Today Charlie Trotter's body
was laid to rest. When I heard the news last week of his unexpected
passing, I was shocked and saddened. While I didn't know him
personally, I was fortunate enough to eat at his ground-breaking restaurant
twice. Once in 1989, just two years after he opened his famed name-sake,
and again in 2001; this time working an event for a friend. The
second visit was unique because not only did I have the meal in his studio
kitchen, I actually got paid to eat this amazing
food.
Charlie Trotter, considered
one of the finest chefs in the world, changed the fine dining scene in Chicago, helping the city become the food capital it is
today. So many current Chicago (and beyond) chefs have learned so much from this
talented, culinary master. Trotter closed his 60-seat restaurant in
August 2012 after 25 incredible years.
Click Here to read a Chicago Tribune article about the memorial service.
My "take-away"
from this intensely, creative chef fits the "youthful eating"
philosophy I try to incorporate into my everyday life:
1.) Trotter strived for excellence, not
perfection. Excellence allows for the
human element which will never be perfect.
2.) Even in his early days, Trotter veered away
from cream and butter in favor of vegetable based sauces that didn't mask the flavor
of the food as heavier sauces would have. He also stopped serving foie gras long before Chicago's temporary ban of the luscious fat duck livers, because
of the in-humane way it is made.
3.) Trotter did not serve
hard alcohol in his restaurant. He felt
that too much alcohol interfered with the appreciation of food. Wine was served with every course, and
champagne to begin, but no hard alcohol.
4.) While Trotter was known for his degustation
menu, 12 courses in one sitting, his portions were small. This allowed guests to enjoy multiple courses
without feeling as if they were in a food coma at the end of the meal. He wanted people to be energized from his
food, not lethargic.
RIP Chef.
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