Q&A with Marcus Samuelsson

There are a lot of chefs who do more than just cook.  But there are few as accomplished or as interesting as Marcus Samuelsson.  Marcus was born in Ethiopia, then adopted and raised in Sweden.  His culinary career began selling bread to tourists by boat.  Samuelsson learned Swedish technique and cooking at the Culinary Institute in Göteborg.   He worked as an apprentice in both Austria and Switzerland before traveling to the America to work at Aquavit.  There, he was quickly promoted to executive chef, and just a few months later, became the youngest chef to receive three stars from the New York Times.  Recently, Samuelsson traveled back to Africa and wrote a pan-African cookbook, The Soul of a New Cuisine.  He also opened AQ Cafe and just recently partnered with Starbucks to raise awareness of African cuisine.  As an ambassador for UNICEF, portions of the proceeds from this partnership go to UNICEF.   Samuelsson’s charitable work also includes active participation in Careers through Culinary Arts (C-CAP), raising money for culinary scholarships for underprivileged children.   Up next for Samuelsson, an American cookbook with recipes and photos from American immigrants across the country.

Single/Married/Divorced?
Recently married.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I pretty much always wanted to be a chef, even from a very young age.

What was your first job in food? What did you learn?
My first food-related job was selling fresh breads for a local bakery during the summer.  We would get the loaves of bread from them and pack them on to our boats then row up to the boats owned by summer tourists to sell to them.

You were born in Ethopia, but raised in Sweden.  How has that affected the person and chef you are?  
Both of these aspects of my life have affected me so much both as a person and a chef.  Sweden shaped my palate; I tend to prefer my food salty and pickled and eat lots of fish and game.  Being born in Ethiopia allowed me to revisit my birthplace as an adult and learn the culture.  It took a long time for me to get used to everything.  Eating with my hands was a new experience for me.  The flavors of the berbere spice were new to me.  The richness of the local, homemade butter was new to me.  Once I understood and became familiar with the intricacies of the food and culture, I loved it.

Instead of sticking with what you know, you decided to go to Africa and discover the richness of the culture and cooking.  Did that compel you to write the book, The Soul of a New Cuisine, or did you go with that intention in my mind?  
I think it might’ve been a little bit of both.  As a creative person, I always feel that I owe it to myself to learn about new foods and writing the book was allowing me to become the bridge between the cooks and mothers of Africa and the cooks, mothers, and foodies of the Western World.  I wanted to start the dialogue about food in Africa that didn’t focus in on famine and poverty but rather the richness in culture and wanted to make us look at Africa the way we look at regions in Italy – when we cook it we become inspired to go there and learn more.

How do you think African cooking has evolved in America over the past few years and do you think it will every truly become mainstream?
I think it definitely has evolved, mainly due to an influx of immigrants from countries like Senegal, Ghana, and Nigeria for example.  As the next generation becomes integrated into American society and goes from working class to middle class, their culture will hopefully follow them.  I also believe it’s a numbers game.  Because of the huge population of Asian-Americans and Asian immigrants, it only took about 40 years or so for Asian cuisine to not only become mainstream but highly popular here in the US.  We’re talking Chinese take-out places on every corner, ramen noodles readily available in supermarkets throughout the nation, fusion restaurants, and the popularity of high-end places like Nobu.  If 50 years from now, African cuisine had that same impact on American food it would be a huge success and not just for the cuisine itself but for how the world views the culture of people of color.

At Aquavit, you earned three stars from the New York Times and also won award a James Beard Award. What are the most important factors that contributed to your success?  Who are the most important people?
Well, I think the most important factor is ultimately that the Aquavit offers a great dining experience and everyone on staff is responsible for making it so.  The awards and accolades we’ve received are wonderful because we view it as a token of appreciation for our work throughout the years. 

Where besides your own restaurants do you like to go for a great African or Scandinavian meal?
For African, I like Queen of Sheba in Hell’s Kitchen and Ghenet in Brooklyn.  For Scandinavian, I enjoy lots of places in Stockholm, especially spots like F12.

You recently partnered with Starbucks.  What was the impetus behind that move?  How’s that relationship working out?
One goal of mine was to bring the Africa book to a mainstream retailer that wasn’t your standard bookstore and Starbucks understood this need as they’ve been bringing African-blend coffees to mainstream America for ages.  We worked on a number of things – I helped create an African-blend with them as well as a recipe for a pastry they served and of course Discovery of a Continent which was an abridged version of The Soul of a New Cuisine that allowed us to send a portion of the proceeds to UNICEF.  The people at Starbucks were wonderful and working with them was a great pleasure.  Hopefully, there will be an opportunity to collaborate with them for my upcoming cookbook, The New American Table.

Not that you don’t have enough on your plate, but you’re an ambassador for UNICEF ambassador as well as a board member for C-CAP.  How do you juggle all these things?
It’s very difficult at times but both of these organizations are very understanding of my schedule and we find mutually convenient ways to make it work.  More importantly though, I think as an individual you have responsibilities to not only to run a profitable business but to make time to give back as well.  Both of these organizations do amazing work with children and adolescents and I couldn’t think of two better groups to work with.

Rumor has it you have a severe allergy to buckwheat.   How does that affect your lifestyle and cooking?
First things first, no more blinis or soba noodles!  I actually found out about my allergy the hard way (as I’m sure most people do) by trying a piece of bread on live television that contained buckwheat.  Fifteen minutes later, I was on the floor and needed to be taken to the ER.  Allergies are serious and we take pride in being considerate of guests who have them and make them feel as comfortable eating at our restaurant as they would at home.

What culinary trends do you embrace?
I d

on’t necessarily look at trends. I’m Swedish and African, and I cook from those points of view and I’m also an immigrant to America and those three things are the foundation of how I view food, taste food and get my inspirations.  I have no idea if what I’m what I’m doing is trendy.

What culinary trends do you wish would just die already?
If the cook is into what he or she is making and the food is delicious and well-prepared then fantastic – I’m not a critic.

Do you have a favorite dish on the menu at any of your restaurants?
I like a lot of items on the menu but right now I love the fish tacos at C-House in Chicago and the Soft-Shell Crab Sandwich in the café at Aquavit.

Do you have a least favorite (and yes, you must choose one)?
I have yet to make it.  Coming up as a cook – and I’m sure a lot of young, creative cooks will know what I’m talking about – I found myself using too many textures and flavors in one dish but I feel that I’ve since learned how to balance out a dish.

Any new projects on the horizon?  We hear you’re working on an American cookbook of sorts.  Do elaborate…
The New American Table is out this fall and it’s really a look at the diversity of American food and how immigrants keep their heritage close while embracing American culture.  It also looks at how diverse our food is across the states from the local fare in Hawaii to conch in Florida to the array of cuisines available in New York.  It’s just things I’ve learned from people I’ve met throughout the years and cooked with and their interesting stories – I have anecdotes from people like an architect who makes sausage at home as a hobby and an artisanal honey maker keeping bees on his rooftop in Brooklyn.  It’s really cool and I’m so happy to be able to share these stories as well as some really beautiful images and delicious recipes.