Charlie Trotter’s Book

Across my culinary feed came an article by Chicago journalist Aimee Levitt. Simply stated “unpacking Trotter’s life with cook books. It is painting a portrait of a culinary artist in love with the cook book”.

Reading Levitt’s reflection made me think about where I was during that same era. At the time of my culinary apprenticeship in Beverly Hills, Charlie Trotter’s name rarely came up in the hotel kitchens nor apprentices, even though gastronaut dining circles celebrate as “Worlds 50 Best”. Conversations centered instead on Culinary Olympics the celebrity event of the moment — and the masters who anchored our training.

French Style cook book of Paul Bocuse was studied for recipes and style. Escoffier’s cookbook was required reading, the blueprint for discipline and precision. The focus was on technique, not philosophy; execution, not theory.

Looking back, I see now that while Trotter was redefining American fine dining through ideas and aesthetics, we were perfecting the fundamentals — two distinct but parallel paths toward excellence. a great read, excellent photographs by Tim Turner captures the 74 recipes … captured in time for timeless inspiration. Next the 2021 documentary of Love, Charlie