What do you get when you add 12 tons of meat, an army of 1,252 volunteer chefs, and a grill nearly a mile long? The world’s largest barbecue of course, with over 20,000 spectators lined up to eat it.When you add in the factor that the event was held in Uruguay, which boasts beef almost as revered in many gourmet circles as that in neighboring Argentina, you can be sure it was a true culinary happening.

“It’s all so beautiful. It’s a record” said Guinness World Records judge form the United States, Danny Girton who was present to register the event.

According to Reuters, Army personnel were used to set up the massive grill and firefighters lit six tons of charcoal to kick off the gargantuan cookout.

The official event was launched after the record breaking grill was inaugurated with a much smaller meal of kosher beef steak.

Here’s a video from the record breaking event to whet your appetite…

According to the CattleNetwork.Com, contrary to tradition and for practical reasons six tons of charcoal was used to barbecue the beef. Traditional Uruguayan barbecue is prepared on embers of hard wood, a slow process that can take up to an hour but which also enables the meat to be smoked. Like Argentinians, Uruguayans take their tradition of asado very seriously, and enjoy some of the highest per capita beef consumption in the world.

Viewed From Above, The World’s Largest Barbecue

The previous record holder of the World’s Largest Barbecue was Mexico, which won in 2006 with a comparatively paltry 8 tons of meat.

Charles Zeran, Executive Chef of Four Moons Restaurant in Orangeburg, SC, is the winner of 9 DiRoNA (Distinguished Restaurants of North America) Awards and 9 Wine Spectator Awards in his previous kitchens (Stone Manor, Middletown, Maryland; Stars Waterfront Cafe, Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina; and The Lodge at Glendorn, a AAA Four Diamond and Relais & Chateaux property in Bradford, Pennsylvania.)

Not bad for a former attorney and self-taught chef who started his professional cooking career at the age of 32. His delicious and visually arresting dishes are the result of his interest in molecular gastronomy coupled with his own broad experience and unique vision.

He talked with us about the winding road that brought him to where he is today, his favorite restaurants, his Western Tennessee childhood food memories of peach ice cream on Independence Day and traditional New Year’s meals, as well as his guilty food pleasures…

When did first you start getting interested in food and cooking? Please share some early cooking memories…

I have cooked all my life for fun. Even as a child. Some early food memories: making caramel fudge and taffy with my grandmother in western Tennessee where I grew up. My father making Steak Diane in the seventies when I was about 10 and waiting for it to catch fire when the brandy was added. Traveling with my dad as a child to New Orleans and having beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde, and to Grand Bahama Island and having cracked conch right off the boat and Johnny cakes prepared by the native Bahamians.

It must have been difficult for you to make the leap from your original career to food and beverage. What happened that gave you the impetus to make that leap?

I became a lawyer I think more because it was expected and for the money more than because it was something I really wanted to do. Not because there had ever been a lawyer in my family, but because I had excelled in school and was expected to do something like a doctor, lawyer, or Indian chief.

After 7 years of divorce law in Northern Florida and Western North Carolina, I decided that life was too short to do something that I really didn’t love and began to think what would be better. I always loved to cook. The first food I ever sold was homemade lasagna to Italian restaurants while I was still an attorney in North Carolina. Made the pasta and dried it on a clothes rack.

One day I decided that I had had enough and spent the next six months winding up my practice, took a 3 month adventure around the Western United States looking for somewhere I wanted to be more than the Appalachian region of North Carolina. I ended up in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state and took a job in a roadside diner cooking breakfast. After about 4 months of this, I met the owner of a bistro in one of the tourist towns in the Cascades who offered me a line cook job, which I declined. But we hit it off being the same age and both growing up outside Memphis, so we had a lot of common history.

A few days later the manager of her kitchen was fired and she called me and asked me if I wanted to run their kitchen my first chef position with 4 months of restaurant experience and not a clue. Trial by fire.

What kind of cooking do you most admire?

Avant garde. When I want to feed I like it simple, but when I want to dine, I want to be entertained and I want something to think about, not just chew on.

What ingredients do you especially like to work with?

