On My Plate

In today's episode of On My Plate we'll be discussing what is on my...umm...plate. Go figure. This morning I had the unavoidable urge to support local businesses by opting for a coffee at the Java Cup around the corner instead of the Starbucks where everyone knows my name. Every once in a while I like to pretend that I am a bleeding-heart, tree-hugging, sustainable crops, locally-grown only type. I may not wear Birkenstocks, but by golly I want to stick it to The Man! Sometimes.

I digress.

As I was saying, this morning I purchased a cup of coffee from Java Cup. As I stood near the register, a lovely little croissant beckoned to me. "I'll take a croissant as well," I casually said to the barista. I paid for my breakfast, walked to my car and took a sip. Hmmm, not great coffee. Not bad, but not great. Oh well. Now for a bite of croissant. That's cwuh-sahn for those of you who have never been to Europe. Ok, back to the bite. As my teeth sunk into the flaky goodness I was startled to realize this could be the best croissant I have ever tasted...ever. It was just the right balance of soft to chewy to flaky. It was just the right shade of golden-brown. It was brushed with a light egg wash with just a touch, nay, an essence of honey. I wasn't expecting that. The honey flavor was so subtle as to be almost undetectable. Almost, but not quite. This was, quite literally, the perfect croissant. Woe to you, oh purveyors of corporate croissants! Woe to you, mindless supporters of The Man! Fie upon your tasteless, greasy croissants!