The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem

The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem

Marcus Samuelsson

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

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 Waffles, 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.  

Publication Year: 2016


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  • poetry180
    Apr 07, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    This is one of the ones where you would not cook anything from the cookbook at home. But it makes me really want to go visit the restaurant. The pictures are beautiful and full of life, and everything in the cookbook books delicious. I just wouldn't make it in my house.

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