning: Spoiler Alert!

Amahle 'Amy' Wheeler reminisces about Italy and her love. She's a young law student studying art in Italy. She's meets Lino, who's persistent but she's with Giancarlo. Lino's a chef and invites her to his restaurant to cook for her and two friends. She admits she's never been well-fed. It's apparent they're smitten but she doesn't want to mislead him and wants to stay friends.

She unintentionally upsets him when she brings Giancarlo to her restaurant. He thought her parents were there to meet him. When she completes her studies, she makes one final attempt to reconcile with him and they make love. He says to her, 'People eat all over the world.'

They live together in her sister, Zora's apartment in Los Angeles. She gets a job as a curiator and he works in a restaurant whose food are terrible and not doing so well. The relationship starts off not so well living in the states. He doesn't feel at home and cooking for her family on Thanksgiving doesn't help when they don't eat anything he cooks. As her mother as a dietery requirement and her father and stepmother eat something else. This upsets him and he goes for a walk. She tried to make it more homely for him by showing him grits is similar to polenta and takes him to a bar to meet other expats. They enjoy a beer and soccer. That makes him feel more at home. She proposes and they return to Italy to get married.

He tries to reach out to his family but his father is adamant on pretending he has no son. Which hurts Lino. They get married and before leaving Italy makes a final stop in a little town on the outskirts of Cefalù. Amy calls his sister, Biaga and plans to meet without his father's knowledge. His mother begs for help from the reverend. And they finally meet.

They return home and things are different. Something's wrong with Lino's knee and it turns out to be cancer, leiomyosarcoma. He goes through treatments and surgery. Things seem to go well for awhile. They decide to adopt Idahlia and the cancer returns. This time things don't go well. Amy and Idahlia loses Lino. Amy has a hard time pulling herself back together. She fulfills her promise to take his ashes back home to Castelleone. His mother gives her titles to own a home, so she has a place for her and Idahlia but that upsets her because she feels she doesn't belong here. When she finally recovers, she was happy to stay and that made his mother happy.

This series was intense and tear-jerking. But worth watching. You will either love it or hate it because of what it makes you feel. You will feel the happiness and the struggles she goes through.

Until next read... ciao!