I’m truly humbled to have been invited to prepare the menu for the Democratic National Committee’s fundraiser last night at the historic Four Seasons in New York City. Being invited by the Obama administration to prepare its first White House state dinner last November was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it was a tremendous honor to cook again for the President last night.

I’d like to thank the gracious and hospitable staff at the Four Seasons for allowing us to prepare the following menu in their kitchens. More »

For our second installment of the “Celebrity Interview” section, I’m super excited to share with you all, my afternoon with Venus Williams. She stopped by to chat about her latest book called “Come to Win” and to discuss her thoughts on food. Good luck to Venus at today’s US Open match!

This week’s photos of Food & People were taken by Sheryl Estrada in Florida, USA. Below is what Sheryl has to say about the photos and her experience of Florida, USA.

Each Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to noon there’s a farmer’s market in Fort Pierce, a South Florida city, which is a part of Florida’s Treasure Coast. Many Spanish galleons wrecked off of the coast, including those of the 1715 Spanish fleet, leaving behind treasures that have been recovered in the past 50 years — thus the name. I’ve never found any gold sparkling in the waters, but for me, this farmer’s market is gold. I find it unique, as it not only offers fresh fruit and vegetables, but atmosphere. There’s always a band performing, sometimes causing visitors to dance while sipping a smoothie or eating a kettle corn; the food vendors are varied. Set adjacent to the Indian River Lagoon, you get a nice view. It’s also in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce, where you can see an old-fashioned building or two. A mix of locals and vacationers, you’ll hear a Boston accent one minute, the next, a Southern accent. Everyone is upbeat, experiencing what markets used to be before they became “super.”

Thank you Sheryl for your contribution!

You can share your photos by emailing us at FoodandPeople@SamuelssonGroup.com You can also submit a post on Tumblr which we review before posting our favorites here on MarcusSamuelsson.com Another option is to share your photos with us by posting them with a story caption in our group “Marcus Samuelssson Food and People from around the World” on Flickr.

The Second Annual Youth Health Forum was held at the Harlem YMCA in August to help kids make healthier choices with the help of award-winning chef, restaurateur and cookbook author Marcus Samuelsson. Watch as the newly crowned Top Chef Master cooks up a healthy meal for kids at the Harlem YMCA.

We’re approaching the end of summer and it’s hotter than hot outside. In times like these, when my body urges me to eat light, it can be tough thinking of something to make on more special occasions.

My peach salad is sometimes the perfect thing. The sweetness of ripe summer peaches are balanced by the peppery flavor, and you’ll find a ton of complimenting textures in this refreshing dish. Nothing impresses my friends and family more than when I combine savory and sweet flavors like in this salad, and with this deceivingly simple recipe, you’ll “wow” your guests too. Read on for the recipe.

More »

Our first contributor is Katie Cizewski. She’ll be posting every Monday as our Meatless Monday contributor.

Katie is a freelance food, travel, and fashion writer with a diverse background.  She is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute’s pastry program and of Columbia University’s engineering school.  In addition to Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s blog, she is a regular contributor for citybuzz, a restaurant and travel blog, and for a fashion blog hosted by YMI Jeans.  Katie is also writing a novel partly based on her own experiences with food. More »

This week’s photos of Food & People were taken by Samantha Solis in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Below is what Samantha has to say about the photos and her experience of Khada, Bangladesh.

I attended pre-wedding ceremonies. The photos show a ritual of feeding the soon to be bride sweets and putting some turmeric on her forehead to give her your blessings. The bride also puts turmeric on ones forehead.

The photos are of the Shaheed Minar monument that commemorates the protesters that were killed for wanting equal recognition for Bangla which is now known as the Language Movement.

There are also photos of the Buddhist Monastery that I thought was so beautiful! It was the best surprise I got during the whole summer at Bangladesh. My friend and her family planned this trip because I was about to be leaving that very weekend. They did warn me a week ahead that they would be taking me somewhere. So I packed my things and got ready for the 10 hours drive. I’m so glad they didn’t tell me exactly where. It made it much more beautiful the experience.

Thank you Samantha for your contribution. Keep up the good work!

You can share your photos by emailing us at FoodandPeople@SamuelssonGroup.com You can also submit a post on Tumblr which we review before posting our favorites here on MarcusSamuelsson.com Another option is to share your photos with us by posting them with a story caption in our group “Marcus Samuelssson Food and People from around the World” on Flickr.

Join me Friday, September 10, 2010 at Macy’s in Herald Square. I will be hosting a cocktail party for Fashion’s Night Out. The party starts at 7pm and will held at the Cellar on the Lower Level near the demonstration kitchen.  The night will feature the season’s hottest food and fashion.

Just got back from a couple of days back home and can’t tell you how excited I was to see it was crayfish season. Mudwalkers, kräftor, crawfish…whatever you call them, they’re great and a true reason to celebrate.

Crayfish festival is the most fun celebration in Sweden. I couldn’t think of a better way to introduce someone to Swedish culture than inviting them to your backyard crayfish party.

Fact is, you can get crayfish any time of year except late August is when you can legally fish for freshwater crayfish.

The proper way to serve crayfish is by boiling them in some salted water and serving them with hard cheese, bread, mushrooms like chantarelles and plenty of beer and shots of aquavit. You spend the duration of the meal getting your hands dirty, chowing down on really fresh crayfish and singing fun songs.

How do you celebrate crayfish season?