55: Comfort Food Story Time PGf+w podcast by Paige Donner © April 2020

by Paige Donner © April 2020

During these last few weeks when the whole world has shut down for our All In This Together World War C, I, like the rest of us, have had ample time to ponder and reflect on the nature of things.

And there’s one truth that’s resounding loud and clear: Trust makes the world go around.

When can any of us remember having to wipe down our groceries with disinfectant when we get home? My mom says she remembers having to do this with fresh produce when we lived in Afghanistan when I was a toddler. But no one whom I’ve spoken with in the so-called Western World can, thus far recall ever having to do this.

And that is certainly a matter of trust. Trust that people around you are healthy, trust that no one has gone before you and sneezed or coughed on your grocery items, that the handlers and the chain of custody are all trustworthy… and on and on.

And this is just one example of trust and how we have taken it so for granted in our lives lived in a global world.

So I will dare to put forth, at this surreal time in our collective reality, that TRUST makes the world go around.

OK – enough for soap boxes…There were so many tempting topics to choose for this April

2020 show. April is, after all, Earth Month. And we certainly have our Earth to thank for all that she

provides us with by way of nourishment. Fruits, Fish, Vegetables. Game and livestock. Herbs and flowers and insects. Grains and legumes.

Our plenty comes from our not so cherished Earth. Our plenty comes wholly, singularly and uniquely from Earth. If she gets to breathe a long overdue deep inhalation while we humans stay put for a wink in time, then, well, perhaps there is some cosmic justice, some silver lining to all of this.

I thought to share recipes; Perhaps favorites of some of my co-confined and physically distanced compatriots here in Paris and across France, but then images and sights from around the world of all the homeless or those unable to get home or those who don’t have the means to feed themselves made me feel elitist to go in that direction on a food show right now.

So our ramen hacks and simple crock pot recipe for warm lentil salad can be found in the show notes on Local Food And Wine at LocalFood.wine. For those of us lucky enough to have food, a kitchen, and a computer not to mention a working internet connection.

Above, here, you’ll find the video interview I did with a local restaurateur, the owner of Vins des Pyrenees in the Marais, which was once a local haunt of Jim Morrison’s who lived just down the street. The interview was done just spur of the moment a couple days after the French govt mandated that all cafes and restaurants had to close. A tv network in NY asked for the interview but ended up not using it, their coverage at the time suddenly focused more on the NYC crisis at hand. But it’s too good of an interview to let go to waste. So, please check it out on our show notes. The interviewee is Florian Cadiou and his restaurant is Vins des Pyrenees. (http://www.vinsdespyrenees.com)

But, so, in the end, I decided to dedicate this episode to all the moms and dads and kids stuck home from work and school during these strange Cvirus days. So this episode will be story time. It’s time to take a break, sit the kids down, stretch out your legs, open your ears and let the musical sound of these words take you far, far away for a fleeting moment.

I want to thank in advance the publisher and the estate of Dr. Seuss for giving me permission to read this under these exceptional and strange circumstances.

Stay well everyone! As we all hold hands, virtually of course, as we portal jump together into this wild blue yonder of the 5^th dimension.

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"GREEN EGGS AND HAM" (by Doctor Seuss) 


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Recipe: Warm Lentil Salad

1 onion – diced

1 C dried lentils

1 C water

1 C chopped carots (in rounds or diced)

Olive oil

In a crockpot (or medium sized pan if you don’t have a crock pot):

Quick sautée the onions in a dash of olive oil

When the onions are half-wilted and fragrant, add

1 Cup dried lentils

1 Cup water

Let this cook on the soup setting of your crock pot for 30 minutes. Or on med. Heat in your pan, watching so it doesn’t boil over.

Add your carrots. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Check to make sure there is enough water for salad consistency. If you add more water, it will be lentil soup. Also nice.

Serve with crusty baguette and salted butter and cheese, like marmolette or brie, of your choice.

Chorizo Croque Ramen Hack

We have lots of ramen hacks. From fried ramen noodles to miso tofu. But this one is super satisfying when you have a taste for some meat.

1 pack of ramen noodles

Slices of chorizo (spicy or not, as you like)

1 slice of Croque Monsieur cheese (in France, where all cheese comes in either hunks or rounds, they have this one sliced cheese, that looks the equivalent of American cheese in the way it’s packaged. The white cheese version of this is called Croque Monsieur fromage, used for the famous French ham and cheese sandwich. It melts super quickly and has a very milky-creamy consistency.

Prepare your ramen as you would as usual. Throw in the slices of chorizon on top. Place the slice of cheese on top of that. Cover your bowl with a plate or lid. Let stand a couple minutes, long enough for the cheese to melt but not long enough for it to get cold.

Garnish with finely chopped chervil. Eat with chopsticks or a fork and spoon.

I like to have mine with a side of microwaved broccoli and some hunks of fresh baguette.

Bon dégustation!

Music by

Show INTRO/OUTRO ‘Badass’ by Bensound Music Free of Rights

And episode 55 punctuations ‘Actionable’ by Bensound.com Music Free of Rights

Sound engineering by Paige Donner

Host-Producer: Paige Donner

For media collaborations contact http://paigedonner.info

Show Notes: https://localfoodandwine.wordpress.com

Find Paris GOODfood+wine on Paris Food And Wine, Bordeaux Food And Wine, Vancouver Food And Wine, Okanagan Food And Wine, Chérie du Vin and @parisfoodwine and @bordeauxfoodvin @localfoodwine

Show Intro music by Bensoundmusic.com

Paris GOODfood+wine Season 6 is generously being brought to you by IoTShipping.xyz

‘Never lose track of your assets’