Cook the Book Challenge!

Introducing the #RedRoosterCookbook Cook the Book Challenge!

Once a week until the end of the year, I'll be posting a bonus from recipe from the cookbook here on the website. Home chefs can take the challenge by cooking the recipe, instagramming their dish and using the hashtag #RedRoosterCookbook.

Each week I'll pick my favorite shot and regram it on my account. I'll also update this blog post with each week's challenge and last week's winners.

Good luck and happy cooking!

Week 1 - Warm Quinoa with Vegetables and Eggs

Week 2 - Garlic 'N' Honey Roasted Sweets

Week 3 - Slow-Baked Blueberry Bread with Spiced Maple Syrup 

Week 4 - Quick-Cured Trout with Poblanos

Week 5 - Good Old Pound Cake

Week 6 - Iron-Pressed Chicken

Week 7 - Sweet Dog

Week 8 - Chocolate Cherry Cake

Announcing My Upcoming Red Rooster Cookbook

The Red Rooster Cookbook is available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound.

I’m excited to announce that my upcoming Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem will be released October 18th. I had such an incredible time compiling these dishes, and now I’m ready to share them with you.

Inside you’ll find deeply personal dishes, woven into the story of our neighborhood and our restaurant. Though food is at the center of Red Rooster, it’s about so much more than that to me. It’s become a key part of our vibrant Harlem community, encouraging new friendships and conversations over thoughtfully prepared food.

This book reflects my journey from Ethiopia to Harlem, influenced by flavors I discovered along the way. From Pork and Plantains to Chinese Steamed Bass and Fiery Noodles to Chicken and Waffles, each recipe is rooted in centuries of traditions and cultures that represent the sticky, sweet, specialness that is the reason I opened my restaurant uptown. These dishes will bring exciting global flavors into your home, and I hope they’ll expand your sense of adventure in the kitchen.

LIVE with Kelly & Michael

I had such a good time appearing on Kelly & Michael in Washington, DC last week. They challenged me to make a dish using the beautiful fall Sweet Potato. I went "Swediopian" with it, adding some Ethiopian Berbere, keeping it chunky, and serving it with Swedish Meatballs and a Raw Kale Salad. This side dish would be a great way to add some flavor to any fall meal. Try it for Thanksgiving for a new take on a classic.

Get the recipe for my Chunky Mashed Sweet Potatoes here!

The Taste's Guest Mentor: Christina Tosi

Christina Tosi is the chef, owner and founder of Momofuku Milk Bar, called “one of the most exciting bakeries in the country” by Bon Appetit Magazine. As founder of the dessert program at Momofuku, Christina helped Momofuku Ko earn two stars from the Michelin Guide and Momofuku Ssäm jump onto restaurant magazine’s top 100 restaurants in the world list. She is the 2012 recipient of the James Beard Rising Star Chef award and will be the guest mentor on tonight's episode of "The Taste" where she will be judging the contestants for the appropriately titled "The Sweetest Thing" challenge. And because she's considered one of the coolest ladies in the kitchen, she shares with us her recipe for Momofuku Milk Bar's famous Compost Cookie.

Swede-iopian Recipe Roundup

When people ask me about my background, I always describe myself as a Swede-iopian, part Swedish and part Ethiopian.  Having such a diverse background has influenced my life in so many ways, especially my cooking. I find myself drawn to the Swedish food traditions from my childhood and intrigued by the flavors of my birth country. Both are constantly combined in my cooking to make my own unique cuisine. Here are some recipes that are either Swedish, Ethiopian or Swede-iopian.

Ethiopian Style Beef Stir Fry

Maya's Doro Wat

Ethiopian Shiro Chickpea flour Spread

Corn Pancakes with Chili Covered Gravlax

Pytt i Panna- Left over Breakfast Hash

Chocolate Cake with Candied Beets