Guilty Pleasure Croissant Lunch @ 081309

We all know Croissant is that yummy fluffy pastry that we just love to eat whether it is breakfast, lunch or snack time. We know it is not exactly a healthy food item, but we love it so much that it is easier to munch on it than to resist it!

Lunch today: Fresh and fluffy buttery croissant ($1.49) + vegetable chicken soup (freshly made $1.50) at work. Now that I had my quota of fatty food for the week, I should pace myself to eat more fruits and vegetables the rest of the week to balance my diet. I have to admit, the joy of munching on a soft fluffy croissant is so enjoyable. Umm umm umm!

A little history about the sinfully yummy croissant:
From the internet (http://hk.epochtimes.com/7/9/27/52248.htm)

美味的法國牛角麵包（Croissant）等奶油麵包卷，是法國人通稱的「維也納甜麵包或甜點」（Viennoiserie），可以放入不同的配料，像巧克力、果醬、奶油、葡萄乾等多種口味。

這個如彎月型的麵包造型的靈感，據說是來自土耳其的國旗上的土耳其新月型彎刀。當然為甚麼是這把新月型彎刀呢？在1683年的時候，土耳其入侵奧地利的首都維也納，但是卻久攻不下。土耳其將軍決定趁夜深人靜時分，挖一條通到城內的地道。當天晚上，他們的鑿土的聲音被正在連夜趕做麵包的麵包師傅發現，連夜報告給國王，拉響了警報。結果，土耳其軍無功而返。維也納的麵包師，將麵包做成土耳其軍旗上的那把彎月形狀，以表示是他們先見到土耳其軍隊的。法語中Croissant一詞跟羅馬尼亞語中的新月一詞的意思一樣。

在巴黎還有另外一個傳說。在很久以前，有一個巫師曾寫過一封信給月亮女神，在信箋封口處，蓋著一個彎月的圖章。當時的圖章，都是麵包師傅以麵包做成的「圓戒指」形。後人則將這個圖案做成現在的牛角麵包（Croissant）。

Myths (From Wikipedia)
Fanciful stories of how the kipfel - and so, ultimately, the croissant - was created are culinary legends, at least one going back to the 19th century [12]. These include tales that it was invented in Europe to celebrate the defeat of a Muslim invasion at the decisive Battle of Tours by the Franks in 732, with the shape representing the Islamic crescent;[13] that it was invented in Poland in 1683 to celebrate the defeat of the Turkish siege of the city, as a reference to the crescents on the Turkish flags, when bakers staying up all night heard the tunneling operation and gave the alarm; tales linking croissants with the kifli and the siege of Buda in 1686; and those detailing Marie Antoinette's hankering after a Polish specialty.
Several points argue against the connection to the Turkish invasion or to Marie-Antoinette: saving the city from the Turks would have been a major event, yet the incident seems to be only referenced by food writers (writing well after the event), and Marie-Antoinette - a closely watched monarch, with a great influence on fashion - could hardly have introduced a unique foodstuff without writers of the period having commented on it.[original research?] Those who claim a connection never quote any such contemporary source; nor does an aristocratic writer, writing in 1799, mention the pastry in a long and extensive list of breakfast foods. [14]
The fact that these stories have long been disproved does not prevent reputable companies from repeating them on their sites. [15] Despite increasing scholarship in cultural history in general and in food history in particular, these myths are still found far more frequently than the documented versions.