Sunday, January 31, 2010

Ooh la la, C'est Si Bon!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/bixentro/ / CC BY 2.0
Translation: LORDY LORDY, IT'S SO GOOD!
The flaky layers, the dark chocolate, the buttery goodness...and to think, dear pain au chocolat, if things had been different, you might not have curled my toes this weekend!
Shall I tell you the story, friends? It's full of dramatic tension. Prepare yourself.

My sweetheart spent more than a week in France, working (so he says) and eating up my favorite French foods: confit de canard, foie gras, pommes de terre dauphinoise, and clafoutis--not to mention a week of sumptuous breakfasts. Grand crèmes and pastries that make me cry.

Oh. I think I might weep, just telling it.
I will try to be strong.

He was finally on his way back to me on Saturday, and being a smart man, he'd brought a bag of pastries he'd bought at the airport in Paris. He had an awful flight and was met in Atlanta by news of snow and ice in South Carolina. All the flights home were canceled through Sunday.

Of course I worried about him. How would he make it home? It's a 2 1/2 hour drive home from the Atlanta airport. The roads were icy and he'd been up for more than 24 hours trying to get home. How would he keep himself awake?
HE WOULD EAT OUR FRENCH PASTRIES!

Our pains aux raisins!

So luscious!

And our viennoises!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roboppy/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Heaven.

I have reason to worry about this. Once when we were young and wrinkle-less and lived in Washington DC, we got stuck in a traffic jam trying to get out of the city and back to the Carolinas for Thanksgiving. As we sat parked on the highway, the chocolate pie I had placed on our back seat started calling to us, swirling its chocolaty aroma into our nostrils.
We were both exhausted and hungry and emotional and weak.
Todd handed me the pocket knife off his key chain.
We ate the entire pie.

Would he have the moral fiber to restrain himself all the way home?
Sarah came home from college and the boys told her about the pastries.
We were all waiting. Wondering.

I'm thrilled to tell you that this story has a happy ending. Todd got home safely, all pastries intact. (At least I think they were. He might have eaten one or two.)
Pain au chocolat, favorite of Ben.
Pain aux raisins, my favorite and Sarah's.
And viennoise, the love of Sam's life.

Ah, the memories make me drool.
Excuse me while I try to get a hold of myself. And wipe the chocolate off my cheek.

There we go. I'm all clean.
Too bad I can't say the same for this guy.

Where in the world is this boy's mama?

Some things never change.


Have a wonderful Monday, y'all!
Love, Becky
PS. That plate of goodies wasn't all for Sam, just so you know. I do have some motherly standards--and the rest of us wanted them too!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great chocolate pie story...it's great the pastries made it home safely...and hubby too.

jama said...

Oui! C'est très bon!

Yum yum yum. Fabulously delicious post, Becky! Happy week to you!

(Now, pass over some of that pastry immediately!)

Rebecca Ramsey said...

I would, Jama, but there's nothing left! (Except grins on our faces.)

Rosemary said...

OMG!!
That looks heavenly good!!
Have a wonderful week,
Rosemary
ps, we did have fun!!

Mary Hershey said...

Have you seen the film with Meryl Streep entitled It's Complicated? There is an amazing scene where she and Steve Martin are making chocolate croissants at her bakery. OMIGOD!

Thanks, Rebecca! I am such a fan of your blog!!!

If I ever stop blogging, which sometimes I think I'm going to do, I'm going to tell people to come read yours. It's all I aspire to accomplish, only you do it way, way better. Soulful, funny, delicious.

Pax,
Mary Hershey

Anonymous said...

Well, that is some small consolation--French pastries. I'm kind of hungry now...

Betty Carlson said...

I absolutely love "pain viennois," with or without chocolate. Strangely it isn't available that much where we live -- regional differences, I guess.

Unknown said...

Oh, those look divine!!!!!!

Now I'm hungry, and I just got back from lunch! :) So glad this story had a happy ending! :)

Rebecca Ramsey said...

Thanks for your comments, y'all. You're the best.
And Mary, you're too sweet. Thank you. I sure hope you don't stop blogging because I need your blog desperately. It's the best one out there for introverts like me!

Jojo said...

I am a pastry freak!!! I know you won't laugh at this. Each time I birthed the only "push" present I wanted was pastries. Finally I could enjoy pastries and coffee with no heartburn!!!

Skip the jewels. Just give me glistening, golden pastries!!!

Great post.

May @ Anne and May said...

Wow! Eartha Kitt can really sing in French. I'm impressed.

Also I think I just gained 10 pounds reading this post.

For me, my one true French pastry love is: croissant aux amandes.

The things they can do with almonds! I tell you what!

FEDERICA said...

Mmmmmmmm everything looks so yummy!
Federica

Susan said...

Oh, how I love the chocolate pie story, that is so funny and so real. Glad all the sweets arrived home safely.

Kelly H-Y said...

Hee, hee! Glad to hear he AND the pastries made it home safe and sound! Yikes - - what a trip! Mmmmmm ... the picture of the Pain aux raisins is making my mouth water.