I'm glad I like baking

[kareina]

Normally (since arriving in Milan) I cook food before going to bed to have ready to take with me in the morning for lunch (since my research group takes lunch together each day I don't want to go home to make lunch). However, after yesterday's adventures we came back to uni to upload photos and write up the post about it, and read other people's posts, and the next thing I knew it was midnight! So I turned off the computer, went home, did yoga, and went to sleep. This morning I didn't have the energy to prepare anything, so I just stuck some fruit and cheese into my lunch bag, and stopped at the shop downstairs in my building (for the first time) and picked up a couple of bread rolls which looked like they might taste good to go with it. Two rolls costs 0.90 euros. That may not sound like much, but compare that with the bags of flour I've been buying to bake with, which sell for 0.35 euros for 500 grams. I could bake an awful lot of rolls for 0.90 euros, and then I'd know precisely what is in them--is the roll I bought just flour/water/yeast? Did they add sugar? Salt? Fat? Preservatives? I have no idea, and not enough Italian to ask, and would the lady who sold it even know? All in all I'm convinced that while it is ok to have easily available "emergency" food for sale so close to home, most days I'd really much prefer doing my own baking and getting the pleasure of doing the work as well as the advantages of spending less cash and being certain of what is in it.

Comments

[fjorlief.livejournal.com]

While it is far too hot to want to cook here, I am in total agreement with you on the economy and the enjoyment of cooking ones own food.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Yes, it sounds like you guys have it even hotter than it has been here. Though, arriving here so soon after leaving winter makes it *seem* hotter. I did *finally* (today) invest in a small fan, so with luck the evening cooling will be more effective in cooling the house than it has been. So far it hasn't dropped lower than 24 C inside by the time the sun comes back up again, and that was the nights it rained!

[fjorlief.livejournal.com]

Using a fan to pull cooler air inside is really helpful. As far as heat here... it never got much below 30C last night, and haven't had much if any rain in the summer. I sure hope this heat wave doesn't last too long.