Barbecue author Raichlen brings debut memoir to Coral Gables

Five-time James Beard Award winner Steven Raichlen, whose books helped bring barbecue into American kitchens, will discuss his first memoir Thursday, Oct. 22, at Books & Books in Coral Gables.

Raichlen, who divides his time between Miami and Martha's Vineyard, will appear at 7 p.m. at the bookstore on Aragon Avenue. Books & Books founder Mitchell Kaplan will moderate the free event, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m., according to the event listing.

His memoir, "Man on Fire: Of Life, Love, Literature, and Really Good Barbecue," was released Tuesday, Oct. 20, by BenBella Books. The 352-page book traces how a Baltimore-raised student of French literature became one of America's most recognizable authorities on grilling.

From medieval cooking to barbecue fame

Raichlen's journey began at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and continued through a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, during which he researched medieval cooking in Europe.

His career eventually led to the publication of "The Barbecue! Bible" in 1998, a breakthrough that helped establish his reputation as a grilling expert.

The memoir recounts encounters with Julia Child, a private grilling lesson for Howard Stern and a victory over an Iron Chef on Japanese television, as the Gables Gazette reported.

Although the book includes 25 recipes, Raichlen wanted readers to approach it as a personal story rather than another cookbook.

"I was very adamant that there was no mention of it on the cover because I wanted people to buy it as a memoir," he told the Vineyard Gazette in an Oct. 8 interview.

The recipes reflect places that shaped his life, including Baltimore crab cakes, medieval mulled wine, maple-sriracha chicken wings from Quebec and a Miami-inspired chilled mango soup he calls "mango-spacho."

Raichlen said writing the memoir took approximately two years. He described the third chapter, which focuses on his mother, as the most emotionally difficult to write.

Miami roots and a celebrated career

Raichlen has longstanding connections to South Florida. He and his wife, Barbara, have maintained a home in Miami for years, and his 1993 book, "Miami Spice: The New Florida Cuisine," explored the region's culinary identity before his rise to barbecue fame.

His books have earned five James Beard Awards, and he was inducted into the Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2015.

His latest work marks a shift from instructional cooking books to a personal account of his experiences in food, travel, literature and family.