March 2005
What is there to say about Trotter's latest creation - Workin' More Sessions with Charlie Trotter? Trotter describes Workin' More Sessions as a book that "pays homage to such jazz masters of musical spontaneity as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk Sun Ra and Bob Dylan". It is (in short) the parallel of spontaneity that he feels aligns music and cuisine, and that the sound of great jazz music is something you experience just like the flavors of excellent foods.



As ever the content is true Trotter style. Each chapter offering ten different vegetables as their lead component; artichokes (Artichoke Stuffed Three Ways), Corn (Grilled Tuna with Sweet Corn Relish) and Mushrooms (Veal and Wild Mushroom Pot Pie) to name but a few. The final two chapters finish the book off with cheese and dessert.

More Sessions comes abound with the vibrant full page photographs we have come to expect with Charlie Trotters books - let's face it 95% of us are never going to recreate a complete Trotter recipe, but 95%are going to be inspired by the image of the finished dish, snag elements of his recipes and sneak them into our own cooking. Paul Elledge's extensive location photography gives the book further depth and Jason Smith's thorough wine notes the perfect finishing touch.

Review by: Jeremy Emmerson