Joy and Cream Puffs

I ate a cream puff this weekend.

My first cream puff in probably five years.

I've never been a non-chocolate pastry girl, but when my husband and I went out to dinner at Da Luciano's in River Grove, I saw them on the menu and had to take a taste.

Oh... my... goodness...

After devouring this amazing mound of fluffy puff and sweet cream, I grabbed Rose, one of the Da Luciano's owners.

"This is amazing," I said. "How do you do this?"

It seemed impossible. It was so light and airy. It melted in my mouth, and the cream was the perfect mixture of sweetness and richness.

She smiled, wryly.

"I learned in Sicily," she said. "And then we spent two years perfecting them."

She leaned in over our table and smiled even more widely.

"And now..." she whispered, conspiratorially, "ours are even better."

I don't doubt it.