Photo Courtesy of Alex Garcia, Chicago Tribune

Chef Charlie Trotter raised the bar on American cuisine. A video thanks to the man who continues to inspire me.

Here are five things Chef Charlie Trotter gave me:

1. An introduction to the ingenious chef, and Trotter’s fellow game-changer, Ferran Adria.

2. Arun’s – an amazing Thai restaurant in Chicago.

3. Chef Trotter introduced me to so many ingredients, Buddha’s Hand and Yuzu, to name two essentials.

4. Mattias Merges, the former Chef de Cuisine at Charlie Trotter’s, is one of the best cooks I’ve ever cooked with.

5. Reggie Watkins, the sous chef at Charlie Trotter’s, whips everyone into shape. He was the first employee and is a formidable and impressive character.

More about: charlie trotter, Ferran Adria, Marcus Samuelsson