Thank You Charlie Trotter

Charlie Trotter - How you will be missed! You reminded us all with flare and passion that our profession is an art, not a craft - one to be both savored and shared. Thank you for all the courage and wisdom that you shared with so many. It was an honor to call you a friend and a colleague. 

Ana Kinkaid and Peter Schlagel

Easy as Sliced Bread!

This week, 85 years ago, in 1928 O.F. Rohwedder delivered his newly invented slicing machine to the Missouri’s Chillicothe Baking Company and bread has never been the same since.

The uniform slices not only delighted many a weary housewives and legions of fatigued chefs, it also brought cheers from the companies that produced toasters. The standardized slices produced by Rohwedder’s marvelous new machine insured that irregular slices would never get stuck again (and horror-of-horrors never burn) in the toaster.  

As a result, toaster sales soared, resulting in a nearly endless variety of designs. Today collectors rejoice when they can locate these unique units. But the impact of sliced bread didn’t stop there.

The production of lunch boxes, especially those designed to catch the eye of school children, equally exploded and standardized to match the size of the newly standardized commercially produced sliced loafs of white bread.

Soon breads such as Wonder Bread constituted the key component of the “wonderful” sandwich Jack and Jane ate in their school lunch room – with few noticing at the time the vitamins missing from the bread.

Today school lunch programs are far more aware of nutrition – or at least should be.  From Michele Obama’s White House Garden to chef led programs such as those proposed by Jamie Oliver and Charlie Trotter, insightful school cooks are shifting from a commercially baked bread centered diet to one of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.

Yet old habits (good or bad) die hard and America STILL has an ongoing love affair with sliced bread, even including such phrases as “the easiest thing since sliced bread “ and  “as easy as sliced bread” in everyday speech.

So what’s the latest expression of affection for the grand ol’ loaf? It’s a birthday cake shaped like a beloved peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

A special novelty baking pan, entitled the "Cakewich Pan", shapes the cake into sliced bread shapes and fruit frosting mimics the traditional sandwich jelly.

Only in America!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2013

Charlie Trotter Moves on to New Horizons

At his New Year’s Eve gala last Saturday Chef Charlie Trotter officially announced to guests and staff that in eight months he retiring (at least for a while) from his famed Chicago restaurant.

As word of his decision spread, many stories have appeared listing his many contributions to the improvement of the dining experience in America. Charlie Trotter was one of the first chefs to introduce a degustation or European style tasting menu, vegetarian menu choices and an increased awareness of local seasonal products including raw foods as well as a chef’s kitchen-side table.

And while few can doubt his impact on the front of the house, it must also be acknowledged that his influence on the back of the house was even greater.

Chef Trotter set a high standard of both professionalism and creativity for his staff. The young chefs lucky enough to have trained with him call his kitchen and his methods nothing short of perfection.

His belief in the combination of classical techniques and daily innovation created a passionate atmosphere that would become the hallmark of an entire generation of chefs who proudly list him on their resume as their mentor.

For those not fortunate enough to have worked with him, Trotter leaves a legacy of books that capture his desire for the best - be that the floor service, the wine offered or the cuisine presented.

He also sponsored many youth training programs that exposed hundreds of talented young people to opportunities within the hospitality industry 

Trotter’s future plans include travel and time to study philosophy and political history. Will he open another restaurant? He hasn’t ruled that out – but not at least at this point. While he travels and studies, we'll just have to wait to see the results (and the directions) of his new efforts take. 

Let’s wish him well. He is a great chef who made a profound difference – a difference that not only delighted his fortunate guests but made our industry a more creative and professional place for us all!

Thank You Charlie Trotter!

 Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011