I went into this whole Eat thing knowing that I would have to ask questions, and most likely turn down a lot of the foods that I enjoy. I knew that eating out of my home would be a nightmare, and that lots of foods would be staring me down and screaming “why won’t you just eat me!?!”
Today I had a different experience.
Today I was on Granville Island wandering around before seeing a show (if you get a chance, see “Do You Want What I have Got? – A Craigslist Cantata”.. it was so good I cried tears of laughter). I was wandering aimlessly and the delicious aromas of the market were taunting me. Patricularly the Mexican place. I went outside and the smell of double butter croissants slapped me in the face.
I love double butter croissants. I love them fresh out of the oven, when they are in their prime flaky outside-moist buttery inside prime. I went into La Baguette to get a better whiff and could feel the flaky pastry melt on my toungue.
The girl at the counter asked me if I needed help, and the words “I have a bunch of annoying questions” spewed out before I could even stop them. I really did mean to say “Just smelling, thanks”, but that isn’t what happened. Instead I asked her what was in the croissants. She answered (even looking it up to make sure she was corrent).
“White unbleached flour, butter, salt, sugar and yeast”
The words were almost music to my ears.. just one note was off… the “butter” needed a little more explaining. I asked another annoying question, she asked the baker and returned with the gleefull answer that the butter was, in fact, completely free of colour.
Even before the whole Eat thing these croissants were something to be excited about. I am sure, however, that the poor girl behind the counter never had anyone actually hop up and down a little and clap over them. I ordered one. Then I changed it to two. I thanked her profusely and told her that she had just made my day, and quite possibly my whole year (I had explained a little about the Eat thing when I asked for the ingredients). She smiled like I was a crazy person who might rob her or something if she didn’t smile and nod, and she bagged me two croissants.
I stuffed one into my mouth right away (not the whole thing , they’re too big for that, but I did take rather large bites) and decided that I would eat the second a little more like a human being, and a little less like a starving heyena.
I picked up a coffee at The Blue Parrot, circled like a vulture until a seat opened up and sat with my coffee and my croissant near a window. It was bliss. I even took the time before cramming it into my face to take a photo:
Sometimes it’s the little, simple things that brighten your day, like the light bouncing off the buttery, flaky pastry as you sit with a coffee watching the boats go by.
Eat Write Play 