Marcus Samuelsson
Encyclopedia
Marcus Samuelsson is a Swedish chef and co-owner of Aquavit restaurant
in New York City
and C-House Restaurant, located in the Affinia Hotel
in Chicago
.
epidemic when he was three years old, Kassahun Tsegie and his elder sister, Fantaye, were adopted by Ann Marie and Lennart Samuelsson, a homemaker and a geologist, who lived in Gothenburg
, Sweden
. The siblings' names were changed to Marcus and Linda Samuelsson. They also have an adopted sister, Anna Samuelsson. Samuelsson's biological father, Tsegie, is a priest and father of eight of the chef's half-siblings; he still lives in the Ethiopian village where Samuelsson was born.
After becoming interested in cooking because of his maternal grandmother in Sweden, Samuelsson studied at the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, where he grew up, apprenticed in Switzerland and Austria, and came to the United States in 1991 as an apprentice at Restaurant Aquavit. At 24, Marcus became executive chef of Aquavit, and soon after that became the youngest ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times
. In 2003 he was named "Best Chef: New York City" by the James Beard Foundation
. The same year he started a second New York restaurant, Riingo, serving Japan
ese-influenced American food.
In addition to his recognition as a world-class chef, Samuelsson is an award-winning 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
. Other titles written by Samuelsson are Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine, En Smakresa ("A Journey of Tastes"), and Street Food.
Samuelsson is a Visiting Professor of International Culinary Science at the Umeå University
(Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts) in Sweden. 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/Centric. His cooking combines international influences with traditional cuisines from Sweden to Japan and Africa. Samuelsson is married to the model Gate (Maya) Haile.
On November 24, 2009, Samuelsson served as guest chef for the first state dinner
of the Barack Obama
presidency. The dinner, in honor of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
and the country of India
, was served on the South Lawn
and largely vegetarian. 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's menu included red lentil soup, roasted potato dumplings, and green curry prawns.
Samuelsson is an advisor to The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.
As of 2010, he lives in Harlem
, near the site of his newest restaurant, Red Rooster, which opened in December 2010.
In March 2011, the Red Rooster hosted a fund-raising dinner for the Democratic National Committee
. President Obama attended the dinner. The $30,800-per-plate event raised $1.5 million.
Samuelsson was featured in NV Magazine as the cover story on the March/April 2011 issue.
, MSNBC
's The Dylan Ratigan Show, as a judge on Top Chef
, Iron Chef America
, Chopped
, and frequent guest appearances on the Today Show. He previously hosted his own television shows, The Inner Chef and Urban Cuisine. Most recently, Chef Samuelsson has teamed up with AOL
to produce Kitchen Daily, a web-based program, where Samuelsson will deliver bi-monthly culinary segments to millions of viewers on line. Chef Samuelsson was recently honored as Guest Chef of the White House
under the Obama Administration, where he planned and executed the administration's first state dinner for the first family, Prime Minister Singh and 400 of their guests.
During early 2010, Chef Samuelsson competed alongside 21 world-renowned chefs in Bravo’s hit series Top Chef Masters
. At the end of 10 episodes, Samuelsson was crowned the winner, earning $115,000 for UNICEF’s grassroots effort The Tap Project
.
Restaurant Aquavit
-History:Aquavit was created and opened by Håkan Swahn in 1987. After 17 years in one location, Aquavit relocated in 2005 to new premises giving the restaurant an entirely new look....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and C-House Restaurant, located in the Affinia Hotel
Affinia Hotels
Affinia Hotels is a chain of boutique hotels offering accommodation in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington D.C., in the United States. Each property has a focus; fitness, tranquility, or location....
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Early life and career
After their birth mother died in a tuberculosisTuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
epidemic when he was three years old, Kassahun Tsegie and his elder sister, Fantaye, were adopted by Ann Marie and Lennart Samuelsson, a homemaker and a geologist, who lived in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The siblings' names were changed to Marcus and Linda Samuelsson. They also have an adopted sister, Anna Samuelsson. Samuelsson's biological father, Tsegie, is a priest and father of eight of the chef's half-siblings; he still lives in the Ethiopian village where Samuelsson was born.
After becoming interested in cooking because of his maternal grandmother in Sweden, Samuelsson studied at the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, where he grew up, apprenticed in Switzerland and Austria, and came to the United States in 1991 as an apprentice at Restaurant Aquavit. At 24, Marcus became executive chef of Aquavit, and soon after that became the youngest ever to receive a three-star restaurant review from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. In 2003 he was named "Best Chef: New York City" by the James Beard Foundation
James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and...