Seafood is probably my favorite medium. Especially tuna, scallops, and any really fresh fish that I can either use raw or cook. I also really like raw or practically raw meats lamb, venison, and good beef made into wonderful tatakis, carpaccios, and tartares. I love Asian ingredients and flavors, especially Japanese the flavors are so complex, but seem so pure.

Who are your food inspirations and why…Also, who are your favorite chefs and cookbook/food authors?

Ferran Adria, Grant Achatz, Homaro Cantu, etc for their creativity in molecular gastronomy. Thomas Keller for the purity and intensity of taste of his food, and the subtle layers of flavor. Michel Richard of Citronelle for his playfulness, and the mixing of pastry techniques into savory dishes. Rick Tramonto for the same reasons as both Keller and Richard. Masaharu Morimoto for his use of western techniques with Asian ingredients and vice versa without ending up with fusion for fusion sake, which I hate.

What part does travel play in your food inspirations?

Only incidentally. Haven’t done much traveling for food’s sake.

Where do you like to go and what cuisines inspire you?

The Keys for the fresh seafood. DC for some of the restaurants I used to go to when I lived in that area Citronelle, Jose Andres’ Cafe Atlantico, The Inn at Little Washington, Persimmon, Kinkaid’s.

Any favorite meals you’d like to share?

The Inn at Little Washington for the best service I have ever experienced. Michelle Richard’s Citronelle for the whimsical food, like the silver penguin statuette carrying an egg filled with scrambled eggs topped with caviar.

What do you like to do to blow off the stresses of the kitchen?

When the day is done I am relaxed. I found that the difference between being a lawyer and being a chef is the type of stress being an attorney involves chronic stress the same client with the same issues continues for months. Being a chef involves acute stress when the day is done, the day is done. Chronic stress is draining. Acute stress is a rush.

What tips would you offer to someone considering a career as a chef?

Don’t — unless you really have the passion. If it’s not something you have to do because there is something inside you that makes you, it will be a miserable career and you won’t do it well. But if that thing is inside you, it’s like Confucius said “If you find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

What advantages do you bring to the table as a self educated chef?

Not knowing what the rules are, I don’t know better than to break them.

Would you like to publish a cookbook someday? If so, what would its focus be?

Maybe the crossover between sweet and savory.

Favorite comfort foods?

Biscuits and gravy. Steak. Mashed potatoes with white truffle oil. Bacon. Bacon. Bacon.

Favorite barbecue memory?

We always barbecued a baby goat on the Fourth of July when I was growing up. It cooked most of the day. While it was cooking, we made a stew in a big cauldron in the back yard using all the game we had in the freezer from the previous hunting season we stirred it with a boat paddle. And we finished the meal with peach ice cream we churned with a hand cranked ice cream freezer.

Favorite Southern meal?

When I was a child in West Tennessee on New Year’s Day, it was a tradition to have pork roast, turnip greens, black eyed peas cooked with fat back, and corn bread. You always poured the “pot liquor” from the peas over the corn bread. And you always had to leave one pea on the plate for good luck in the coming year.

Favorite guilty food pleasures (sweet or salty)?

Foie Gras pan seared with sauted blackberries on brioche. White truffles shaved onto almost anything.

Favorite wines to relax with?

Syrahs from the Northern Rhone. New Zealand Pinots and Chards. Steely dry Rieslings from Alsace. Douros from Portugal. Good reds from Chile. Chateau Margaux Pavilon Blanc. Oh, and Krug if you’re buying.

As a working chef, your time is at a premium. What restaurants would you like to find time to visit someday? (ie. El Bulli, The French Laundry, etc.)

El Bulli. Alinea, Tru, Morimoto, Per Se.

What’s your favorite dish to make at home?

Plumbers don’t find the time to fix their own pipes, mechanics don’t find the time to fix their own cars. Me too. If I have to, something on the grill.

Can you share a recipe for the readers of HuggingtheCoast.Com?

Here one from the Raw Bites menu at Four Moons: Day Boat Scallops with Sweet
Spicy Chili Vinaigrette, Hot and Sour Pickled Mango, and Tobikko Ice.

Ingredients:

1 lb (approx) fresh scallops (You will want extremely fresh dry [not processed] scallops,
the larger the better, preferably day boat harvested. If you have U-10 size (under 10
per lb) scallops, allow two scallops per person for an appetizer portion. If using 10-20
size allow three or four.)

