12.25.2006

They do rock, CT.

When I was home at Thanksgiving, I noticed a gently used copy of Charlie Trotter's Vegetables at the used bookstore near my house. It's a book I've had my eye on for a while, and since it's around $50 new, I casually mentioned to my mother this great deal just waiting to be snatched up.

Hurrah, it was under the tree this morning! And, I think I'd flipped through it about five times before I noticed it's autographed by Mr. Trotter himself. Scrawled accross the entire title page with a big fat black permanent marker, Charlie writes:

What More Needs to be said?
VEGETABLES ROCK!!!!
-Charlie Trotter

Ha. This is both hilarious and awesome. Vegetables do rock. It's just funny because in my head, I picture Charlie Trotter screaming this out at a state university frat party, a can of Bud in each hand. "WOOOO!!! VEGETABLES!!!" he screams, smashing the empty beer can against his forehead.

Now, if only I can get my hand on some bleeding heart radishes (with a "rondeau," whatever that might be, to carmelize them in, of course), yellow-foot chantrelles and fresh salsify stalks....

(I'm actually quite serious about the last one - the two times I've tried salsify it was rich, creamy and fluffy. The kind of thing you savor, eyes closed and head titlted back a bit, making little noises and making Rosalind quite uncomfortable.)

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

ohhh chef yum yum. you rock. you're such a goof! merry chistmas! i'm about to sit down to a delicious christmas dinner... though i'm most excited about the turkey, not the vegetables!!! tasty brined turkey with prosciutto/hazelnut butter stuffed under the skin.... mmmmm.... to meat!! (and vegetables) to food!!!!!! -chef coconut.

lauren said...

HAHAHAHA! I love the image of CT screaming about vegetables and smashing beer cans on his head. I saw him on a local TV cooking show at PS's house one time (I forget what it was) and he was just so wonderfully nerdy and dare I say, pretty inappropriate for television (he was ... sparing ... with the enthusiasm and self-expression, to say the least) but the food he was making looked so incredibly delicious. And seeing him plate things ... oh dear God. It made me feel a little dirty to watch it in mixed company. Charlie Trotter, YOU rock!