. The same year he started a second New York restaurant, Riingo, serving Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese-influenced American food.
In addition to his recognition as a world-class chef, Samuelsson is an award-winning 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
James Beard Foundation
The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and...
. Other titles written by Samuelsson are Aquavit and the New Scandinavian Cuisine, En Smakresa ("A Journey of Tastes"), and Street Food.
Samuelsson is a Visiting Professor of International Culinary Science at the Umeå University
Umeå University
Umeå University is a university 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....
(Umeå University School of Restaurant and Culinary Arts) in Sweden. He had a television show, Inner Chef, which aired in 2005 on Discovery Home
Discovery Home
Planet Green is a Television Network on satellite TV and digital cable TV in the U.S. run by Discovery Communications. Originally launched on June 1, 1998 as the main competitor to HGTV, the channel offered programming ranging from do-it-yourself to cooking to interior design/landscaping to party...
Channel and yet another program in 2008, Urban Cuisine on BET J/Centric. His cooking combines international influences with traditional cuisines from Sweden to Japan and Africa. Samuelsson is married to the model Gate (Maya) Haile.
On November 24, 2009, Samuelsson served as guest chef for the first state dinner
State dinner
A state dinner is a dinner or banquet paid by a government and hosted by a head of state in his or her official residence in order to renew and celebrate diplomatic ties between the host country and the country of a foreign head of state or head of government who was issued an invitation. In many...
of the Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
presidency. The dinner, in honor of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
and the country of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, was served on the South Lawn
South Lawn (White House)
The South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, is located directly south of the mansion, and is bordered on the east by East Executive Drive and the Treasury Building, and on the west by West Executive Drive and the Old Executive Office Building, and along its curved southern perimeter by...
and largely vegetarian. 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
White House Vegetable Garden
The White House has had multiple vegetable gardens since its completion in 1800. Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama all have had their own versions of vegetable gardens. Roosevelt planted the White House victory garden during World War II to promote the use of victory gardens...
, Samuelsson's menu included red lentil soup, roasted potato dumplings, and green curry prawns.
Samuelsson is an advisor to The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City.
As of 2010, he lives in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, near the site of his newest restaurant, Red Rooster, which opened in December 2010.
In March 2011, the Red Rooster hosted a fund-raising dinner for the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
. President Obama attended the dinner. The $30,800-per-plate event raised $1.5 million.
Samuelsson was featured in NV Magazine as the cover story on the March/April 2011 issue.
Television
Chef Samuelsson has been featured on a number of media platforms including CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's The Dylan Ratigan Show, as a judge on Top Chef
Top Chef
Top Chef is an American reality competition show that airs on the cable television network Bravo, in which chefs compete against each other in culinary challenges. They are judged by a panel of professional chefs and other notables from the food and wine industry with one or more contestants...
, Iron Chef America
Iron Chef America
Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
, Chopped
Chopped (TV series)
Chopped is a reality based cooking television series created by Michael Krupat, produced by Daniel Kay, and hosted by Ted Allen that pits four chefs against each other competiting for a chance to win $10,000. New episodes air every Tuesday at 10pm EST on Food Network.-Format:In each episode, four...
, and frequent guest appearances on the Today Show. He previously hosted his own television shows, The Inner Chef and Urban Cuisine. Most recently, Chef Samuelsson has teamed up with AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
to produce Kitchen Daily, a web-based program, where Samuelsson will deliver bi-monthly culinary segments to millions of viewers on line. Chef Samuelsson was recently honored as Guest Chef of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
under the Obama Administration, where he planned and executed the administration's first state dinner for the first family, Prime Minister Singh and 400 of their guests.
During early 2010, Chef Samuelsson competed alongside 21 world-renowned chefs in Bravo’s hit series Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Masters
Top Chef Masters is an American reality competition show currently broadcast on the cable television network Bravo. It is a spinoff of Bravo's hit show Top Chef. In the series, 24 world-renowned chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges...
. At the end of 10 episodes, Samuelsson was crowned the winner, earning $115,000 for UNICEF’s grassroots effort The Tap Project
Tap Project
The UNICEF Tap Project is a nationwide campaign that provides children from impoverished nations with access to safe, and clean water. The campaign culminates during World Water Week, March 20–26, 2011, celebrating the United Nations’ World Water Day, March 22nd.This campaign involves restaurants,...
.