In my case, vertical food was less about standing things up than layering things: more an attempt to gain texture by weaving things together.

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.

It's a challenge to demonstrate that you can prepare some really interesting food with humble ingredients.

Charlie Trotter Quotes