don't be a hero: splurge on salt.

currently i'm in barcelona for a mathematics summer school. the host university has put us up in apartments with fully stocked kitchens .. except for food, of course.

so if i've learned anything from these past few days, it's this:

always buy salt.

it's worth it.
nothing replaces it, not even freshly ground pepper.

today i made a quick soup of new potatoes, lentils, and onions, doing everything i could to infuse flavor. (i didn't buy broth, either.)

i flavored the broth with stalks of parsley.

i made garlic into a paste and stirred it into the soup.

i added pepper to the point where there was a definitive layer,
floating on the water surface.

when it was done, i served it with shavings of cheese on top.

it still tastes bland. it needs salt.