Head Chef at ÌTÀN Test Kitchen, Michael Elegbede, grew up in a family of chefs. The last book he enjoyed was Life, On The Line by Grant Achatz: ‘I enjoyed and learnt a lot from his journey as a chef and his perseverance through hard times, cooking even while getting treated for a tongue cancer that almost cost him his sense of taste.’
First Draft is our interview column, featuring authors and other prominent figures on books, reading, and writing.
Our questions are italicized.
What kind of food did you grow up eating or reading about?
Growing up in a family of chefs, I had the advantage of having quite an adventurous culinary upbringing. There was always something new to try; from occasional soups made with bush rats grandma brought back from her travels to the village to coq au vin made with hens from our humble-sized poultry. I realized the food I ate growing up became another medium of understanding cultures and traditions outside of my immediate reality...
