Table for One:

I am sitting in France as I write this post. Not really France, but France of the Epcot variety. I am sitting in France alone, eating lunch. For those of you who travel for business, this may not be such a big deal, eating alone that is. But for me, I have spent my entire life avoiding eating alone. I am a self conscious creature by nature and eating alone brings out some of my biggest insecurities.

For me, sharing a meal with other people, is not just about the food, but the fellowship as well.  Can you have fellowship when you are alone?  As it turns out, you can, and I did!  In fact, I sat for a good hour at my little bistro table, soaking up the sun, people watching and reminiscing about my real time spent in France, so many years ago.  Of course, I recalled the first thing I ate when I arrived in France for an internship.  The lovely couple who picked me up from the airport gave me a sandwich to eat in the car on the way to their house.  It was not the the foot-long submarine from Sub Station II in Clemson, which came with your choice of every type of vegetable, meat, cheese and condiment you could imagine.  No, this was a simple sandwich on a piece of crusty baguette.  One slice of ham, one slice of cheese and a light shmear of salted butter on the bread.  C’est tout!  I loved that sandwich then and as it turns out, it was not that far off from the baguette jambon au beurre that I was enjoying here in faux-France, Chez Disney.  Okay, the Disney baguette, had two pieces of ham and two pieces of cheese, but when you are paying $8.00 for a sandwich, I appreciate the extras.

The bottom line is, to take the time to enjoy your meal, whether it is a feast with family and friends, or a simple lunchtime sandwich.  Your body with thank you for the nourishment that it’s given when consumed in a mindful way.  So remember to make every plate something to be passionate about, even if it is a paper plate.

Baguette Jambon au Beurre:
Serves 1

1 5-6 inch piece of fresh, crusty baguette
1 thin slice of best quality ham
1 thin slice of Emmenthaler cheese
1/2 TB of salted butter, room temperature

Assembly:
Slice baguette horizontally, but not all the way through.  Spread each side of bread with softened butter and place the ham and cheese inside.

Close the sandwich and place on a plate.  Sit down at a table and savor this simple delicacy!