Marcus Samuelsson
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25 January 1971) is an Ethiopian-born
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
-American
celebrity chef A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become a celebrity. Today, chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations, usually through the media of television and radio, or in printed publications. While television ...
, restaurateur and television personality. He is the head chef of Red Rooster in
Harlem, New York Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
.


Early life and education

Kassahun Joar Tsegie was born in
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. His father, Tsegie, is an
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chris ...
priest. His mother died in a
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
epidemic when he was three years old. As detailed in Samuelsson's appearance on '' Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown'' he and his elder sister, Fantaye, were separated from their family during the turmoil of the
Ethiopian Civil War The Ethiopian Civil War was a civil war in Ethiopia and present-day Eritrea, fought between the Ethiopian military junta known as the Derg and Ethiopian-Eritrean anti-government rebels from 12 September 1974 to 28 May 1991. The Derg overthre ...
which began in 1974. Subsequently, the siblings were adopted by Anne-Marie and Lennart Samuelsson, a homemaker and a geologist, respectively, who lived in
Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
, Sweden. The siblings' names were changed to Marcus and Linda Samuelsson. They also have an adopted sister, Anna Samuelsson. His biological father, Tsegie, the father of eight others (the chef's half-siblings), still resides in the Ethiopian village where Samuelsson was born. After becoming interested in cooking through his maternal grandmother in Sweden, Samuelsson studied at the Culinary Institute in Göteborg (
Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...
) where he was raised. He apprenticed in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and
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then came to the United States in 1994 as an apprentice at
Restaurant Aquavit Aquavit is a Scandinavian restaurant located at 65 East 55th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. In November 2016, an outpost was launched in London by Philip Hamilton. History Aquavit was created and opened by Håkan Swahn in 1987. and ...
.


