Known throughout New York City’s culinary scene as Chef Troy, Troy Levy has fashioned a unique menu he describes as Modernized Ital Cuisine, which appeals to vegans and foodies into healthy eating.
He developed an appreciation for organic cooking as a boy in Glengoffe, a town in rural St. Catherine parish, Jamaica. That appreciation was spurred by two close relatives who were devout Rastafarians.
They also taught him about Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I, considered by many Rastafarians to be God.
On July 23, to celebrate Selassie I’s 127th birthday, Chef Troy’s creations will be featured at a private dinner in Brooklyn, New York. It gives him another opportunity to present Ital food, a salt-free food that was popularized by Rastafarians during the 1970’s.
“Coming up with my Ital dishes is easy, I make food I love to eat and everybody loves it too, and I’m always fusing my food with Mexican, Chinese, African or French cuisine,” he explained.
The Coriander Spiced Jerk Portobello Mushroom with Tomato Chokra and Ital Stir-fried Cauliflower Rice, are two of the dishes that has endeared Chef Troy to a mainly West Indian clientele. But his brand has grown recently through appearances at high-profile events such as the Grace Jamaican Jerk Festival in New York.
He is scheduled to be at that event on July 21 at Roy Wilkins Park in Queens, New York. Rubbing shoulders with celebrity ‘chefs’ like Mayor Bill de Blasio has exposed Modernized Ital Cuisine to a broader audience.
“It (Jerk Festival) has definitely helped, as more people are aware of who I am and aware of my style of cooking. I have also gained a few new clients,” said Chef Troy.
Chef Troy, who is in his late 30s, has lived in the United States for over 15 years. Self-taught, he credits the growth of his culinary skills to watching the chefs he worked with at various restaurants in New York.
Though he specializes in Ital food, Chef Troy insists he is not one-dimensional.
“I can honestly say that’s not the case with me and my style of cooking. I’m just maintaining the integrity of a certain cultural cuisine in its entirety,” he said. Reply Reply All Forward
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