The Last Croissant

Tomorrow morning, on my way to the office, I will stop, per usual, for coffee--for that essential first cup which makes the subway ride tolerable and enables me to form full sentences. And, with this cup of coffee, I will order a croissant--glorious, buttery, and golden--from Parco on 7th Avenue.

When I arrive at the office, I will reheat the remaining coffee, close my door, and enjoy every bite of that croissant in silence and solitude as seems only proper for my farewell to such a finely crafted and beloved food.

Rightly you might ask why it is that I'm sitting here on Sunday evening so deeply contemplating the breakfast I will enjoy tomorrow on a seemingly average Monday morning. Well, my friends, I will tell you... On Tuesday, I will be going gluten-free. And, I can think of no other gluten-containing food that I enjoy more than a croissant from Parco.

Yes, I know; gluten-free is quite the rage these days. But that is not why I'm jumping on the restricted-diet bandwagon. Who wants to be trendy if it means foregoing such wonderfully glutenous goods like croissants, baguettes, pizza crusts, and most other bakery products!?

Essentially, I've decided to try it out because I'm experiencing a significant amount of daily pain due to a whole group of "dysfunctional muscles," and quite possibly (though let's hope not), an "arthritic hip." Mrs. O pointed out to me that this might just be what happens as we get older.

I mean, sure! Ten years ago, Saturday night might have found me bar hopping on the Lower East Side until 5:00 a.m. instead of making risotto, drinking red wine, and watching back-to-back episodes of Downton Abbey. But no matter! I defend my position that 38 is simply too young for an arthritic hip.

Anyway...

Because I want to relate everything in some way to food and/or drinks, I asked the doctor whether there may be certain foods that could be inflammatory. "Well, of course," he replied, noting that wheat is a common allergen. He supported my idea to go on a trial period of gluten-free eating.

Thankfully, I'm well-versed in how to manage a restricted diet. It's been many years since I had to put those skills into practice, but there are all kinds of delicious possibilities--quinoa; amaranth; buckwheat; red, black, brown and wild rice...

But of course, I'll miss the croissants. So, if you happen to be eating your Wheaties while you read this post, take a moment to enjoy the gluten. And please do share... if you had to give it all up, what would you request for your last glutinous meal?

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