Marcus Samuelsson , A Man For All Seasonings

 

Born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, Marcus Samuelsson is a man of international culinary acclaim. The winner of eight James Beard Foundation awards was the keynote speaker at the Newport Wine and Food Festival hosted by Trudy Coxe, CEO and Executive Director The Preservation Society of Newport County.

With a reputation for entertaining Presidents at the White House and a flair for the dramatic, Samuelsson’s storied reputation served as a tantalizing appetizer for guests attending September’s sensational Rosecliff events.

Before the restaurateur spoke, his bold attire announced his arrival. The colors, textures and the intriguing audacity of sartorial originality hinted at the television personality’s limitless explorations of his art. But to hear him speak with WPRI TV /CBS 12’s Rhode Show co-host, Will Gilbert was to join the Moderator and Chef on a philosophical journey that began in the Rosecliff ballroom and traveled around the globe.

Samuelsson peppered his stories with cultural curiosities. His blend of traditions, love of music and embrace of home-cooked creations were a fusion of life’s best licks. Rolling love for all culinary traditions into his seasoned remarks, the Chef created a recipe for living with goodwill. The extraordinary entrepreneur is also a  philosopher and uses an exchange of common foods as an uncommon vehicle to awaken our sensibilities.

Anecdotally, Samuelsson mentioned a time he prepared a meal at the White House for Heads of State that included Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld. Riffing off the symbolism of “breaking-bread-together” the Chef served the diplomatic table a basket of ethnic breads.  Without place-settings or utensils the informality of the situation served the Chef’s metaphorical message ~the bonds of humanity are in the simplest things.

Marcus Samuelsson’s cookbook collection reaches beyond continental divides into multi-generational celebrations of the human condition. Complete with playlists that groove from gospel to jazz, his recipes are rich in poly-ethnic rituals.  Readers are encouraged to sample African cuisine as a tribute to Samuelsson’s Ethiopian birth-mother Annu and taste traditional Swedish fare as an homage to his adopted grandmother Helga. The accent of each dish is part of Samuelsson’s artful language that shares histories of common-wealths.

As the holidays approach sampling Samuelsson’s fare will put great bites on your table but also offer food-for-thought that travels well beyond any kitchen..

If you find yourself in a pumpkin patch, Chef Samuelsson suggests peeling one of the gourge-ous fruit and making an empanada.