A Lunch Date in Paris

Saturday, October 19, 2013 – A Lunch Date in Paris

I don’t have the excuse of subbing for the delay in writing this time.  The only reason I can come up with is the change in seasons.  I seem to fight an annual battle against the shortening of daylight hours at this time of year.  Rather than adjust gracefully, I find myself sinking into a morass of desperation, dread and despair.  This is only October, so I know it’s going to get worse – much, much worse, in fact – before it gets better.  When I can, I try to sleep a little later.  But even getting up at 7 a.m., I have to confront the darkness.  On a recent morning, standing in the kitchen, I was struggling to suppress a vague sense of anxiety while waiting for the sun to rise.  And then, once the sunlight started dripping onto the treetops, the anxiety dissolved and I was fine.  Most days, I’m fine until late in the afternoon when the darkness starts its stealthy approach.  At that point, the uneasiness returns and I have a primal urge to burrow into a hole where I’ll feel safe. 

I’ve tried to develop some coping strategies for the arrival of the season of darkness.  First of all, I try to keep busy in the kitchen.  This is the time of year when I experiment with lots of new recipes.  In the last week or so, I’ve cooked up the following:  homemade applesauce using the apples Elliott and I picked; healthy granola made with oats, almonds and coconut flakes; a multigrain pilaf (kamut, spelt, hulled barley and brown rice with sautéed mushrooms and onions); and a guilt-free chocolate pudding.  The pudding recipe comes from a book by Dr. Neal Barnard called Power Foods for Your Brain.  It uses unsweetened cocoa powder, agave or maple syrup, almond milk, a little vanilla and the secret ingredient – a can of black beans!  You put it all in the food processor and blend.  Incredibly easy, right? 

Another way I try to adjust to the increased hours of darkness is by focusing on evening projects that calm my nerves.  I found that doing jigsaw puzzles can actually reduce my stress level because this activity requires my complete concentration.  I just bought half a dozen jigsaw puzzles, 500 or 1000 pieces each.  Last night, I started a puzzle of the New York City subway system.  Not only will it provide a buffer to the seasonal anxiety, but it will also provide me with practical information that I can put to good use in the near future. 

Writing also helps me deal with the adjustment to less daylight.  When I don’t get to the computer, I leave scraps of paper with pencil scribbles all over the house.  Some thoughts simply refuse to remain trapped in my brain.  Along similar lines, I’m actually looking forward to a full five days of subbing next week.  Since I’ll be in the same ESOL classroom the entire time, I’ll have a chance to settle in, get acquainted with the students, and develop ideas for classroom activities that I can implement.  I’ve been reviewing the literature I’ll be using in the different classes.  It ranges from a young adult novel about an Afghan refuge family to a short suspenseful play called The Hitchhiker to the classic To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Finally, I’m trying to fill up our calendar with interesting excursions that involve Elliott.  After all, one of my main jobs is cheerleader, i.e. helping keep his spirits up.  The past couple of weeks have been a little challenging as he readjusted his medication schedule.  I was a little concerned that he might not be ready for a trip to Paris, but he felt optimistic this morning.  That’s right – we set out this morning for Paris.  If you drive west on Route 50 for about 40 miles, you reach the town of Paris, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Paris is so tiny that it’s more of a townlet, or maybe a smudge on the map.  In any case, it’s the home of The Ashby Inn and its renowned restaurant, whose changing menu is based on locally sourced products.  

 in the restaurant

Of course I’m going to tell you what we ate.  Elliott started with an excellent pate de campagne that he proclaimed the best he’s had since we lived in France.  The accompanying bread, cornichons, mustard and fleur de sel were perfect.  I was equally pleased with a creative tomato trio:  intensely flavorful tomato confit (did I detect some thyme?) on a pool of delicately flavored tomato-sambuca cream alongside a tomato-tarragon with fresh pea shoots.   

Tomato Variations

Pate de Campagne

 I had no trouble choosing my main course, tagliatelle pasta with roasted pumpkin purée, brussels sprouts, and sherry vinegar.  It was divinely delicious.  Elliott was quite satisfied with a more mundane choice, a steak sandwich topped with melted onions with a lightly fried egg.   

So delicious, I started eating this before I remembered to take a photo.

 The kitchen certainly displays its creativity with the dessert selections.  Elliott raved about the warm apple tart with cheddar cheese ice cream.  My dessert of late stone fruits, poached pear, gingerbread crisp and pluot sorbet was intriguingly tasty.  

Overall, we enjoyed a delightful meal with impeccable service in a lovely setting.  And it was much less expensive than a trip to the other Paris for lunch at La Tour d’Argent.