Food - Drink
The Signature Dish Marcus Samuelsson Served To President Obama
By KATHERINE BECK
Chef, author, and TV personality Marcus Samuelsson is known not only for his extraordinary cooking skills and his restaurant empire, but also for his humanitarian work. It was his fame as a cook and a humanitarian that drew the attention of President Barack Obama, who asked Samuelsson to create the President’s first state dinner.
Samuelsson chose to serve Obama his signature English-cut short ribs cooked in lemongrass, garlic, ginger, and plum sauce. Samuelsson said he chose this dish because it is tender, full of flavor, and could be made ahead of time; as it turns out, the ribs were a good choice, as the dish was well-received by President Obama.
Samuelsson worked with first lady Michelle Obama to create the meal, which took inspiration from Indian cuisine, in honor of their guest, Prime Minister Singh of India. Other dishes included potato and eggplant salad, roasted potato dumplings with tomato chutney, green curry prawns, and caramelized salsify with smoked collard greens.