The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem by Marcus Samuelsson
For 2018 we will be adding even more content to Banana Logic, teaming up with more food enthusiasts and reviewing cookbooks...
For the first cookbook review this year, I'll be focusing in on Marcus Samuelsson's Red Rooster Cookbook. I love getting a cookbook that differs from the cooking styles I am used to because it is a great way to build your cooking skills and knowledge. One of the simplest and most enjoyable ways to experience other cultures and even other regions of the US is through food. Using a few new spices, grains, and ingredients and making some new dishes can brighten up your regular cooking and give new flavor to dishes you've made over and over while also giving you a taste of what other people around the world eat.
Here are a few highlights of the book:
First and foremost, it's not just a book of recipes. It's Marcus' story of creating his Harlem restaurant, celebrating the people of the community of Harlem and lays the framework for the importance of investing in the community you are in. I love this because I believe it is a crucial part of the human experience to integrate into whatever community you happen to be apart of at the time.
The recipes are divided into the days of the week as seen in the life of the restaurant schedule. With each section there is the unique touch of adding a music playlist to complement the recipes. The music rounds out the experience of the stories and food, bringing it all together into one enjoyable package. For me, it is so relaxing and fun to listen to a great selection of Jazz while cooking. Music is a big part of culture and Jazz is a uniquely American music.
The stories and the music are what make the cookbook unique, but a cookbook is only as good as it's recipes. Chef Marcus, the James Beard award winning chef does not disappoint here. The recipes are mainly based on renditions of what is served in the restaurant. Chef Marcus, when writing about the inspiration for the food they serve, says "Opening the Rooster has meant I get to cook and be happy. At the same time. We make dishes inspired by the south and the Great Migration. I offer the food I grew up with, big dishes that made you suck your fingers. Good lumpy gravy with odd shaped kroppkaka, Swedish potato dumpling. But my food also comes out of church cooking, home cooking, diners, and the Southern tradition of meat and three. It's black culture, but it's for everyone. It's the bird and the pig. It's bourbon. I don't think I changed so much from living and working in Harlem, as I found a certain kind of orientation." (pg.22)
The Market Ingredients
It is important to incorporate Farmer's Market ingredients into regular weekly meals because they are of the highest quality, help support local business and again, integrates yourself into the community. When cooking specific meals from a cookbook start by looking to see what you can get from your local market first. Produce is a given and the easiest place to start, I got all of the citrus, shallots and vegetables I needed. Additionally, buying fresh potted herbs is a great way to have herbs whenever you need them and because they will continue to grow as you care for them, this makes them an investment in future cooking. Dry roasted nuts and fruit are another great product to get locally. The freshly roasted peanuts I used made a great contribution to the flavor of the dishes and it certainly wouldn't have tasted as good without them. Eggs are another market staple for me, whether cooking them on their own or to use in baking.
The Recipes
Here are excerpts from the descriptions of the recipes that I have tried so far and my take on them.
Jerk Bacon
"Marinating, baking, and chilling the pork belly takes time, but it's not active time and the result is bacon that's better than anything you'll find at the butcher's." (pg.112) The Berbere seasoning shines through on this Bacon and made it so flavorful. The bacon is a great recipe to make because it can be used in several other recipes throughout the book.
Peanut-Bacon Pork Chops
"When in doubt add bacon to pork. Then add peanuts for a smoky crunch. "Now you has jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz. (Thank you Cole Porter)". (pg. 214) This dish was unlike any I have made before, the peanuts in the sauce was the stand out feature and the pork was mouth-wateringly moist.
Brussels Sprouts
(Recipe on page 294) With the more complex main dishes, it is nice to have quick and easy side dishes to pair them with. The flavor of the Brussels sprouts was sweet and tangy and the simplicity of the method of cooking them is one I will continue to repeat.
Garlic `N` Honey Roasted Sweets
"We all need comfort and that is what these sweet potatoes are... What's great is that you can make them ahead and just leave them out while you're doing something else." (pg. 325) These were the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, a great flavor refresh to the otherwise standard taste of sweet potatoes.
Yep, Chicken and Waffles
"Chicken and Waffles, the story goes, was a dish that came about for the musicians who had played through dinner and on through the night, only sitting down at the table when the sun was coming up. They were missing dinner and wanting breakfast and made an ingenious compromise. There's music in this dish." (pg.210) My favorite recipe I have tried from the book, the buttermilk brine on the chicken allows for the juiciest fried chicken I have ever had and the light crisp waffles made this meal one to dream about."
Blonde and Dark Mud with Bourbon Raspberries
"It's a party!" (pg. 374) This recipe used many bowls during the assembly process as there were many different steps, but the results were indulgent silky chocolate filling and the cookie pretzel crust was a crisp sweet, salty treat.
