Originally posted by soul_rage:
Hi sgdiehard
have you tried the carrot cake I mentioned to you at Lor 1 Toa
Payoh beside the Macs?
Anyway, pertaining to your question, again I would like to say that
its not in our culture to prepare food at home. In Europe, its not
about the pains of cooking. Its about the healthy idea of preparing
your own food and whipping up a meal with the private time you have
(which is sorely lacking in Singapore since we work like slaves
anyway).
Besides, Europeans love salad and sandwiches in general.
Preparation isn't difficult. I have done that before, gone into
their way of life. Quite healthy I would say 
coming back to your idea of a restaurant in europe where you need
to spend 20 euros, can I ask where were you when you ate in the
restaurant?
Coz the restaurant I had in Germany cost me no more than 10 euros
most of the time, and the portions are huge.
Try their pasta at 5 to 7 euros, its easily 2 x the portion we have
here.
Oh and by the way, red wine costs as cheap as < 2 euros to 4
euros in supermarkets, and c.ocktails cost only 0.99 euro for 1
litre. And red wine is good for health.[/b]
I was in Paris, Cologne, Dusseldorf, on an average, I spent 20
euros in restaurant. Sandwick, lasagna take away from mobile stalls
no counted. I don't dispute the figures you quoted, and it is a
fact that wine is cheaper than water, rarely find freshly squeezed
fruit juice. Drinking wine is a culture, but not cooking at home.
remember how often your grandparents, or your parents eat out when
your dad were young? Today it is the younger ones who are busy and
not eating at home with parents, not the other way round, a change
in culture? probably, for the better, no.
Fast food is made for easy cooking, not for easy eating. you cook
salad? boil the pasta and add Prego souce in bottle ready made, the
little junior chefs in hotels serving international breakfast can
serve may be a hundred ommelettes, fried eggs, sunyside up, in just
over 3 hours. These are fast food western style, and it is one dish
for all, add a bowl of Cambell soup if you like.
But to the european, fast food is not their culture, it is
american. To them a proper meal would include, starter, appetizer,
main dish, and dessert. If you get invited to their home, no
housewife would serve you anything similar to any fast food you buy
outside. If your parents were to prepare dinner for all your
siblings together, it will always be rice or noodle, with fish,
vegie, chicken pork,... no? You can have just noodle with a few
pieces of vegie, and slices of pork, or 20 dumplings as a full
meal, you can also enjoy a full 9 course dinner first before you
are served rice, noodle or dumplings, in case you are not
full.
A good european meal, like the French cuisine, would take at least
3 hours. That is their culture, class, and pride. They, especially
the French, don't like their culture to be confused with foreigner,
especially the american, because too many people take the american
culture as french, like "french fry", or french toast", these have
absolutely nothing to do with the French. You can choose a simple
life, or you can also enjoy better thing in life, better food. It
is not the portion that counts, it is the quality, that is what the
French would tell you.
In Singapore, we have a lot more choice, at much more affordable
prices, than many other countries, definitely in major cities in
europe. Of course there are other exception like in Prague.
