The Croissant Diet

After days in Paris stuffing myself with croissants and pain au chocolat that were gloriously washed down with espresso and apple juice, I think I’m ready for a lighter diet. I ate them walking out of the store, walking on the street, at the breakfast table, in the middle of the night when I woke up starving, on the plane, on the train, under arcs crumbing on my book; I’m all buttered up.

Unfortunately not all Parisian croissants are made equal. But with that said, part of being a good cook is being a good shopper, start with good ingredients and half the battle is won; and France has great butter. The croissant is simple, 2 main components: dough and butter; but the beauty and difficulty many fold. Folded and folded in a precise manner to hold the butter and to create the distinct layers, if done right and with delicious creamy butter the result is an ethereal light pastry that is crisp and flaky that is at the same time buttery and rich. And sometimes I like mine with a little chocolate but this diet for me is really unsustainable, I love the way it licks on my lips but damn the way it sits on my hips.

Tasted & liked:

La Boulangerie Julien
Invalides, Paris
85 rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris

Ladurée
Champs Elysées
75 Avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris