Inbound to Charles de Gaulle

We are on our second leg of our flight to Paris France. The first flight from Santa Barbara had a broken john. The instructions were to use bottled water to flush. Arriving in Phoenix we were delayed docking due to another plane's mechanical problems. Fortunately our outbound flight was delayed. And delayed and delayed. Snow in Chicago closed runways. So the 8:35 wheels up changed to 9:10 wheels up changed to still waiting for wheels up at 9:45. We have about two hours layover in Chicago for our flight to Paris so we should get that flight just fine. That leaves enough time to eat a Wolfgang Puck pizza and a Pinot noir.
Oops just got the word, another delay of at least 30 minutes for wheels up. It might be 1-½ hours the captain said. Winter travel! Stay tuned...
I have been in Paris before but not for 34 years. I did a stage, unpaid apprenticeship, at Le Pres Catalan restaurant in a cold January in 1981. That time still resonates today in my cooking craft. I remember several dishes in particular. The fish market at Rengis sold live baby eel as clear as glass. Chef Patrick did the simplest recipe. They were quickly sautéed in butter with garlic, shallots, white wine and parsley. The results evoked a slightly fishy spaghetti.
Another dish of note was a sea urchin soufflé. Essentially a scallop mousse was made into a soufflé with the addition of beaten egg whites and sea urchins. Baked in a sea urchin shell, it was sauced with a reduction cream sauce finished with a purée is sea urchin. I have made this once with the fabulous urchins from Santa Barbara.
P.S. We are taking off at 10:10, one hour past the already delayed time.
More to follow
Michael traveling with my wife Christine.