Chef Marcus Samuelsson
Award-wining chef Marcus Samuelsson has made it his mission to bring African cuisine to American palates. The 37-year-old was born in Ethiopia but lost his mother to tuberculosis at a young age, forcing him to move to Sweden to live with an adopted family. Though raised in the Nordic country, it's in his native Africa that Samuelsson's flavors find their roots. His newest New York restaurant, Merkato 55, blends African, Caribbean and South American flavors.
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