I have hesitated posting the following picture and perhaps I shouldn’t – however it was stunning to me when I realized what it was and realized how much flying has changed from a luxury experience to the commodity it largely is today (though there are some contenders like Porter and Emirates amongst others who are trying to change things).  Well Preserved is about food and/or food design and I do believe this fits our theme.

My Aunt was a Stewardess (this was before Flight Attendant, before Steward) and was a professional hostess.  She took her job seriously and we regularly heard the stories of the sky.  I remember receiving one of the first phone calls from a plane (in flight) and loved the stories of famous people who road the skies with her.  An autographed photo of “Darth Vader” (I can’t remember if it was the actor or the voice) who was apparently so scared of flying that she had to hold his hand during landing and takeoff was a prized possession for many years.

My Aunt would tell me of all the grandeur of first class.  Guests would be greeted with champagne, 5 course dinners would be served in real china and freshly baked bread would be carved in front of the waiting guests.  Mixed drinks were served (and probably with maraschino cherries as well!).  It was the ultimate in luxury and decadence and I knew a lot of people who had never been in a plane.  Less I sound completely old, next months birthday is #36 – it’s amazing how much change has happened in our lifetime!

The bread knife above is my only link to those days – imagine the decadence of using a tool like this (complete with the Air Canada logo on it) to slice bread on an overseas plate.  It is approximately 18 inches long in total and was produced for the on-board crews exclusive use.  It has ended up at our cabin in the woods – I often wonder where it travelled and whom it served.

Somehow the modern replacement of the plastic “peel away” dinner seems to fall that much shorter from grace.

Fine food and flight were once equal signs of decadence.  Perhaps it’s better for our carbon footprint that the two have parted ways however it is fun to think about the times when