Ever since the 1930s, Harlem has been a magnet for more than a million African Americans, a melting pot for Spanish, African, and Caribbean immigrants, and a mecca for artists.

When Chef Marcus Samuelsson opened Red Rooster on Harlem’s Lenox Avenue, he envisioned so much more than just a restaurant. He wanted to create a gathering place at the heart of his adopted neighbourhood, where both the uptown and downtown sets could see and be seen, mingle and meet – and so he did, in a big way.

The Red Rooster Cookbook is much more than a collection of recipes. It’s a love letter to Harlem shown through the people, music, soul, and food. Marcus’ Ethiopian and Swedish upbringing converge with his Harlem-American present to give readers a culinary clash of dishes to try, all mirroring the menus at his much loved neighbourhood restaurant Red Rooster.

Recipes range from the restaurant’s Deviled Eggs with Chicken Skin Mayo, Obama Fried Ribs, Whole Fried Fish with Grits, Curried Goat Stew, Sunday Tomato Eggs, and Uncle T’s Meatballs. He reinvents traditional home comfort foods like macaroni cheese and Swedish meatballs with exciting twists and new flavour combinations, placing them centre stage at the dinner table.

Marcus dedicates the book, “To the people of Harlem, especially the generation before mine who cared, restored and fought for uptown, to make sure Harlem would be a special neighbourhood in the greatest city – a place I am lucky to call home.”

Full of heritage and culture, music and love, this is far more than just a cookbook.