Marcus Samuelsson comes out of your TV and into Sixth & I Historic Synagogue on Thursday, November 13th at 7 p.m. The celebrity chef will be chatting about his new cookbook, Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook at Home (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35), with Washington Post food and travel editor Joe Yonan.

Marcus Off Duty starts with an introduction by Samuelsson on his upbringing, philosophy toward food, and general tips around the kitchen. “Off duty” improvisation created the recipes, as opposed to restaurant cooking where “consistency is the goal,” he writes.

Samuelsson’s personal background is diverse. “I start as an Ethiopian raised in Sweden and trained in French techniques, but I bring the flavors of many cultures to my table,” he explains. “Let’s all take advantage of as many food cultures as we can. We live in the United States of Flavor.”

To set the mood, each chapter also includes Samuelsson’s favorite songs to cook to. He reasons, “cooking for me is like jazz. You start with a solid bass and add riffs and beats as you feel the need. I never hosted anything … without a great playlist.”

Yonan will touch on these topics with Samuelsson on Thursday, focusing on Samuelsson’s home life, his unique influences globally and professionally, and how he reconnected to his early heritage with his wife.

Here are just a few of the recipes from Marcus Off Duty: Bourbon shrimp and spinach, chicken-fried steak salad, quinoa with broccoli, cauliflower and toasted coconut, day-after pasta frittata, sticky bacon sandwiches, and of course a slew of desserts. He also has a section on cooking with kids. “I don’t cook down to kids, and I don’t think the idea of making something different for them is a good one. Bring kids into the kitchen; expand their knowledge of food and techniques,” he suggests.

Samuelsson is a five-time James Beard Award winner and was the chef for the Obama Administration’s first state dinner. His restaurants include Marc Burger, Red Rooster, C-House, Street Food, and Ginny’s Supper Club. He is the author of New American Table, Aquavit, The Soul of a New Cuisine, New Scandinavian Cuisine, En Smakresa, Street Food, and Yes, Chef. In addition to his appearances on Food Network cooking competitions, he is now a judge on ABC’s The Taste. He and his family live in Harlem.

Buy your ticket here; a ticket and a book are $35, while two and a book are $45. Doors open at 6 p.m. and seating is first-come, first-served.