it's like thunder, LIGHTNING

today there was a giant storm, a biblical storm, a storm that temporarily cut off the electricity! i got wet and i was inside. ok just damp, not wet, but the winds were quite strong. our bathroom was strewn with tiny sticks and leaves. my curtain rod got ripped off the wall. ok, maybe not ripped, as it normally tenuously rests against the wall, but it did fall down, or at least half of it did. some of the thunder and lightning surprised/alarmed me to the degree that i screamed involuntarily. the lightning was so close that it wasn't just bright, it was purple bright. here's the best transition i've ever made - the word for lightning in spanish is relampago, which is also what you call an eclair. ah crap, upon googling, it appears that eclair means lightning in french too. BUT in french it can also mean zipper or whistle stop. lucky for you, i just googled "eclair lightning pastry why." here are a few findings:

"Éclair" is French for "lightning," though the connection is obscure." (wikipedia)
great, thanks for the information

"Eclair in french literally means "flash". So eclair has been created since the beginning to be eaten in a flash - at lightning speed." (author of paris sweets)
ew no, if there's one thing on earth you shouldn't eat at lightning speed it is a custard log

"Eclair is the French word for “lightning” and thought to be a nod to the bright reflection one gets from its chocolate glaze." (michael nagrant, some dude who writes about food)
there's no way this is correct, michael nagrant

eclair

1861, from Fr. éclair, lit. "lightning," from O.Fr. esclair, from esclairare "to light up, make shine," ult. from L. exclarare "light up, illumine," from ex- "out" + clarus "clear." The sense is perhaps the "lightness" of the confection. (online etymology dictionary)
lightness of the confection? have you ever eaten an eclair? it's like 9 pounds

here's my guess. when eclairs were first made, there were tiny fireworks inside every 100th eclair. if you bit into it, it exploded in your face in a FLASH of custard guts, simulating the experience of being struck by creamy, pudding lightning. could be wrong, but i'm probably right. at least more right than michael nagrant.

here's another great transition, thinking about the cream inside of eclairs. i made yogurt two days ago and it is good, nay, fabulous! i hazily followed these instructions. i didn't use a double boiler or a cold water bath. for the incubation, i put the container in a pot of warm water as our oven is unreliable. i am delighted and impressed by how simple it was. for all of you who have been dreaming of converting milk to yogurt, please, follow your dream. i followed your dream and it's delicious and tangy!