For the Hot and Sour Pickled Mango:

1 c. water
1/2 c. rice wine vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
2 T salt
1/2 t. whole cloves
1 t. mustard seeds
1 t. peppercorns
1 T. chopped fresh ginger
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 large mango, peeled and cut into thin slices

Bring first 9 ingredients (thru red pepper flakes) to a boil in a medium, non-reactive
saucepan and allow to cool to lukewarm. Strain well, pour over thinly sliced mango, and
marinate for several hours.

For the Tobikko Ice:

2 1/2 c. cucumber juice (using a vegetable juicer), strained
1/2 c. simple syrup (see Cook’s Note)
3 oz wasabi tobikko caviar (available at some Asian markets or try your local sushi
restaurant)
Salt to taste
Sriracha pepper sauce to taste

Mix well and freeze according to your ice cream maker’s directions.

For the Vinaigrette:

Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce (available at Asian markets and many supermarkets)
Rice Wine Vinegar
Soy sauce
Lime Juice
(Proportions of the above are to taste, but you are looking for a sweet and sour spicy citrus flavor.)
Olive Oil

Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking to reach vinaigrette consistency.

To Serve:

Slice each scallop very thinly into 6 - 8 coin shaped slices and arrange on serving plates.
Drizzle the chili vinaigrette over the scallops and let marinate for a couple of minutes.
Arrange drained mango slices on scallops. Garnish the plates with a scoop of the
tobikko ice and whole cilantro leaves.

Serves 4 as an appetizer.

COOK’S NOTE: To make Simple Syrup, use equal measures (by volume) of water and
sugar. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Click here to read yesterday’s Four Moon’s Restaurant Review.

Imagine yourself enjoying the myriad sensual pleasures of a truly stellar meal: the bold, imaginative dishes, each ingeniously presented, their flavors expertly intertwined…the visually captivating interior…the expert wine pairings…the attentive and sincere service…

So, where did you imagine yourself? Orangeburg, South Carolina, by any chance? I thought not.

But by the time you get done reading this, you will.

Like most, I was somewhat surprised to hear that a fine dining restaurant had opened in Orangeburg. Charleston’s substantial sphere of culinary influence notwithstanding, “O-burg” is pretty much off the expected path for gourmet experiences.

But even though the city is dismissed by some as “troubled” or past its prime, Orangeburg has much to recommend it: beautiful parks and gardens, interesting, varied architecture and neighborhoods, unique little shops, good barbeque, and a location on the highway between the state capitol and Charleston and not far from Interstate 95.

More importantly, it has residents who believe in its future, who want better for it, and are willing to put their money where their mouth is. One of those residents, Buck Ridge Plantation founder Michael Tourville, has brought together a group of experienced and highly talented professionals to create this world-class restaurant.

Judging by the look and feel of Four Moons, it seems that no detail was left to chance. From the moment you enter through the imposing wood & mirror doors, everything changes. Everything outside - heat, noise, and hurry - is traded for its mirror image within: a cool, restorative stillness and the whispers of falling water. The imaginative interior, designed in collaboration with architect Dan Sweeney of Stumphouse Design, is visually delightful yet relaxing - celestial, and almost dreamlike.

The restaurant manager and sommelier, Ryan Groeschel (formerly the general manager of Charleston’s famed Peninsula Grill) has trained and inspired his service staff to excellence, and has carefully built a firm, 500 label / 2400 bottle foundation for the confluence of fine wines and the visionary, whimsical, and sure-handed creations coming out of the kitchen of award-winning chefs Charles & Colleen Zeran.

After being welcomed by Mr. Groeschel, my dining companion and I were seated almost directly under one of the visual set-pieces of the room: a lambent red orb, looking like a dwarf star, set into a luminescent blue parabola. To my right, round ‘moon’ windows cast light onto the booths against the far wall, each separated by a glittery mesh curtain. At either end, circular banquettes with George Nelson-inspired chandeliers are swathed in an impression of Mombasa netting, an echo of Victorian elegance in this very modern interior.

The glass walled wine room to my left gave us all the encouragement we needed, and as an opening shot across our palates my dining companion and I chose crisp whites: for her, a tall, cool, and lightly effervescent Blanquette de Limoux and for me a Ca’ del Sarto Pinot Grigio.

