I feel like I have been cooking all my life. In Sweden, summertime was the best. I loved hanging out with my sisters, Anna and Linda. My grandmother, Helga, would gather us in the kitchen to teach us how to pickle fresh vegetables, and how to make meatballs, ginger snaps, cookies, and apple jam. She loved cooking, and our meals were only fresh, never prepackaged. My job was to label all the bottles filled with jams and pickles; I can remember running down the stairs to make sure all the bottles were neatly in order.

We spent our summers in Smögen, which is on the west coast of Sweden. Every morning I went fishing with my dad, Lennart, and my uncles. We caught crayfish, lobsters, and mackerel, and often smoked and preserved the fish. From these experiences, I really learned to love and appreciate fresh, organic, and local food.

My other window into food came from my relatives and my father, Tsigie, in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, food is often viewed through a strong spiritual lens, more so than anywhere else I know. Spices are the key element driving taste in Ethiopian cooking. I appreciate my Ethiopian roots because I see how hard people have to work there to survive, and I understand just how fortunate I am to live in this country. I am inspired by the way the people of Ethiopia lead their lives, and how everyone tries to help one another in the community. Their drive inspires me to work as hard as I can to take the knowledge I have about food and to share it with those who want to learn how to prepare fresh, affordable meals.

I came to New York City after working with the great Chef Georges Blanc in France. He really taught me the groundwork of French cooking. I was anxious to get to NYC to see if I could rise to the challenge, and compete in one of the best food cities in the world.

New York City feels like home, and is so familiar that I almost feel like I grew up here. I love all the diversity that this city has to offer. I love meeting new people and exchanging creativity. I have always loved traveling and learning about different cultures, because this helps me expand my knowledge of what is out there in regards to different foods, spices, and techniques. One of my favorite pastimes is to sit at a table and eat something that I have never had before. Different sounds and colors influence the way I design a dish. The creative process is always fun for me, whether in food, art, music, or fashion. I love to be influenced by different kinds of art, and I try to take those experiences and place them in my creations.

A perfect weekend in the city is being able to play football with my close friends and later cook for them. My wife, Maya, and I entertain friends from all over the world, so it is a great feeling to cook something that might be familiar to them, yet has been prepared in a completely different way.

My hope is that Red Rooster will build on Harlem’s rich culinary culture, and that people from all over the world will celebrate all that Harlem has to offer. I’m looking forward to this new adventure.