Chef Marcus Samuelsson came to the United States in the 1990s, and made a splash with his high-end Swedish restaurant Aquavit. In two decades, the
Ethiopian-Swedish chef has gone from high-end chef of Scandinavian Cuisine, to true champion of regional American cuisine. He celebrates globally-inspired American food at his Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem. Samuelsson also celebrates American culture on his PBS TV series No Passport Required. The show visits lesser-known neighborhoods in American cities for the best stories and eats. Samuelsson was recently in Chicago. He talked to WBEZ’s Monica Eng about his appreciation of immigrant culture, journeys across the United States, cooking at the White House, and what it means to be a sincere traveler, rather than just a tourist.