Just returning from an extraordinary evening at the legendary Charlie Trotter's Restaurant in Chicago. Chef Trotter's culinary response defies description. Paired with this post is a photo taken on my cell phone of the menu he created especially for Around the World Chicago. I'll post the high quality photos as soon as I can. The first course included Italian Osetra Caviar with Cauliflower, Fresh Water Eel Terrine with Beets, Hawaiin Big Eye Tuna with Horseradish Emulsion paired with Pascal Douquet's Le Mesnil-sur-oger - Blanc de Blancs Brut NV. For each course I composed a haiku for a meal prepared with such artistry, I wanted to capture the elusive beauty. Here's the first haiku...

The no home of home
Leaves me haunting memories
not there and there too

Chef Trotter's intuition is incredible. With the exquisite eel he unknowingly referenced one of the symbolic meals in Tokyo where eel was featured. The haiku is my response to his elegant remarks about the enso as a journey, the concept of home, not being able to return to home, and yet being able to simultaneously.

No home is also a play on the word Noh referencing the powerful Japanese art form.

More later...On to NYC!