Career

At 24, Samuelsson became executive chef of Aquavit and soon afterwards became the youngest ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. In 2003 he was named "Best Chef: New York City" by the
James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is a New York City-based national non-profit culinary arts organization named in honor of James Beard, a prolific food writer, teacher, and cookbook author, who was also known as the "Dean of American Cookery." The prog ...
. The same year he started a second New York restaurant, Riingo, serving
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
-influenced American food. In addition to his recognition as a world-class chef, Samuelsson is a cookbook author with titles in both English and Swedish. His 2006 African-inspired cookbook ''The Soul of a New Cuisine'' received the prize "Best International Cookbook" by the
James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is a New York City-based national non-profit culinary arts organization named in honor of James Beard, a prolific food writer, teacher, and cookbook author, who was also known as the "Dean of American Cookery." The prog ...
. Other titles written by Samuelsson are ''Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine'', ''En Smakresa'' ("A Journey of Flavour"), and ''Street Food''. Samuelsson is a Visiting Professor of International Culinary Science at the
Umeå University Umeå University ( sv, Umeå universitet; Ume Sami: ) is a public research university located in Umeå, in the mid-northern region of Sweden. The university was founded in 1965 and is the fifth oldest within Sweden's present borders. As of 2015 ...
School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. He had a television show, ''Inner Chef'', which aired in 2005 on Discovery Home Channel and yet another program in 2008, ''Urban Cuisine'' on BET J (now Centric). His cooking combines international influences with traditional cuisines from Sweden to Japan and Africa. On 24 November 2009, Samuelsson served as the guest chef for the first
state dinner A state banquet is an official banquet hosted by the head of state in his or her official residence for another head of state, or sometimes head of government, and other guests. Usually as part of a state visit or diplomatic conference, it is ...
of the
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presidency. The dinner, in honor of
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
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Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (; born 26 September 1932) is an Indian politician, economist and statesman who served as the 13th prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is also the third longest-serving prime minister after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indir ...
was served on the
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and largely
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...
. Samuelsson reportedly sought to combine sustainable and regional foods which reflect the best in American cuisine yet evoke the flavors of India. Harvesting fresh vegetables and herbs from the White House Garden, Samuelsson included red lentil soup, roasted potato dumplings, and green curry prawns on his menu. The tradition of guest chefs joining the White House chef for special events began during the
Clinton administration Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following a decisive election victory over Re ...
. Samuelsson is an advisor to The
Institute of Culinary Education The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is a private for-profit culinary college in New York City. ICE is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), and offers career training diploma programs in the cu ...
in New York City. His restaurant, Red Rooster opened in December 2010 in
Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
. In March 2011, Red Rooster hosted a fundraising dinner for the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...
. President Obama attended the dinner. The $30,800-per-plate event raised $1.5 million. In the fall of 2012, Samuelsson, together with
Clarion Hotels Choice Hotels International, Inc. is an American multinational hospitality company based in Rockville, Maryland. The company, which is one of the largest hotel chains in the world, owns several hotel brands ranging from upscale to economy. As o ...
, launched a restaurant concept called Kitchen & Table. The concept's first restaurant opened at Clarion Hotel Arlanda Airport and from 2013 to 2014 it was held at all Clarion Hotels in Sweden and Norway. In spring 2015, Samuelsson opened his second Harlem restaurant, Streetbird Rotisserie, a kitchenette with a menu inspired by cookouts focusing on fried and rotisserie chicken, and décor paying tribute to the hip-hop culture of Harlem. In 2015, Marcus partnered with the
Hamilton Princess & Beach Club The Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, A Fairmont Managed Hotel (generally known as The Princess) is one of the grandest and most famous hotels in Bermuda, located in Pembroke, Bermuda, Pembroke Parish just outside the Hamilton, Bermuda, City of H ...
to open the restaurant Marcus' in the
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hotel. The restaurant re-opened with a new menu and decor in March 2017. In late 2016, Samuelsson opened Marcus at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. and developed the room-service menu for the hotel. In November 2017 he opened a new restaurant, Marcus B&P on Halsey Street in
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
,
MSNBC MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
's ''
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''; he has been a judge on ''
Guy's Grocery Games '' Guy's Grocery Games '' (often nicknamed ''Triple G'') is an American reality-based cooking television game show hosted by Guy Fieri on Food Network. Each episode features four chefs competing in a three-round elimination contest, cooking food ...
'' ''
Top Chef ''Top Chef'' is an American reality competition television series which premiered on Bravo on March 8, 2006. The show features chefs competing against each other in culinary challenges. The contestants are judged by a panel of professional chef ...
'', ''
Iron Chef USA is a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1993, was a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle bui ...
'', '' Iron Chef America'', and ''
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'' making frequent guest appearances on ''
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''. He previously hosted his own television shows, ''The Inner Chef'' and ''Urban Cuisine''. He was also a judge on the TV One show ''My Momma Throws Down''. In early 2010, he competed alongside 21 world-renowned chefs on
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's television series ''
Top Chef Masters ''Top Chef Masters'' is an American reality competition series that aired on the cable television network Bravo, and premiered June 10, 2009. It is a spinoff of Bravo's hit show ''Top Chef ''Top Chef'' is an American reality competition te ...
''. Samuelsson won the competition, earning $115,000 for UNICEF's grassroots effort The Tap Project. In 2011, he was a contestant on the fourth season of ''
The Next Iron Chef ''The Next Iron Chef'' is a limited-run series on the Food Network that aired its fifth season in 2012. Each season is a stand-alone competition to select a chef to be designated an Iron Chef, who will appear on the Food Network program ''Iron ...
'' competing against nine other chefs for the opportunity to be designated an "Iron Chef" and appear regularly on ''Iron Chef America''. Samuelsson was eliminated in the fifth episode, finishing in sixth place. After appearing consistently as a culinary judge on the
Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...
show ''Chopped'', Samuelsson competed in and won ''Chopped All Stars 2012: Judges Remix''. He was awarded the grand prize of $50,000 for his charity, the ''Careers Through Culinary Arts Program''. Samuelsson is a regular guest judge on
Food Network Food Network is an American basic cable channel owned by Television Food Network, G.P., a joint venture and general partnership between Warner Bros. Discovery Networks (which holds a 69% ownership stake of the network) and Nexstar Media Group ...
shows ''Chopped'', ''
Chopped Junior ''Chopped Junior'' is an American reality-based cooking television game show series hosted by Ted Allen that pits four adolescent chefs against each other, competing for a chance to win $10,000 and a Chopped Junior chef's coat. The show is a sp ...
'', ''
Beat Bobby Flay ''Beat Bobby Flay'' is an American cooking competition show on the Food Network. It features various chefs competing against Bobby Flay. The show is taped in front of a live audience. Format In the first round, two guests, often a celebrity che ...
'', ''
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'', ''The Kitchen'', and ''Star Plates''. On 28 June 2012, Samuelsson was the subject of an extensive interview on ''
Fresh Air with Terry Gross ''Fresh Air'' is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States since 1985. It is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The show's host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 6 ...
'' on
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. In 2014, he made his debut as a judge on the second season of the American television series ''
The Taste ''The Taste'' is an American cooking-themed reality competition series on ABC. It aired from January 22, 2013, through January 22, 2015. On May 7, 2015, ABC canceled ''The Taste'' after three seasons. Format ''The Taste'' season begins with blin ...
''. In 2015, he appeared in an episode of '' Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown'' with
Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
being the focus of that episode's visit. Samuelsson appeared on 8 October 2016 episode of the radio show '' Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!''. He appeared on the '' Another Round'' podcast in June 2017. In 2016, Samuelsson began making occasional appearances in videos produced for BuzzFeed's '' Tasty'' video series mostly providing food demonstrations as well as making a guest appearance in an episode of BuzzFeed's flagship food series '' Worth It'' in a segment filmed at Red Rooster where his fried chicken was declared series creator Steven Lim's personal "Worth It winner". In August 2018, Samuelsson officially joined Tasty as executive chef-in-residence. In May 2017, Marcus Samuelsson appeared in the final episode of ''
Undercover Boss ''Undercover Boss'' is a reality television series franchise created by Stephen Lambert and produced in many countries. It originated in 2009 on the British Channel 4. The show’s format features the experiences of senior executives working u ...
'' to find and mentor new culinary talent. Samuelsson appears as himself in the 2018 movie '' Scooby-Doo! and the Gourmet Ghost''. On April 22, 2019, Samuelsson appeared on ''
Top Chef Canada ''Top Chef Canada'' is a Canadian reality competition television series and is considered one of the most prestigious culinary competitions in Canada. The show premiered on April 11, 2011, on Food Network Canada. The first season consisted of 13 ...
'' Season 7, Episode 4 as a guest judge for a Nordic ingredients challenge. On October 13, 2020, Samuelsson was introduced as the global brand advisor for ''
Bon Appétit ''Bon Appétit'' is a monthly American food and entertaining magazine, that typically contains recipes, entertaining ideas, restaurant recommendations, and wine reviews. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered at the One World Trade Center i ...
''.


