Charlie Trotter Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

“I believe in focusing on details.”

“It's a lot harder to get people to 'ooh' and 'aah' over beets and carrots than it is to get them to 'ooh' and 'aah' over artichokes or asparagus, and I enjoy being able to take these humble, 'lowbrow' foodstuffs up a few notches and serve them with great exuberance.”

“In a time when it is common for chefs to simply reproduce the innovations of others, the few who speak for themselves through their food become the skilled artists of their time.”

“Sometimes I think I should have chosen a line of work where it was just me alone in the room, with the sun coming in, and God, insofar as he or she exists, smiling down upon me. Then I would have never been accused of being a tyrant, other than towards myself.”

“I timed my previous wife's pregnancy to the moment to have my son born on Bob Dylan's 50th birthday. There is no bigger Bob Dylan fan than me. You don't just time the day and impregnate your wife to get your kid to be born on Bob Dylan's 50th birthday.”

“If you go around the kitchen and ask my employees what they want to be doing in three to five years, most of them, if they're being honest, will tell you that they don't want to be working for me. They want to have their own place. And I think that's great.”

“Students need to learn how to think critically, how to argue opposing ideas. It is important for them to learn how to think. You can always cook.”

“Chefs, as a whole, say yes to any project, fundraiser, or tasting because they have such a generous spirit.”

“One must know combinations, one must have a true knowledge of food to be in the moment.”

“What I was reading was already part of my psyche, but finally someone else was saying it's okay to walk alone.”