Damn, Macy’s Culinary Council puts on some good events…is what I thought after recently attending their cooking demo / meet and greet / book signing with Chef Marcus Samuelsson. I had an early flight the next morning and nearly skipped the event entirely, but I’m so glad I didnt. The event took place last month at the Macy’s North Pointe. The next one is this Sunday at Lenox Mall featuring Tyler Florence. To reserve your seat for this event, click here.

Honestly, I didn’t know who Marcus Samuelsson was until I got the invite to attend the event. But, I’m so glad I got to meet Chef Samuelsson recently. Chef Marucs Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia but was adopted by a Swedish couple and raised in Sweden and spent most of his early adult life in Europe. He learned to cook from his Grandmother and it has been his passion ever since. He then decided to move to America and work his way up the culinary ladder. He now is partner at the one of the top restaurants in New York City.

He was featured on Top Chef Masters, has his own show on Discovery Home Chanel, The Inner Chef with Marcus Samuelsson, and was Guest Chef at 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 of India and 400 of their guests.

I love his candor, humility and the energy and passion he has for what he does. During the course of his cooking demo, he called on stage kids and those he felt had an aversion to what he was cooking. I think all were pleasantly surprised by how tasty the food was (even those that don’t like vegetables or fish). If nothing else, they were captivated by his charming personality and comical demeanor.

Chef Samuelsson cooked smoked salmon, crabcakes and fried chicken (see pic below) for us. Not only was the event a live demo but samples were available for everyone in the audience to taste. Another thing that was really great was the fact that it was a small audience, probably just 75 people.

Chef Samuelsson is set to open an additional restaurant called Red Rooster and the word straight from him is that he expects it will open around October.

Random Facts about Chef Samuelsson:

• His mother loved Elvis movies and wanted her kids to be quiet when they came on, so she would give them chocolate if they promised to behave. So, as a result, he always looked forward to Elvis movies.

• He thinks dark meat chicken is better than white meat (woohoo! me too!!)

Cooking Tips:

• When buying seafood, always ask for sushi-grade. It doesn’t cost more, but it is the best cut

• Blend buttermilk with coconut milk when making fried chicken

• Fry chicken in a mixture of peanut oil and grapeseed oil for a unique taste

Some quotes from Chef Marcus:
“You should always over-deliver”
“If you do your best at something, good things will happen”

Me and Chef Marcus Samuelsson:

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