I often find that whites are served too cold; they might be refreshing when nearly frosty, but so is Gatorade. Both of these wines arrived quickly and at the correct temperature to both refresh and to allow their nuances to emerge, no doubt the result of the sommelier’s careful attention. These were soon followed by an amuse consisting of one perfect wine-chilled shrimp on peppercress greens dappled with a tart and lively blackberry horseradish dressing. A nice way to energize the tastebuds for the meal to come.

Now about the food… (click here to read more)

(more…)

ETVRoadShow has made an interesting video about Charleston’s food heritage which you can see below (or here ).

July’s Free Cookbook Preview…

Been to Google Books lately? Google Books has been gradually placing the full text of thousands of books online, many of them free full previews of culinary books that are either out-of-print or have been added online with the permission of their publishers.

One of the latter gems we’ve recently stumbled upon is Creme Brulee: The Bonjour Way, a 72 page book of interesting recipes from Randolph W. Mann.

You can read the whole book for free on Google Books here…enjoy!

If you decide to purchase it, Amazon.Com has the book here.

CharlestonPlace1 has made an interesting video of Charleston Grill chef Bob Waggoner making Venison Carpaccio which you can see below (or here ).

BTW, Waggoner is also the author of Charleston Grill at Charleston Place: French Influenced Lowcountry Cuisine.

In a recently published article by the San Francisco Chronicle, executive food and wine editor Michael Bauer points out that many of the winning chefs of the 2008 James Beard Awards came from smaller neighborhood restaurants and modest cafes instead of the more famous, brand name restaurants of previous years.

As the article says…

“In New York, David Chang of the modest Momofuku and Momofuku Ssam Bar beat out competition from high-profile places such as the Modern and Gramercy Tavern.”

Anthony Bourdain is a huge fan of Momofuku Ssam Bar. As he says in an interview with Fodors:

I don’t think it’s possible to overpraise Momofuku Ssäm Bar. I think it’s one of the few cases where a place totally lives up to the hype. It’s that exciting. Call ahead and go for the Bo Ssäm, the whole pork butt. They also have a frisée salad with a spicy tripe stew underneath that’s just mind-blowing. That’s one of those places where you just go and eat as much as you can.

“Robert Stehling of the Hominy Grill in Charleston, S.C., won for his cafe that gives a gentle modern twist to Southern foods.”

(If you’d like to learn more about his win, as well as enjoy a recipe roundup featuring eight of his recipes, we recently blogged about it here.) You can also enjoy more of Stehling’s recipes here.

“Michelle Bernstein of Michy’s in Miami said in her acceptance speech that she was especially gratified for the win because her restaurant is located in a part of city better known for prostitutes than for dining.”

Alas, Michy’s doesn’t have a website, but there’s a great thread about it on eGullet here.

“Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, Wash., won for her personal take on Northern Italian food in a suburb about 16 miles from Seattle.”

The Robb Report named Cafe Juanita one of the Best 57 Fine Dining Destination Restaurants in the USA.

What does it all mean? As Michael Bauer posits, “What all this says to me is that as a dining nation we’re growing up. Winning doesn’t necessarily mean glitzy surroundings, high-profile names and chic locations; it’s about how the people behind the stove translate their passion to diners.”

If Bauer’s right, that can only be good news for smaller local restaurants in second-tier cities like Charleston who choose to focus on the quality of their ingredients and the innovation of their menus instead of the finer points of their decor which are supposed to quietly complement rather than overshadow the dining experience itself.

Good news indeed.

The winners of the 2008 James Beard Awards have been announced. (You can see a full list of all the winners here.)

Because of the area’s bumper crop of great chefs, fine dining, and fresh ingredients, local congratulations go to Robert Stehling of Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC who has won in the Best Chef: Southeast category.

(You can see our list of all the JBA nominees here.)

