Thursday Cookbook Giveaway

This week, we bring back a familiar name to Chicago food lovers of a certain age. It was the late 90s. A time when Trotter still ruled Chicago and investors were lining up to fund big, new, ambitious projects. Long before there was a guy named Achatz turning heads upside down at Trio in Evanston, there was the original Trio: Gale Gand, Henry Adaniya and Rick Tramonto. Once Gand and Tramonto left, they opened the splashy new Brasserie T in Northfield (that was at least three restaurants ago in the same strip mall). Then it was Tru (“Tramonto Unlimited”) downtown – still going strong under a new kitchen team – followed by the Wheeling implosion known as Osteria di Tramonto and Tramonto Steak & Seafood at the Westin Hotel (the RT Lounge and the Steak & Seafood are still open, operated by Lettuce Entertain You); eventually, the path led to a restaurant project (R’evolution) in New Orleans. But Tramonto was always big on his little amuses, and so, this week, we offer you his 2002 book amuse-bouche, beautifully photographed by local boy Tim Turner. Just tell me why you deserve it (extra credit for haikus or poems) and I’ll pick a winner by Friday at 5 p.m. You must enter here, in my COMMENTS section. Good luck.