Synopses & Reviews
Southern comfort food and multicultural recipes from the New York Times best-selling superstar chef Marcus Samuelsson’s iconic Harlem restaurant.
When the James Beard Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson opened Red Rooster on Malcolm X Boulevard in Harlem, he envisioned more than a restaurant. It would be the heart of his neighborhood and a meet-and-greet for both the downtown and the uptown sets, serving Southern black and cross-cultural food. It would reflect Harlem's history. Ever since the 1930s, Harlem has been a magnet for more than a million African Americans, a melting pot for Spanish, African, and Caribbean immigrants, and a mecca for artists.
These traditions converge on Rooster’s menu, with Brown Butter Biscuits, Chicken and Waffle, Killer Collards, and Donuts with Sweet Potato Cream. They’re joined by global-influenced dishes such as Jerk Bacon and Baked Beans, Latino Pork and Plantains, and Chinese Steamed Bass and Fiery Noodles. Samuelsson’s Swedish-Ethiopian background shows in Ethiopian Spice-Crusted Lamb, Slow-Baked Blueberry Bread with Spiced Maple Syrup, and the Green Viking, sprightly Apple Sorbet with Caramel Sauce.
Interspersed with lyrical essays that convey the flavor of the place and stunning archival and contemporary photos, The Red Rooster Cookbook is as layered as its inheritance.
Review
"Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster Cookbook has all the honesty, heart, and good taste that we have come to expect from this great chef. As I read this book, I felt immersed in Marcus’s glorious Harlem-centric universe. And then when I cooked from the book, I felt as if I got to make a little of his magic into my own." Dana Cowin, Creative Director, Chefs Club International, And Former Editor-In-Chief, Food & Wine
Review
"Vibrantly diverse, effortlessly cool...the book’s real charm lies in what it captures: the spirit of this particular place." The New York Times
Review
“[T]he Red Rooster Cookbook...is a tribute to this world-renowned New York neighborhood and the people who live and work there — just as Samuelson so proudly and happily does" Chicago Tribune
Review
"Samuelsson’s unorthodox Red Rooster Cookbook is a literary love letter to Harlem...he goes beyond recipes to write an ode to the neighborhood — and the people, places, and problems in it — that made him." VanityFair.com
About the Author
Marcus Samuelsson owns Red Rooster Harlem, Ginny's Supper Club, and Street Bird. He is the author of Marcus Off Duty; the New York Times bestseller Yes, Chef; the James Beard Award-winning Soul of a New Cuisine; and Aquavit. He frequently appears as a judge on Chopped and lives with his wife in Harlem.