Podcast #38: Marcus Samuelsson on Food, Love, and Gratitude

By Tracy O'Neill, Social Media Curator
November 24, 2014

Subscribe on iTunes.

On this Thanksgiving week, we’re reaching back into the NYPL archives to bring you a story about food, family, and multicultural identity. Internationally acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson describes his remarkable journey from a humble kitchen in Sweden to some of the most competitive and revered restaurants in the world, and finally to the opening of the beloved Red Rooster in Harlem — a truly diverse dining room. In the spirit of the holiday, we'll be remembering Samuelsson's words of gratitude: "My parents, in their own way, prepared me for the 21st century in the 20th century... I was prepared for a multicultural, multiracial world much earlier than most people. And that I am grateful for."

Marcus Samuelsson

Samuelsson spoke passionately about his restaurant, Red Rooster Harlem. For the chef, the restaurant is not merely a place to eat food; it's a place in which dreams can change the city itself:

"When the idea of Red Rooster came about, it was really about changing the footprint of dining in the city that I loved so much. And what if people could come uptown and participate? And what if we could be a part of building people's aspirations in terms of food through the monocle of Harlem? If that would happen, the city would grow."

In some ways, Samuelsson's food has been informed by his own biography. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, he has "chased flavors" around the world. Yet, he challenged common perceptions of his family life:

"When people learn my history, they always think that in my own family race was the most dynamic thing and I understand it, you know, my cousin was Korean and my auntie was Jewish. My parents were white, and we were two black kids and one mixed kid. So, from the outside, yes, but not within the family. Love was the most dynamic thing in our family."

Samuelsson boasts many firsts, including his signature foie gras ganache. He discussed being one of the first internationally renowned black chefs:

"The way a black person has to integrate and create their journey when it's not around sports or, let's say, singing, that narrative is so complex and so different that you have to walk a line that is so thin and different and very often you have to not just see the door, but you have to build the door, open it, and walk. You get one shot at it. You don't get a second chance. So it's about building that narrative, opening, creating that door, building it so other people can open it later on... Most places that I went to, they'd never even seen a black cook. The notion of being a black chef didn't even exist."

You can subscribe to the New York Public Library Podcast to hear more conversations with wonderful artists, writers, and intellectuals. Join the conversation today!