More recipes I am looking forward to trying soon: Cornbread, Bird Broth, Chicken-Fat Challah, Double Dragon Rice with Grilled Shrimp, La Marqueta Pork Tack Tack, Trout with Ginger and Citrus, Roti, Andouille Bread Pudding, Migas,and Bevy Cookies.
The Pairing
If you do decided to get the Red Rooster Cookbook, then it is a must that you listen to the music as you cook the recipes. If you've never been a jazz fan, or if you don't much about the history of the genre, yet find yourself intrigued by what you are hearing, then I highly recommend Ken Burns documentary series, originally broadcast on PBS and simply called Jazz. The series takes you all the way back to the roots of Jazz down in New Orleans, introducing you to all the important characters, such as Jellyroll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and of course so much more. Once it left its roots in New Orleans, Jazz spread throughout the United States, especially to Harlem where The Red Rooster is and much of Jazz takes place. -Z
You can purchase the cookbook here.
Here are a few highlights of the book:
First and foremost, it's not just a book of recipes. It's Marcus' story of creating his Harlem restaurant, celebrating the people of the community of Harlem and lays the framework for the importance of investing in the community you are in. I love this because I believe it is a crucial part of the human experience to integrate into whatever community you happen to be apart of at the time.
The recipes are divided into the days of the week as seen in the life of the restaurant schedule. With each section there is the unique touch of adding a music playlist to complement the recipes. The music rounds out the experience of the stories and food, bringing it all together into one enjoyable package. For me, it is so relaxing and fun to listen to a great selection of Jazz while cooking. Music is a big part of culture and Jazz is a uniquely American music.
The stories and the music are what make the cookbook unique, but a cookbook is only as good as it's recipes. Chef Marcus, the James Beard award winning chef does not disappoint here. The recipes are mainly based on renditions of what is served in the restaurant. Chef Marcus, when writing about the inspiration for the food they serve, says "Opening the Rooster has meant I get to cook and be happy. At the same time. We make dishes inspired by the south and the Great Migration. I offer the food I grew up with, big dishes that made you suck your fingers. Good lumpy gravy with odd shaped kroppkaka, Swedish potato dumpling. But my food also comes out of church cooking, home cooking, diners, and the Southern tradition of meat and three. It's black culture, but it's for everyone. It's the bird and the pig. It's bourbon. I don't think I changed so much from living and working in Harlem, as I found a certain kind of orientation." (pg.22)
It is important to incorporate Farmer's Market ingredients into regular weekly meals because they are of the highest quality, help support local business and again, integrates yourself into the community. When cooking specific meals from a cookbook start by looking to see what you can get from your local market first. Produce is a given and the easiest place to start, I got all of the citrus, shallots and vegetables I needed. Additionally, buying fresh potted herbs is a great way to have herbs whenever you need them and because they will continue to grow as you care for them, this makes them an investment in future cooking. Dry roasted nuts and fruit are another great product to get locally. The freshly roasted peanuts I used made a great contribution to the flavor of the dishes and it certainly wouldn't have tasted as good without them. Eggs are another market staple for me, whether cooking them on their own or to use in baking.
The Recipes
Here are excerpts from the descriptions of the recipes that I have tried so far and my take on them.
Jerk Bacon
Peanut-Bacon Pork Chops
(Recipe on page 294) With the more complex main dishes, it is nice to have quick and easy side dishes to pair them with. The flavor of the Brussels sprouts was sweet and tangy and the simplicity of the method of cooking them is one I will continue to repeat.
Garlic `N` Honey Roasted Sweets
"We all need comfort and that is what these sweet potatoes are... What's great is that you can make them ahead and just leave them out while you're doing something else." (pg. 325) These were the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, a great flavor refresh to the otherwise standard taste of sweet potatoes.
Yep, Chicken and Waffles
Blonde and Dark Mud with Bourbon Raspberries
More recipes I am looking forward to trying soon: Cornbread, Bird Broth, Chicken-Fat Challah, Double Dragon Rice with Grilled Shrimp, La Marqueta Pork Tack Tack, Trout with Ginger and Citrus, Roti, Andouille Bread Pudding, Migas,and Bevy Cookies.
The Pairing
If you do decided to get the Red Rooster Cookbook, then it is a must that you listen to the music as you cook the recipes. If you've never been a jazz fan, or if you don't much about the history of the genre, yet find yourself intrigued by what you are hearing, then I highly recommend Ken Burns documentary series, originally broadcast on PBS and simply called Jazz. The series takes you all the way back to the roots of Jazz down in New Orleans, introducing you to all the important characters, such as Jellyroll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and of course so much more. Once it left its roots in New Orleans, Jazz spread throughout the United States, especially to Harlem where The Red Rooster is and much of Jazz takes place. -Z
You can purchase the cookbook here.
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