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

For The People of Harlem

Cookbooks are great reading material for me. I read them like any book. In years gone by cookbooks were filled with recipes, now they have a story within them. March Samuelsson has filled his cookbook with stories. He starts with a Foreword by a friend, Hilton ALS, that gives us a feel for the chef. And, then, Marcus gives us the story of how he came to a Harlem, how he named his restaurant, and how and what The Red Rooster came to be. These kinds of stories teach us about the man, his principles, his philosophies and his trademark. Fascinating and filled with everything we need to know. The nitty gritty of this cookbook is perfect. Each chapter begins with a story or several stories to give us a feel for what is about to come.13 chapters starting with The Pantry, and his is filled with everything and anything you need to know, through It's Always Sweet In Harlem. In between are the Lucious recipes he favors. Birdland gives us his famous fried chicken recipe and how he came to put his recipe together. My favorite chapter is Family Meals. These are the foods the staff and his family eats. Lucious foods that make our mouths water. And, because I am a dessert person Sweets From Harlem. His whoopie pies are made from pistachios and wonderfully whipped cream cheese. Does it speak to you? I love the recipes, but my favorite part were the stories. Marcus Samuelsson is a fabulous writer. I know I would like this man were I to meet him in the street, infectious personality, and the man works hard. If you have ever wondered why Marcus Samuelsson named his restaurant, The Red Rooster, you will learn it here. Many wonderful photos of the people he meets, greets and loves. He provides a Playlist for his chapters, and I streamed many of his favorites from Amazon while reading this book. This is a must have, people! Recommended. prisrob 02-11-17 Read more