Here’s eight of Stehling’s recipes in case you want to experience a taste of Lowcountry inspired goodness in your home kitchen:

• Robert Stehling’s Buttermilk Pie from The New York Times (also an exploration of the recipe from The Wednesday Chef)

• Robert Stehling’s Shrimp and Grits from Discover South Carolina

• Bacon-Roasted Turkey with Sweet-Onion Gravy from Food & Wine

• Grilled Portobello Mushroom and Barley Salad W/ Basil Puree from Big Oven

• Citrus-Pickled Shrimp from Food & Wine

• Robert Stehling’s Spinach Potato Cakes with Roasted Tomato Sauce from Cookie

• Shrimp Burgers from My Recipes.Com

• Avocado and Wehani Rice Salad from Astray Recipes

If you’d like to learn more about Charleston’s Hominy Grill and see the chef in action, click here to watch a brief clip from the Food Network.

Ever wonder where top chefs like Anthony Bourdain, Thomas Keller, and Tom Colicchio like to go on vacation, area restaurants they can’t resist, what their guilty culinary pleasures are on the road, and more?

Then you’ll enjoy this series of interesting pieces from Fodors which features 14 top chefs including Alice Waters, Anthony Bourdain, Thomas Keller, Tom, Colicchio, Ming Tsai, Suvir Saran, Lidia Bastianich, Govind Armstrong, Michelle Bernstein, Gavin Kaysen, Bobby Flay, and Suzanne Goin, sharing their favorite foodie meccas (excerpts below):

Anthony Bourdain on New York:

“What do we do in New York better than anyone else in the world?’ The answer to that question is deli…It’s the food that I miss when I’m away, no matter how well I’m eating. Even in places with fantastic food — Singapore, Hong Kong — the food that I miss first is deli.”

(You can read more from Anthony Bourdain on the subject here.)

Thomas Keller on the Napa Valley:

“When I think of lunch in Napa, I think of something quick that’s kind of comforting. And one of the places I like is Taylor’s Refresher. They have great hamburgers and fish tacos and you can sit outside in the beautiful weather because they have a big lawn right behind it. One of the things about Napa Valley, which is so unique, is that all of our restaurants are really good…People come to Napa Valley primarily to eat and drink, so we have great wine and great restaurants.”

(You can read more from Thomas Keller on the subject here.)

Tom Colicchio on Charleston, SC:

“What’s great about the South is that the idea of hospitality is second-nature. One of my favorites in Charleston is Hominy Grill. It is just the epitome of Southern casual dining. Breakfast, lunch, dinner — every single meal is just wonderful. Usually when I go to Charleston, I go right from the plane to Hominy Grill. I try to get there for breakfast — they do shrimp and grits and different egg dishes. Whatever they serve is usually seasonal, wonderful, delicious. Last time I was there I had shad roe and scrambled eggs for breakfast…

For me, going to South Carolina, it’s not so much about the beaches, it’s about the marshes. It’s just wonderful to get a kayak and go through the marshes. You see everything from redfish to alligators to dolphins. It’s amazing — the amount of birds and wildlife…

There are so many little fish shacks around Charleston. There’s a little place called Bowen’s Island, an oyster grill where you sit at a picnic table, and the guy comes by with a shovel full of oysters that come off the grill and just puts [them] on the table on top of newspaper and they’re kind of steamed open from the grill — and that’s it. You dip them in butter and that’s all they serve…”

(You can read more from Tom Colicchio on the subject here.)

Also, you can see photos of Bowen’s Island on our FlickR Photoset here as well as read the full series of top chef interviews here.

Frank Sodolak of Sodolak’s Original Country Inn in Snook, TX is apparently some kind of evil genius.

Not satisfied with serving his customers heaping plates of steaks, french fries, and onion rings large enough to intimidate Fred Flintstone, one day Frank decided to chicken-fry a batch of bacon and the rest is culinary (and coronary) history.

The chicken-fried bacon is served with a generous side dish of cream gravy for dipping or topping.

If you’re curious (or just a glutton like me), you can see more photos of the food at Snooks in Yi’s Flickr photo stream here.

Below is a Youtube video from the Texas County Reporter showing how Sodolak makes his chicken fried bacon:

Recipezaar has a Snook’s inspired recipe for Chicken Fried Bacon W/Cream Gravy if you’re not too guilt-wracked after watching the video. If you make it you can always top it with some Bacon Salt.

If you’re a true bacon fiend who likes to walk on the wild side, you might want to give this Chocolate Covered Bacon Recipe a try (with or without the multi-colored sprinkles), courtesy of Kevin’s Tech Ramblings.

