Marcus Samuelsson Swediopian Holiday Party Menu With Recipes

Marcus Samuelsson's Swediopian holiday party menu with glögg and beef kitfo

"The holiday season doesn't exist in my house, or anywhere in Scandinavia, without glögg," Marcus Samuelsson says as he drops thinly shaved orange peels into the classic Nordic mulled wine (see the recipe).

The chef of Harlem hot spots Streetbird and Red Rooster Harlem is in our Test Kitchen, showing us how to make the warm, boozy drink ("the trick is to use really bad wine, because you're just going to drop sugar and spices in"). He's also preparing beef kitfo (see the recipe), a just-warmed tartare that hails from his wife's tribe in Ethiopia. For parties, he serves it on injera crisps, a dried version of Ethiopia's signature spongy, slightly sour bread.

"The kitfo comes from what is usually a vegetarian culture, so when you do eat beef, it's a very big deal," Samuelsson says, speaking to the dish's luxurious, celebratory nature.

Both recipes are indicative of how Samuelsson makes food when he's throwing a party—he cooks "from a narrative," with personal recipes that describe where he's come from and where he's going.

Check out the video above to get both recipes. Then have yourself a Swediopian holiday as your home fills with the scents of butter spiced with berbere from the kifto, and vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, cardamom and ginger from the slowly warming glögg.