Chef Marcus Samuelsson Says....

I had the pleasure of meeting Marcus Samuelsson recently in Atlanta.  He's a part of the Macy's Culinary Council and they brought him to town - to their Lenox location to give some hands-on cooking techniques, share more about his personal story (An amazing story!) and meet some of his fans.  

Yeah, he's a chef, but he's also an author, a philanthropist, owner of six restaurants and....get this: Vanity Fair magazine named him as one of their "Internationally Best Dressed" men in 2011.  How dope is that?!  

I admit, I'm a fan and I love good food, so this was right up my alley.  I learned a lot too.  Here are some of Marcus' most memorable quotes: 

                "Food is healing.  Ginger, garlic make you feel better and...they prevent illness." 

                "Learn to connect to your family through cooking...create history, memories." 

                "Burning yourself is all a part of becoming a chef!" 

Did You Know?  Marcus planned and executed the Obama Administration's first State dinner. Wanna know what President Obama's favorite food is?  Click here to see what Marcus says.        

Me, Marcus and my friend Tee

 

Black History Month Spotlight...Chef Marcus Samuelsson

It's officially Black History Month!!!  A great time to recognize the contributions and legacy of African Americans.  

If you're anything like me, you don't just celebrate Black history in February. I personally celebrate diversity and my culture every chance I can get.  Whether it's literature and music or the arts and technology, I applaud and appreciate African American history makers. 

Which brings me to my next point.... I love, love, love people who are at the top of their game.  Game changers is what I call 'em.  LOVE.

Chef Marcus Samuelsson

Marcus Samuelsson is a game changer.  He was born in a village in Ethiopia.  When his mother died of tuberculosis, he and his sister were adopted by a family in Sweden. After working in restaurant kitchens for years, he landed in New York.  He went on to earn a three-star rating from the New York Times twice (he was the youngest chef to earn this), and in 2003, he was named the best chef in New York by the James Beard Foundation. 

Fast forward to 2013.  Marcus is still a game changer. He's the owner of six restaurants, including one of my favorites, Red Rooster in Harlem (Sunday brunch is THE best!) You've probably seen him on 'The Next Iron Chef," and "Top Chef Masters."  And he's partnering with the Macy's Culinary Council to share his delicious cooking secrets with people throughout United States. Tomorrow, he's headed to Atlanta, where he'll stop by Macy's at Lenox (2:00 pm) to give tips to customers for Sunday's big game.  Whew! Busy man.  

To learn more about Marcus, be sure to pick up his memoir, "Yes, Chef" or visit www.marcussamuelsson.com/.  

Connect via Twitter: 
@MarcusCooks
@Macys 
@CulinaryCouncil
#SB47