CKY - Wednesday, May 22, 2024 - 01:00 p.m. (ET) - Segment #1

You talk about fashion, books, food, Paris obviously. >> Right. >> What started your love affair with Paris in particular? >> Oh, that... I went there for the first time when I was 12 and thought, "This is my city." >> Mary: Yeah. (Laughing) >> And I have never stopped thinking that. >> Mary: Yeah. >> You know? It's just... it's romantic, the food is wonderful. There's great art, fashion. It's a great place to walk in. >> Yeah. >> And so I sort of thought of this book as kind of a love letter to Paris and then to everything there. You know, the food, the people. >> It starts off with the main character, Stella. And she finds this absolutely beautiful dress, a vintage Dior dress that she tries on and it almost gives her a different personality. It makes her feel like a different person. And I hear that that is something similar to something that happened to you. >> That actually comes from my last book, Save Me the Plums. There's a chapter about me walking into this vintage clothing store, putting on this dress... and I was just another creature. >> Mary: Yeah. (Laughing) >> I looked in the mirror and I thought, "Who is that person?" >> Yeah. >> "I want to be that person." >> Yeah. >> And then the woman in the store said, you know, "This is your dress." And I said yes and I said, "How much is it?" (Audience chuckles) And I did the math. (Mary laughing) (Audience laughter) It was $6,000. >> Oh my gosh. (Ohs from audience) >> And I did not-- I did not buy the dress. (Laughing) And my editor said, "I loved that chapter so much. Couldn't you write a novel based on it where the character buys the dress?" >> Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. >> And so I imagined someone who is very timid, has lived a very small life. >> Mary: A safe life. >> Yes, and she walks into this store, buys the dress, and decides to go for it. >> It's so true that you can go somewhere, try something on, and it can be that spark that absolutely changes everything. >> You can change. >> Mary: Yeah. >> There is always hope. >> Mary: Yeah. >> And, for me, one of the transformative things is food. And so she literally comes to her senses. >> Yeah. >> She puts on this dress and for the first time ever she allows herself to experience things. And what was so much fun for me was imagining someone who has never had the pleasure of food before. She's never allowed herself that. And, you know, she tastes an oyster for the first time. She tastes Chablis for the first time. And she really lets herself eat with her entire being, her whole body, and... it was just so much fun for me to imagine what it was like to-- and then she goes from one great meal to another and she, with each experience, she comes into the world a little bit more. >> Mm-hmm. It's true. And honestly, even you just talking about oysters and Chablis there, I'm already hungry. (Laughing) Like, I was like, what are we doing? So, you've been writing for the majority of your life and this year you've been honoured with the-- with the lifetime achievement awards with the James Beard Foundation, so huge congratulations on that. >> Thank you. (Applause) >> It is so beautiful. And sharing your food, sharing your food writing has been so, so wonderful. I'm actually going to Paris this summer. It'll be my only fifth time. Like, I'm not-- I'm not a Ruth Reichl about this. But do you have, like, the best-- the restaurant I should go to? >> Well, there are many restaurants... >> Mary: I know. >> ...you should go to. But I think you should go to Pierre Gagnaire. >> Mary: Okay. >> Ruth: He is, if you've seen The Taste-- (Audience laughter) --The Taste of Things, the great movie, he was the consultant on that. >> Yes. >> He has had three stars for a long time. He constantly challenges himself. He's always walking a tightrope. You never know what you're going to get. >> Mary: Oh. >> And with each dish, there are five satellite dishes around it. So, if you're five people at a table, you end up with a table with, like, 60 dishes and they're all different. >> Yeah. Oh my gosh, okay, that sounds amazing. That's going to be on my list. I did read somewhere that you do love a peanut butter and jam sandwich. I did make jam the other day, so I am going to bring this up. (Applause) But Ruth-- I must say I know you have a very particular type of bread and everything, but I did read. We're going to dig into this but Ruth, absolutely congratulations on this beautiful book. I devoured it and it make me hungry. So, thank you so, so much. >> Thank you. >> And it-- The Paris Novel is out now and thanks to Ruth you're all going home with a copy. (Cheers and applause) Thank you so much. That is our show for today. Thank you so much for watching and we'll see you next time for more of The Good Stuff. (Cheers and applause) Ruth, thank you so much. (Quiet chatter)

