"Yes, Chef" Guest Lunch with Marcus Samuelsson

Presented by Book People and La Condesa

In celebration of the publication of Marcus Samuelsson’s memoir “Yes, Chef” Marcus is hosting a series of guest lunches throughout America.

Please join us as Rene Ortiz of La Condesa and Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster come together to host a collaborative lunch inspired by Marcus' book "Yes, Chef"

Wednesday, July 18th 2012

12:00PM

Malverde above La Condesa

Ticket Price:  $60

*Ticket price includes book signed by Marcus Samuelsson, lunch, tax & gratuity

For Marcus and Rene, cooking is a form of story-telling.  The menu below connects the stories of Mexican, Scandinavian and Ethiopian cuisine.

Quinoa Injera: quinoa flatbread, farmer's cheese, white bean puree.

This dish serves as a welcome to the guest.  Here we showcase Mexican spices as well as the Ethiopian tradition of sharing food and 'breaking bread' with your neighbor.

Farmer's Heirloom Salad:  Johnson's Backyard Garden & Springdale Farms heirloom tomatos and cherokee purples, berbere, cumin, chile de arbol, cucumber crema.

The tomato salad features locally grown produce from Springdale Farms and Johnson's Backyard Garden. Berbere, the main spice in this salad, is traditional of Ethiopia. We will also use coriander and chiles, which ties in both Marcus and Rene's influence. 

Herring Ceviche: pickled horse mackerel,  brown sugar, crema, pickled red onions, dill, Johnsons Backyard Garden chives, Bluebonnet Farms baby arugula, togarashi, panisse fries.

Herring is a common fish in Scandinavia but here we will highlight it as a ceviche with citrus, herbs, avocados and vinegar.  Deconstructing the flavors will add a Mexican twist.

Whole Roasted Chicken and Livers with Summer Vegetables: Dewberry Farms chicken and livers, roasted baby carrots, grilled zucchini, squash, glazed radishes, grilled spring onions.

The main course will feature marinated whole roasted chicken with chicken livers and summer vegetables. Utilizing the whole chicken and not wasting any of it's parts reflects a process that is a necessity in Ethiopia.  We will also feature Atole, which is a Mexican preparation used at La Condesa for grits.  When combined with Schmaltz it ties to Marcus' Scandanavian roots.

* Menu created by Chef de Cuisine Rick Lopez and Executive Chef Rene Ortiz both of La Condesa