“Slayton was born in New Hampshire,  but moved to North Carolina as a toddler, making him a native Tar Heel for all intents and purposes. He began drawing at a young age, making portraits of his sister on his Etch-a-Sketch and filling reams of leftover printer paper from his father’s office with drawings of superheroes and sports figures. Slayton’s culinary talents developed in parallel: it soon occurred to him that if he learned how to cook himself, he would no longer need to wait for any of the adults to make his favorite things, and thus began his exploration of how to make cookies crammed with as many chocolate and peanut butter chips, nuts and raisins as humanly possible. Slayton’s passion for illustration and college basketball landed him at Syracuse University in the early 90’s, where his technique and vision as an artist flourished under the tutelage of the masterful Murray Tinkelman. Today, Slayton continues to blur the boundaries between his craft as an illustrator and a chef, always on the lookout for new and experimental approaches to technique and flavor. Nothing delights him more than sharing his exquisite creations, both visual and edible, with good friends — particularly on game day.”