''No Passport Required''

In July 2018, Samuelsson premiered a six-part series called ''No Passport Required'' on
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
. The series highlights and celebrates immigrant cultures and foods found in the United States. Samuelsson is both the host and executive producer of the series. In 2019, PBS announced that the series was renewed for a second six-episode season.


Episodes


=Season 1 (2018)

=


=Season 2 (2019–20)

=


Books

Samuelsson has released cookbooks ''New American Table'', ''The Soul of a New Cuisine'', ''Marcus Off Duty,'' and ''The Red Rooster Cookbook.'' In 2012, Samuelsson released ''
Yes, Chef ''Yes, Chef'' is chef Marcus Samuelsson's 2012 memoir written with journalist Veronica Chambers. Published by Random House, ''Yes, Chef'' describes Samuelsson's early years in Ethiopia, adoption and childhood in Sweden and then culinary career, ...
'' a memoir co-written with journalist
Veronica Chambers Veronica Chambers is an Afro-Latina author, teacher, and magazine executive. Chambers has been an editor and writer for ''New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Premiere'', ''Esquire'', ''Parade'' and ''O, The Oprah Ma ...
about Samuelsson's early life and trajectory to becoming a chef. The book gained favorable reviews and won the
James Beard Foundation The James Beard Foundation is a New York City-based national non-profit culinary arts organization named in honor of James Beard, a prolific food writer, teacher, and cookbook author, who was also known as the "Dean of American Cookery." The prog ...
award for Writing and Literature related to food. After the success of ''Yes, Chef'' in 2015 Samuelsson published ''Make it Messy: My Perfectly Imperfect Life'', aimed at young adults. In 2020, Sameulsson released ''The Rise'', a cookbook with Osayi Endolyn,
Yewande Komolafe Yewande Komolafe is a Nigerian-born food writer, author, and food stylist. She is best known for her work introducing Nigerian food to audiences in the US. Komolafe joined The New York Times as a cooking editor in February 2021. Early life Komo ...
, Tamie Cook, and Angie Mosier. In interviews about the book, Samuelsson describes the book as a means to share the Black experience in food history.


Personal life

Samuelsson is married to the model Gate (Maya) Haile. Their wedding was in
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
, Ethiopia. They live in Harlem. They have a son, and Samuelsson has an adult daughter. On December 4, 2021, the Samuelssons announced they are expecting a daughter (to be named Grace Ethiopia) in 2022. Samuelsson serves on the board at City Harvest and serves as co-chair of the board of directors for Careers Through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). He also has been a
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Devel ...
ambassador since 2000, and he and his wife are the co-founders of the Three Goats Organization. Samuelsson is a keen soccer (
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
) fan and an avid supporter of Arsenal F.C. (London, England).


References


External links

*
Townhouse Restaurant Group
*
Red Rooster
*
Aquavit

Biography
StarChefs.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Samuelsson, Marcus 1970 births Living people Swedish adoptees Swedish television chefs Swedish restaurateurs American television chefs Food Network chefs American male chefs Ethiopian chefs Umeå University faculty Swedish people of Ethiopian descent Swedish emigrants to the United States Top Chef winners Participants in American reality television series James Beard Foundation Award winners