Chapter 1 - Who would trust a skinny pastry chef

‘You’ve put on weight again, i can tell.’ Aldo yelled.

‘Why can’t you be like the other wives and care about your figure, and go to the gym’.

‘It’s embarrassing’! he continued.

Lucia sat silently at the kitchen table as his rant went on.

She thought to herself, i do care about my figure, I just care to be a little curvy.

But when Aldo took the Cannoli she had just made and threw them in the bin, this was a step too far.

‘No more baking til you lose 15kg’ Aldo shouted.’I will not have the money i make, used to make you fat’.

Lucia loved cooking pastries, it was her passion (along with eating them).

But most especially she loved making Cannoli.

She took pride in creating the perfect light and flaky shells (not oily) just a light crunch.

For the Cannoli filling she used marscapone, and ricotta mixed with vanilla bean and a hint of orange zest.

Her girlfriends would look forward to her bringing them to their Sunday morning catch up after church.

‘Mmm Squisito’ They would say in between mouthfuls. ‘You should be a professional chef Bella - So amazing’.

But Aldo controlled the money in the house, and he didn’t want to pay for her to attend Patissier School. Aldo wanted a traditional wife to be at home looking after the house and taking care of him.

So Lucia taught herself, from old handwritten recipe books she found at charity shops.

But her dream was to open a small pasticceria.

Aldo hadn’t always been like this. When they met he was very charming and funny.

Lucia had met him when she worked in her father’s shop.

When they met Lucia was a stunning 18 year old with long black shining curly hair, an olive complexion and and dark eyes with long thick dark eyelashes like a baby deer. She had a womanly body with curves like a young Sophia Loren, but very slim.

Aldo was entranced, and her father approved of him as he would one day take over his family’s Olive Oil business.

So longing to have a life away from the strict upbringing of her family, Lucia agreed to marry Aldo at 21 (even though she was not totally sure she loved him).

Little did she know it would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, with Aldo controlling everything about their lives.

Her solace was baking, but most especially eating what she had made.

When Aldo was at work, she was free to experiment and test out her pastry ideas. She would lay out her creations on the table, take pictures for her secret instagram, and then consume everything. (hiding the evidence she would call it).

With her baking 3 or 4 times a week. Lucia had ballooned up 20kg, and by 22 weighed 80kg now. But her weight gain made her feel more sexy and feminine.

Who would trust a skinny pastry chef anyway, she smiled to herself.

As she heard Aldo close the door for work, she went to the kitchen bin.

Hmm there were at least 6 Cannoli that were just sitting on top of other Cannoli and not touching any rubbish.

She fished them out of the bin. Too good to waste.

She lovingly consumed all six, in ecstasy of the creamy taste, and delicate crunch, while fondling her belly that was now resting comfortably on her soft thighs.

These were best she had made so far.