As the late chef and food historian James Beard said:

“I’ve long said that if I were about to be executed and were given a choice of my last meal, it would be bacon and eggs. There are few sights that appeal to me more than the streaks of lean and fat in a good side of bacon, or the lovely round of pinkish meat framed in delicate white fat that is Canadian bacon. Nothing is quite as intoxicating as the smell of bacon frying in the morning, save perhaps the smell of coffee brewing.”

Sounds pretty good to me!

Would you try Chicken-Fried Bacon or Chocolate Covered Bacon?

ETVRoadShow has made an interesting video that talks about the chefs that make Charleston, SC’s famous Lowcountry cuisine which you can see below (or here ).

When you go on a fishing trip or go camping in the mountains, do you enjoy celebrating the pleasure of the great outdoors with a gourmet meal cooked on an open fire?

Fans of outdoor cooking at its finest (as well as gourmet food in general), won’t want to miss the four Redwood Creek Campfire Classic events taking place across the country throughout the spring and summer to kickoff the 2008 camping season.

The most recent event will be held on May 17th, 2008 as part of the Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor in Maryland and will feature the semi-final competitions for the contest for already selected competitors from both the North and Southeast (with Hugging the Coast’s own Doug DuCap competing in the Southeastern Division!).

In addition to the Redwood Creek Campfire Classic cookoffs, the Food and Wine Festival at National Harbor will also feature demonstrations by Michel Richard, the critically acclaimed chef of Citronelle and author of Happy in the Kitchen as well as lectures and samples from dozens of culinary experts from around the country.

Two other Campfire Classic semi-finalist cookoffs will be held in Seattle, WA on May 31st as part of the Pike Place Market Street Festival and in Chicago, IL on June 7th as part of the Chicago Botanic Garden Wine Festival which will determine the finalists from the Northwest and Midwest divisions. (The finalists from the Southwestern division were chosen on May 3rd at Mayfest in Fort Worth, TX.)

Winners of the Campfire Classic Semi-Finals will be awarded $1,000, plus an all-expense paid trip to New York City to compete during the first week of summer for a chance to win a $10,000 Grand Prize. The finals will be judged by Redwood Creek winemaker, Cal Dennison, and Bob Blumer, host of the Food Network’s Glutton for Punishment and The Surreal Gourmet.

Like the poster above? You can get it free here. Also, please see the 2007 Campfire Classic Finalists’ Recipes below to help inspire you on your own culinary campfire adventures:

• 2007 Grand Prize Winner: Coal-Roasted Chuckbox Pozole-Stuffed Onions by Leah Lyon of Ada, Oklahoma

• Chincoteague Scallops by Julia DeCastro of University Park, Florida

• Rocky Mountain Pinon Paella by Paul Heitzenrater of Denver, Colorado

• Down East Lobster Scampi a la Campfire by Brian Mulligan of Bath, Maine

• Lost in the Woods Pork Tenderloin by Kim Wittmers of Minneapolis, Minnesota

“Olga Berman had something to confess: She is frequently guilty of involuntary porkicide. ‘I’m the girl who kills pork,'’ she wrote in an e-mail. ‘I always overcook pork chops, and they come out dry.’Even after three years of a part-time culinary program at Sur La Table, Berman didn’t have the chops to cook chops.”

But Olga Berman is nothing if not supremely fortunate. According to this article in the Miami Herald, when Southern cookbook author Nathalie Dupree heard about Berman’s pork curse, she showed up Olga’s DC apartment to play fairy godmother and show her the secret of unforgettably succulent pork chops.

“Then the two started the chops by heating butter and oil in a sauté pan. Dupree laid two chops in the pan, explaining that you always cook the prettier side first because it will get more nicely browned than the second side. ‘When the pork starts talking, you start listening,’ Dupree intoned. ‘It’s sizzling because it’s putting water out into the hot fat. When it stops sizzling so much, it’s time to turn it.’ Dupree turned the chops with her hands, as the pros do…”

You can read more about Nathalie Dupree’s 911 Culinary Intervention here.

The first woman since Julia Child to film more than 100 cooking shows for public television, Charleston’s Dupree is the author of 10 cookbooks (you can preview four of them free of charge here) which have sold over half a million copies so far.