Daily Inspiration: Meet Steven Raichlen

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Raichlen.

Hi Steven, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
People call me the man who launched the modern barbecue revolution. When I was growing up, I scarce knew what barbecue was. I was born in Japan, raised in Baltimore, and educated in Portland, Oregon, and Paris. Sure, my family grilled (my mother was the family fire master), but true barbecue–slow smoked briskets, spice blasted ribs, and tangy pulled pork–would take me another 20 years to discover,

I majored in French literature at Reed college, and while I was writing my thesis on the medieval French poet Christine de Pisan (Europe’s first feminist, but that’s another story), I came across a 14th-century cookbook called the Former * Forme of Cury. The idea that people were writing cookbooks (literally by hand) 700 years ago blew my mind. I applied for–and won–a Watson Foundation Fellowship to study medieval cooking in Europe. That got me to Paris to explore the intersection of food, history, and culture. I’ve been doing it ever since.

Upon my return to the U.S., I became the restaurant critic for Boston Magazine, then the wine and spirits columnist for GQ. One day, my mentor, Anne Willan of the La Varenne Cooking School in Paris, told me I’d never make a living writing cookbooks. So I decided to prove her wrong. My first * serious project was a book on the new Floridian cuisine called Miami Spice. The same publisher—Workman Publishing—brought out my first barbecue book, The Barbecue Bible. It became an international bestseller–and thus began my career in live fire cooking.

The Barbecue Bible arose from a simple but profound realization: that almost everywhere people grill, but everywhere they do it differently. Thus began 25 years of travel to document how people grill in different cultures. During that time, I’ve studied live fire cooking in more than 70 countries.

I’ve written 12 books on barbecue (32 books in all), made 4 TV series on grilling for PBS (I’m currently working on the 4th season of Project Fire). I’ve hosted 6 TV series in French (thanks to that degree in French literature) and did a grilling show in Italian, created a Barbecue University (currently held at Montage Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina), launched lines of grilling accessories (under the Steven Raichlen signature series). My latest project is a line of ready to heat and eat smoked meats sold under the Planet Barbecue brand.

What I love best about barbecue is that it’s afforded me the opportunity to meet fascinating people and experience amazing food on six continents.

Every day is different, but all are exciting. You can follow my adventures in live fire cooking on my websites: barbecuebible.com and stevenraichlen.com and on my social media platforms @stevenraichlen.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As for everyone, there have been struggles. The deaths of beloved family members and colleagues (including my amazing publisher, Peter Workman).

Some books sold less well than others (although I have managed to write 2 million copy plus bestsellers along the way.

My first novel, The Hermit of Chappaquiddick, sold respectably, but hasn’t become the bestseller–or movie–I hoped for–yet. My current product lines–Steven Raichlen signature grilling tools and Planet Barbecue prepared foods–are facing the sample supply chains everyone is dealing with in the wake of Covid. But I keep moving forward, confident as I always am, that everything will work out.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The occupation listed on my passport is “writer.” Although many people watch me cook on public television, I’m a writer by trade and inclination. Certainly not a chef. Today, I’m best known for my books and articles on barbecuing and grilling, but I’ve written on topics as diverse as French cuisine, New England restaurants, Caribbean and Mediterranean travel, Jewish cooking, cooking for men, and health food. I even wrote a novel–a foodie love story set on Martha’s Vineyard called The Hermit of Chappaquiddick. That novel and Planet Barbecue are the two books I’m most proud of–to write Planet Barbecue, I toured 63 countries on 6 continents. I’m certainly proud of my 5 James Beard Awards and 3 IACP/ Julia Child Award *s.

Julia–a friend when I lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts–gave me a kiss when I won her award for my book Miami Spice. That was an amazing moment. I think what sets me apart from other barbecue writers is my historic and global perspective–I’ve tried to bring an anthropological perspective and intellectual approach to barbecue. That’s certainly kept the field interesting for me.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Interesting question. For a writer, part of it is book sales. Awards and recognition from your peers. For a TV host, it involves viewership and sharing your particular vision of a subject on TV. Money enters into the definition; so does celebrity. But for me, the most important measure of success is creating something new that enriches the lives of people who read and watch me.

This morning, my granddaughter called me on the way to school just to say hi. No amount of professional success can top that!!

Pricing:

• My books cost between $20 and $35
• My Planet Barbecue meats and other products cost $40 to $90
• My grilling accessories and spice rubs cost between $10 and $50
• My TV shows are free. So is my Up In Smoke newsletter–sign up for it
• Barbecue University at Montage Palmetto Bluffs in South Carolina: prices for the 2022 season to be announced shortly. Go to my website for details.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.barbecuebible.com
• Instagram: stevenraichlen
• Facebook: stevenraichlen
• Twitter: stevenraichlen
• Youtube: Steven Raichlen’s Project Smoke | Steven Raichlen’s Project Fire