When You Know Your Gift is a Hit

My husband was especially zippy one Saturday morning a few weeks afterChristmas. This zippiness continued into the day as he walked in andout of the kitchen pantry. I finally realized what all the zippinesswas about. About 9:00 o'clock that morning he had taken ten frozencroissants out of the freezer for their 9 hour thaw.

These arenot ordinary croissants but croissants with a pedigree that rivals thegreat race horses of the twentieth century. The croissants began theirlife at Williams and Sonoma and were prepared by a special French chef.Part of the pedigree was my thoughts about what to get my zippy husbandfor Christmas. After 27 years of marriage to a man who has the means tobuy himself just about any simple luxury, it is difficult to come upwith a unique, big-hit present.

Hence, the important factor: hislove for food. It is so intense that I only thought twice aboutspending $82 for croissants: 15 plain, buttery rich, and 15 pain auchocolats.

I knew the croissants were a hit when he walked outof the pantry with the measuring tape. Time and hunger wise, they andhe were ready to pop them in the oven at 6:00, but the measuring tapesuggested they needed another 1/2 inch to perfection.

And werethey perfect?" Mais oui! So much, that they didn't last long enough foran after picture. My husband even suggested that we didn't need to goback to Paris ever again-- because, why would anyone go to Paris exceptfor the croissants? Vraiment!