If you follow reality cooking shows, you know Marcus Samuelsson, who has made a name for himself on everything from Top Chef Masters to The Next Iron Chef, and is currently judging the second season of The Taste.
Here are five things to know about celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.
5. He was born and raised in two different countries.
Samuelson was born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, but has lived in New York long enough to earn the title of being a “New Yorker.”
His signature dishes consist of ingredients from all three countries, which makes for an interesting take on cuisine.
4. He received rave reviews early on in his culinary career.
At a young age of 24 Samuelsson already had several accomplishments under his belt. He was the executive chef of Aquavit and the youngest chef to get a three-star review from The New York Times!
He’s also won James Beard Awards for his food writing and cooking.
3. He’s cooked for the President.
Samuelsson was a guest chef at President Obama’s first White House foreign state dinner, where the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh came for a visit. This was Samuelsson’s time to showcase his skills in the kitchen with vegetarian cuisine.
He served President Obama and Prime Minister Singh red lentil soup, roasted potato dumplings and green curry prawns (yum!).
2. He’s been on T.V.
Chef Marques Samuelsson’s face has been seen everywhere on the small screen on shows like: The Dylan Ratigan Show , Top Chef, Iron Chef USA, Chopped, Top Chef Master and The Next Iron Chef.
1. Sorry ladies, he’s taken.
Marques Samuelsson is married to model Gate (Maya) Haile. The couple lives in the Harlem area of New York City, close by the celebrity chef’s restaurant, Red Rooster.
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