First she told me that she mainly shops in Dia, un supermercado barato. I noticed that most of the brands of the packaged food she serves us is indeed branded with the Dia logo. Mamen also frequents local fruterias y carnicerias to obtain fresher items. There is also the nearby Mercado San Juan. She goes shopping for food everyday to ensure the freshest items possible. She told me that the best day for fresh carne is on Tuesdays.
On the topic of the rising cost of food, she sighed and replied, "Muchisimo." She then proceeded to give numerous examples, stumbling over the conversion between pesetas and Euros, and in turn making it a little difficult to follow her. So I decided to ask her more about her feelings on Euros, sensing some discomfort and frustration, not only with high food prices but with the change in currency. She, like many other people of the older generation, really do not like the Euro. They have grown up with the peseta and so they still must do conversions in their head to know how much something actually costs (which, as tourists, we do as well). I fully empathized with her frustration, thinking about how if the US ever tried to change its currency I would vehemently oppose it. Mamen also discussed how switching to the Euro has produced inflation. For instance, la sandia, which used to cost around 15 centimos, is now running about 60 centimos (I don't know if that's per kilo, that's where I got lost). All fresh products, she says, have increased in price and decreased in quality. She says that "mas notara la subida en las cosas mas necesitadas" like bread, fruit, milk, patatas. She also discussed the differences in the cost of lomo do cerdo over the past few years; it used to be around 3,50 Euros, and is now around 4,50 Euros.
After exhausting this topic (I think we were both getting a little muddled in the numbers), she explained that she usually knows what she is going to cook each day, but if there is a special oferta, she will likely buy that item instead of her planned list. Mamen also told me she spends only about an hour and a half cooking each day, which surprised me I guess, but it makes sense. Breakfast is no time at all, and the most she spends cooking is for la comida in the middle of the day. Dinner is often simple and doesn't take much preparation. However, she made me tortilla espanola last night, for which I thanked her repeatedly, and she told me that it usually takes her 2 hours to make just that, which is why she doesn't do it often. I appreciated it even more.
Mamen and I have been going crazy over patatas fritas this week (potato chips, not fries) and she admitted to me that they are her favorite food. She has been giving us packaged chips which have been delicious, but says she also makes her own and I cannot wait to try them. She also wanted me to add, on a more serious note, that she loves el cocido madrileno (which I just realized now means "stew" rather than "cooking" and thus makes my request that she specify moot).
I'd always appreciated the work Mamen does for me on a daily basis in preparing my meals, but knowing now that there is quite a science to pricing and waiting in lines and going to the best and cheapest stores, I really am thankful for her daily efforts.
Katherine - the escalating costs associated with food are shocking, as Mamen noted. I am constantly in awe of how well the señoras control everything here: from the cost of lettuce to how long the rice needs to cook, they are experts!
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