After listening to delicious storytelling about great restaurants and the chefs behind them in Seat at the Table, we asked Chef Samuelsson what dishes are going to be on his own family’s table for the holiday and the kind of guests he welcomes.
Yvonne Durant: Your son Zion is six years old. Is he showing any interest in working with you in the kitchen?
Marcus Samuelsson: Zion is in the kitchen with me all the time. He also likes to go shopping at the farmers market in Harlem. He loves checking out all of the different ingredients. However, like every parent, I want him to eat a little more.
YD: You said you might have to hide the fish sauce in his food. What are his tastes in food, beyond mac and cheese?
MS: Zion eats a lot of Ethiopian food. He predominately eats vegetarian—lentils, chickpeas, avocados. He’s big on vegetables and he also likes fish.
YD: The holidays are coming up. What is the "got to have it" dish on your table?
MS: During the holidays you have to have at least Ethiopian doro wat, which is one of the most traditional dishes from Ethiopia that I love, a chicken stew. Swedish meatballs. It might be the only time of the year I actually crave Swedish meatballs. They’re always around during the holidays. And then lots of gravlax. That's what I grew up with.
YD: Some people think they're being helpful when they come into the kitchen to help. When it’s your kitchen, are you okay with other people in your pots?
MS: I do like people coming into the kitchen, especially when they come from a different background than mine. There's always something you can learn from a seasoned cook or someone who has traveled a lot. So, if I get a tip on a new ingredient or technique, I love it.
YD: What's the best gift a house guest can bring when they come to your house for dinner?
MS: I love to be introduced to new things. It could be a book that relates to their cultural background or country—a scarf or chocolate, something that relates to their cultural background. If you're from the Caribbean, maybe a rum. I like things with gravitas, a connection to that person.
YD: And what's the worst gift?
MS: Oh, we don't see those. They're out. They're out.
YD: When you're cooking, what do you listen to? Music, podcasts, books?
MS: I listen to podcasts. I listen to music. But I also have to always have one ear open because it's either my son is about to crash something in the house or my daughter. I have to also listen to my wife. So, there's always podcasts in one ear and in the other ear I’m like, “Huh? Yeah, we’re on that.”
YD: So, I hear there's a new podcast coming up I guess you'll be listening to.
MS: I know. You have to listen to Seat at the Table.
YD: All right. Will do. Thank you.
MS: Thank you so much. I love it.
