Croissant in the City

In the best and worst of times, we rely on the little pleasures in life. There is nothing better to get me through the last few hours of work then the thought of being at home, sitting down (after 10+ hours on my feet), eating some of my homemade jam on a piece of toast. 

I'll admit to eating spoonfuls of Nutella (my version of crack-cocaine) for dinner. I honestly can't even keep it in the house, because just knowing that creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread is sitting behind my closed cabinet door, makes my mouth water.

Italian bread grilled under the broiler with olive oil and salt, smeared with pesto. Topped with fresh mozzarella, perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes and vividly green leaves of basil. 3 large pieces, eaten watching DVR-ed shows and followed by a bowl of vanilla ice cream swimming in rich caramel sauce. A guilty couch-potato session if I've ever heard one. 

These are the thing we do when no one can see us, when no one can judge us. I'm convinced everyone has them, though few will admit to them. 

I sent an email to a bunch of my friends and asked them for their guilty pleasures, to be published anonymously on this blog. I heard back from two! 

• Going to a movie and eating hot tamales (or raisinets) with popcorn (and these must be eaten together) and a dr. pepper
• Standing in front of the open fridge eating leftovers. I always think I'll only eat a couple bites and then I end up eating the whole thing. 
• Watching Road Rules Real World Challenge and a big bowl of pasta with tomato sauce, parm, and lots of basil
• American Cheese
• A whole pint of Ben & Jerry…Cherry Garcia!

These things are so simple, why do we feel guilty for some of these indulgences? I say, perhaps not guilty pleasures, but perfect little moments of indulgence in the crazy of our day. 

What's your guilty pleasure? 

"Humor is the spiciest condiment in the feast of existence. Laugh at your mistakes but learn from them." 

~L.M.Montgomery

Sent from my iPhone

I am always on the prowl for for cute kitchen stuff that I can't find in any Target or Williams Sonoma store. Now with the internet, there are so many amazing stores with chic kitchen finds that your friends won't have. 

Meet the little blackbirds that will soon grace my kitchen…

Traditionally these little cuties were baked in the center of the pie in order to release the heat (they do the same thing as the little holes you poke in the top of the crust, but come on, these guys are so much more adorable than those lame little cut holes!).

I'm also considering one of these antique pots. Don't know exactly what I'll do with it or where I will put it, but it's definitely not something you can pick up at any local store.

Check out these and other goodies at my new favorite online store Willow and Stone. 

Ask any of the guys I work with what my favorite color is and they will probably say pink. I have a pink knife roll, my measuring cups are pink and my offset spatula is pink. Little do they know, I do it so that no one "borrows" my things. We've already had an expensive knife go "missing."

In reality, I love teal-y blue-green. I'm crazy about these ladle/spoons and measuring cups from Nigella Lawson. 

I recently made a trip to LA for a food weekend. Eating at Pizzeria Mozza was one the the high points of the trip (photos coming soon in my LA-NYC blog post). I was surprised to find out later that they have partnered with the company Further Soap to recycle all their waste grease into soap! 

I currently work in a restaurant similar to Pizzeria Mozza and I know how much waste grease we have…it's enough for me to swim in. 

Locally, here in Phoenix, you can pick up their products at LGO (Le Grande Orange). You can also purchase via their website. Bonus: They also have candles! :o)

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients." 

~Julia Child

Please note: I hate to be a downer, BUT: All images that appear on my website that are marked ©Croissant In The City, 2009 are property of Croissant In The City. Please do not reprint, reproduce, reuse, or recycle my photos or content without my permission. Thanks! Croi

Celebrity chefs have lines of everything from pasta & olive oil to coffee to cookbooks and the obvious, kitchen goods/gadgets. This cutting board from Chef Curtis Stone is gorgeous (and so is Curtis), but I often wonder with cool gadgets like this if I would really use them. They are fab pieces to put in the kitchen and great conversation starters, but I may look at this as something that would be too much hassle to clean vs. a regular cutting board.

This board is so lovely though, I may just add it (and Curtis) to my Christmas list.

I am notorious for killing my herbs. In the past two years, I've bought herbs three different times. For a while, they seem to flourish and grow. Then, all of a sudden they die. I've kept them on my patio, where they have baked in the harsh Arizona sunshine. I've kept them inside near a window where they have died from I don't know what! I blame it on Arizona and the crazy conditions, but I don't know if that's totally true. 

I've recently found these pots and wonder if they could help my brownthumb become a greenthumb! The site says that they allow air to circulate. Does this help the plant? I definitely need some desert gardening lessons!