The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food

Culinary Historians of Chicago

The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food An interview with Chef Marcus Samuelsson Conducted by culinary historian and food writer Donna Pierce Black cooking has always been more than “soul food,” with flavors tracing to the African continent, to the Caribbean, all over the United States, and beyond. Join us as internationally acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson highlights the diverse deliciousness of Black cooking today. Driven by a desire to fight against bias, reclaim Black culinary traditions, and energize a new generation of cooks, Chef Samuellson will share his own journey and that of other top chefs, writers, and activists. * * * * The Ethiopian-born, Swedish raised, Marcus Samuelsson is one of the most famous chefs in the world. He’s an entrepreneur, philanthropist and culinary star with a long list of TV and book credits as well as ownership of a namesake global hospitality group that includes more than a dozen restaurants. His most famous eatery, Red Rooster is in New York’s Harlem, where he lives. Chef Samuelsson’s latest book, The Rise, begins with a look to the future, exploring where Black food is heading, and then pays homage to cooks on whose shoulders Black chefs stand, and the migration stories that make the cuisine so diverse and rich. * * * * A fixture in Chicago’s culinary scene, Donna Pierce has worked as a test kitchen director and assistant food editor for the Chicago Tribune, an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and contributing editor for Upscale Magazine. Her syndicated column “Black America Cooks” has appeared in the Chicago Defender and other national Black publications. With a Nieman Foundation Visiting Fellowship at Harvard University, she researched black cookbooks and forgotten cooks at The Schlesinger Library for her upcoming book about Freda Deknight. http://www.CulinaryHistorians.com