I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere has provided me with compensation for this post about Macy’s Culinary Council and Marcus Samuelsson. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.
Last Saturday, June 14th I checked out a cooking demonstration by Chef Marcus Samuelsson at Miami’s Dadeland Mall. The event was part of the Macy’s Culinary Council, a group of culinary masters like Cat Cora, Todd English, Emeril Lagasse, Ming Tsai, Michelle Bernstein and Wolfgang Puck. They participate in cooking demonstrations and events at Macy’s stores throughout the country, teaching folks like me a little about cooking and shopping like a master.
Marcus Samuelsson is an internationally acclaimed chef and owner of the Red Rooster Harlem restaurant in NYC. You may know him as the Season 2 winner on Bravo’s Top Chef and for his frequent appearances on Food Network’s Chopped. Being the total foodie geek that I am, I was super excited to see and taste his food.
The demonstration took place on the second floor of the Macy’s home department where everything was red-velvet-roped. Seats included a print-out of the recipes Samuelsson would demonstrate, a bottle of water and a delicious sangria-type beverage (I would have liked a few more, please!).
Samuelsson was easy-going and friendly, talking about his experience cooking for President Obama at his first state dinner, giving tips on using leftovers and instructing how to pick out a fresh fish fillet.
He cooked three dishes using his new limited edition cookware –Marcus Samuelsson American Table for Belgique.
What did chef Marcus Samuelsson cook?
The food was delicious. I was impressed by the complexity of flavors and textures, and how easy it all was! My favorite was the coconut rice cooked in coconut milk and then mixed with toasted shredded coconut; so simple—but incredibly good. I’ll be making and sharing a few of the recipes soon on Love and Duck Fat!
After the demonstration, everyone stuck around to get some face-time with Marcus Samuelsson and have him autograph their copy of his memoire, Yes, Chef. I chickened out on the book-signing but look forward to a good read.
To learn more about Macy’s Culinary Council and how you can attend foodie events like this one, visit the Macy’s Culinary Council site or follow them on Twitter.
If you live near NYC, check out the next Macy’s Culinary Council event on Saturday, June 28th, where six finalists compete to be crowned the Macy’s Great American Grilling Guru. Attendees receive a special grilling gift and meet Culinary Council Chefs Johnny Iuzzini and Todd English.
