Air France Flight 306, June 29, 2010

I don't know whether to be galled or delighted that my old daughter at the age of twelve has experienced Air France business class. Looking across the aisle at her partially reclined with her feet up behind a linen draped table, watching Alice in Wonderland on her personal video player, enjoying a glass of sparkling water and waiting for dinner to be served I thought, delightful now, but she will be sadder but wiser when she's stuck back in steerage with the rest of the cattle in the future.

Dinner

• L'Amuse Bouche: Cuillère de canard fumé à la poire (Smoked Duck w/ Pear)
• L'Entree: Homard du Maine, mayonnaise au wasabi et petite salade de mangue (Cold lobster with wasabi mayonnaise and mango salad)
• Plats Chaudes: (Mario and Rachel) Tournedos poêle au poivre, purée de pommes de terre et poireau, confit nimois (Pan-seared tournedos of beef with peppercorns, mashed potatoes with leeks and Provençale-style simmered vegetables), (Kristin) Daube d'agneau avec céleri, carottes, févettes et pâtes pappardelle (Lamb stew with celery, carrots, fava beans and pappardelle pasta)
• La sélection du fromage
• Dessert: (Rachel and Mario) Notre trio de dessert: gâteau aux bleuets au sirop d'érable, Linzertorte, mini éclair au chocolat (blueberry cake with maple syrup, Linzertorte, mini chocolate éclair) + mango sorbet

Apéritif: Ayala Brut Majeur Champagne

Red Bordeaux: Médoc Château Tour Séran 2007 Jean Guyon Cru Bourgeois

Digestif: (Kristin) Cognac Delamain Pal & Dry XO Grande Champagne 1er Cru

Actually, except for the beverages, it all sounds better than it was. Don't get me wrong, it's by far the best food I've ever eaten on an airplane. The lobster salad was especially good. But airplane food, even on Air France, is ultimately airplane food. The bread was surprisingly mediocre. Mario and I are betting that the quality will be better on the return flight originating in Paris. We'll see!

Mid-flight they served some Haagen-Dazs ice cream (I slept through that).

Breakfast was fresh fruit, plain yogurt, bread and pastries, and a plate of parma ham, smoked turkey, cheddar and provolone.

Far better than the food was having a seat that reclined to all but flat and plenty of room to spread out. Watched "An Education" and loved it.

We landed in Paris at 8:15 AM…more to come!

Dinner: Sunday, June 27

• Grilled fresh chinook
• Grilled summer squash with garlic vinaigrette
• Roasted new potatoes

Good to be home. It's amazing that it used to be so routine for me to be gone for a few days two to three times a month and took it for granted. After a few months sabbatical from the grind, I really missed being away from Rachel and Mario for just a few days.

The weather was finally meeting a reasonable definition of summer and dinner was a welcome home-cooked, summery meal. While there are lots and lots of recipes around for salmon (more than any other fish in most publications), we are loath to do anything that might complete with our impeccable local* chinook. About the only thing we might do is put it on an alderwood plank if we want some smoke.

Summer squash has a completely different quality if it is harvested while still tiny (i.e. 2-3" long, 1/2" diameter). Nutty. We grilled it and I pounded 1/2 clove garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle, then whisked in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Drilzzed the squash and garnished with parsley.

Our go to recipe for summer potatoes is to halve fingerling potatoes, toss them with olive oil and seasonings (favorites: smoked paprika and garlic, herbs de Provence, various Penzey's blends), salt and pepper. Seal it in foil and put it on th grill for 15-20 minutes. They get nice and roasty.

Tomorrow night we'll just have leftovers to clear out the frig before we leave. À voyage!

*Apparently some of the chinook caught off of the Oregon Coast originates in the Sacramento River. The salmon runs down there are apparently severely depleted so it is likely that the Monterey Aquarium's 'sustainable fish' list will exclude Oregon caught salmon, even though most fish caught off the northern half of the Oregon coast originates in the Columbia.