(Applause)(Light musical flourish) [narrator]: this time on highway thru hell... I live for jobs like this. [narrator]: a wreck on the edge... [al]: are you kidding me? [narrator]: ...of a frozen lake... I think you're hanging up down there. [narrator]: ...launches team green... Whoo, doggy! [narrator]: ...into action... No, no, no, no. [narrator]: ...then... Look at that. [narrator]: ...a reunion... Decent, jimmy, decent! [narrator]: ...and a recovery... This is a million-dollar load. [narrator]: ...puts colin... Watch those lines! [narrator]: ...back in the game... Stop it, stop it. [ ] [narrator]: 400 kilometres north of hope in a remote region of british columbia... [al quiring]: battle's on, get ready for action. [narrator]: ...two quiring heavy wreckers... [narrator]: ...are a long way from home. ...i don't think there's too many tow trucks up there today. [narrator]: leading the expedition... [laughter over radio] [narrator]: ...is al quiring. [al]: gold bridge is in a location where time actually stands still. Some of the best hard-rock gold mining in the world comes from gold bridge. One of our logging customers has had a little bit of a mishap on the narrow winter road. [narrator]: joining al... I live for jobs like this. [narrator]: ...is operator gord boyd... Where we're going, if you get hurt, help is a long ways away. [gord]: to be able to get to go up to a place like this, it's an adventure. [narrator]: ...but getting there... We'll take it how it comes. [narrator]: ...means navigating... [narrator]: ...a narrow mountain pass. Calling that a road is being rather generous. You can probably fall for two or three days before you hit the bottom. [narrator]: climbing 2,000 feet in elevation... [narrator]: ...al searches for the crash site, near carpenter lake... [narrator]: ...and spots the wreck across the water. [al]: ho... [air brakes hiss] are you kidding me? That is gonna be a problem. It's steep, definitely steep. [al]: it's not for the timid, that's for sure. [gord]: this is gonna be fun. [ ] [narrator]: on the highway thru hell, closure... Is not an option. [ ] [truck horn blares, engine roars past] [narrator]: near gold bridge, b.c... [narrator]: ...al and gord get their first look at their next assignment. A tough job is just ahead. [narrator]: continuing around the lake... [narrator]: ...the shady route is slick. [al]: the potential to slide off that road is very real. You're in a curling rink now. [narrator]: al and gord arrive at the crash site... [al]: pretty skinny here. Not much room. [narrator]: ...and get another perspective. Definitely didn't stick the landing. [narrator]: the logging truck tumbled 130 feet down the snowy bank. [gord]: had he just landed differently, he'd have wound up in the water. In that case, hypothermia becomes a big issue. This guy got lucky. This could've been a lot worse. Probably take a couple of us to get that cable pulled. [narrator]: on scene to lend a hand is local tow operator ken archer.

[al]: ken is gonna help out with a little bit of swamping work. It helps keep things smooth. [narrator]: to reach the wreck... A ways to go yet. [narrator]: ...al's had to switch to a thinner winch line on his side puller. [al]: it doesn't have the same load rating, but I've got a longer reach with it. There's a potential the cable could break, but hopefully we can make do with what we got. I wonder, I wonder, I wonder... [narrator]: al inspects the mangled rig, while up top, curious locals gather. [al]: it's probably something these people don't normally see there. [narrator]: ...but al... Oh, yeah, the bunk is broken right off. [narrator]: ...has decisions to make. [al]: if we pulled the truck and the trailer out in one combined load, I believe the resistance and the weight would be too much. We'll hook it right on the edge of the frame there, ken. [narrator]: to recover the tractor, one line from gord's truck will be rigged to the front, while a line from al's side puller is run to the back. Then they'll flip the tractor away from the trailer, and drag it up the bank. [al]: the truck is somewhat disconnected from that trailer. Hopefully we should be able to winch it out. [narrator]: al finishes rigging... [al] I think we're looking good. [narrator]: ...then hikes over 100 feet back to the controls. [al]: okay... Buckle up! [narrator]: the quiring wreckers... Here we go. [narrator]: ...start to winch. [al]: hopefully it'll come apart, or we could be in a pickle. You just keep it snug. [narrator]: one more pull... Okay, we're loading now. [narrator]: ...and the tractor... There we go, we got 'er. [narrator]: ...is free from the trailers... That's gonna help ski it up the hill a little easier. Just let me catch up. Yep. [narrator]: ...but as the 30,000-pound unit starts to climb... I think you're hanging up down there. [narrator]: ...it's catching the side of the bank. Well, in theory, we got more pull than that thing weighs. [gord]: we're working on a narrow road, on an icy surface, with no room for error. If I start pulling too hard off the side, it's gonna pull my truck right over the side. That doesn't sound good. No! [narrator]: 400 kilometres south, in hope... [narrator]: ...a 30-ton wrecker fresh from the factory is headed out of town... Any chance to get the new truck out. [narrator]: ...with jamie davis at the wheel. [jamie]: got a call from a really good customer. He's got trouble, and he wants me to go check it out. [narrator]: jamie will use the scout to test-drive his new toy, hr-130. [jamie]: it's the newest, shiniest, fanciest truck around, so of course I want that out on the highway working. It's like a little corvette, this thing. [narrator]: last week, jamie added the stylish peterbilt... Wow. [narrator]: ...to his fleet... Beautiful truck, it really is. [narrator]: ...in hopes of convincing former lead operator... -[cell phone ringing] -...colin mclean... Hello? [narrator]: ...to return to the company. There's a really shiny low-rider pete sitting there waiting with your name on it, buddy. [jamie]: I'm hoping that colin will take that bait, and buy into it, and come back to work. I guess we'll go have a little check on it right now. [narrator]: but today on the coquihalla... Do you know where this is? Yeah, you gotta take the othello exit. [narrator]: ...instead of colin, jamie's joined by wife and business partner sherry davis.

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