But even as I grew confident around a stove, progressing from roasting a chicken to boning a duck, from baking muffins to culturing sourdough, I avoided making funnel cake.

NPR: The Curious Incident of the Funnel Cake in the Lawn

Southern friends I queried all recalled frenzied bouts of baking.

WSJ: Southern Hospitality, Wrapped Up

Working with two at a time, I twisted the ropes of dough together and tucked them into baking tins.

WSJ: Delicious Babka With Nutella

Oh yes, and I did tell my husband there was no way Amy was baking all the items in the bakery section.

FORBES: Move up http://i.forbesimg.com t Move down

But now I found myself looking at a map, standing on a wide road, baking in the sun like the rest of the tourists.

BBC: A caffeinated return to Florence