Frequently asked questions.
What are the titles and topics of your three books?
Our latest release is entitled The Hot Sauce Bottle Cookbook; Recipes that Sizzle – Sauces that Cook! and was launched at the National Fiery Foods Show in Reno, Nevada. Our previous two titles are Light the Fire – Fiery Food with a Light New Attitude! and the national best seller entitled The Fire ‘n’ Ice Cookbook – Mexican Food with a Bold New Attitude. Each of the subtitles was created to clearly describe what each book is about.
How well are sales of the books going and to what do you attribute your company’s success?
Our markets reach across North America and worldwide through our various distributors as well as with our web site (www.cookingwithfire.com). The recipes in each book are distinctive, and the compiled works are unique. Add to that the high-impact graphics, world-class photography, and all three are being received as altogether superior cookbooks.
Does each new book become easier to write and publish?
We learned a great deal through the writing, marketing and distribution of The Fire ‘n’ Ice Cookbook (which attained national best seller status after only eleven months following release) and we’re able to take that knowledge and create even greater success with Light the Fire and The Hot Sauce Bottle Cookbook. We’ve been through the process three times now, so in many ways it does become easier. We have the incredible production and promotion team established and we know what has to be done, but because we’re managing the business for three books and an entire product line, we have less time to devote to creating new material.
What are your special qualifications for writing these books?
Enjoyment of cooking and eating spicy foods plus creating new recipes. I love entertaining, and have a great appetite for food adventure. I firmly believe that these qualifications are extremely important as most cooks are “real” people just like me who have a passion for fine food. Also, I travel as much as possible and I’ve grown to love fiery foods. My real love affair for fiery foods began in Mexico, where I became enamored with the people, the culture, and of course, the incredible cuisine. I own time-share in a villa in Puerto Vallarta and attempt to spend as much time traveling as possible. I’ve been very fortunate to travel a great deal and experience the many riches that every country and culture in the world has to offer. One of my life goals is to speak fluent Spanish, and I’m currently studying to attain that goal.
Why are the books important?
I feel our books are making a contribution because they reflect the popular trend toward fiery foods and flavors of the world with a conscious focus on keeping the recipes light and healthy. In most of my recipes, I try to keep the fat content low without sacrificing flavor. Although I usually prepare foods that are salt-free and low in fat, we occasionally indulge in a decadent dessert or a dish that isn’t low in fat or calories. Our society has developed tremendous guilt over these occasional indulgences, but I believe that most things are fine in moderation. Food should be enjoyed and a balanced lifestyle, including exercise, is the key. Also, food is the common element that brings people together and I firmly believe that we can help break down the distances and differences between the countries and cultures of the world with cuisine. In addition, the recipes use little or no salt as I’d rather enhance flavor with the ingredients themselves. Combined with the health benefits of capsaicin and chiles, the recipes in The Hot Sauce Bottle Cookbook, Light the Fire and The Fire ‘n’ Ice Cookbook are fabulously healthy, nutritious and delicious!
How do they benefit their readers?
Our books will benefit their readers by exposing them to some really fun, fabulous and fiery foods of the world. I’ve included a table of contents and detailed index in each of our books for people’s convenience. In Light the Fire, for example, I’ve included a section of menu suggestions to help people plan the food and beverages to compliment any number of special occasions. Each book features a collection of recipes that is perfect for people who are involved with dinner clubs, enjoy progressive dinners, or who have a taste for something healthy, new and different. People also love to buy them as very welcome gifts. Also, medical researchers have proven that the substance capsaicin, which is found in hot chiles, lowers blood pressure, speeds up the metabolism, reduces cholesterol levels significantly and is a factor in warding off strokes and heart attacks. The Hot Sauce Bottle Cookbook, Light the Fire and The Fire ‘n’ Ice Cookbook will benefit people who enjoy healthful, flavorful and nutritious food.
How do they use a different approach to their subject?
Our three books have beautiful photographs, innovative page design and general layout. I’ve “peppered” the The Hot Sauce Bottle Cookbook with “saucey tips” on different ways to use hot sauces and Light the Fire with information about chiles and many of other ingredients used. Our books are filled with sizzling, steamy and utterly irresistible recipes that will fire up enthusiasm for hot and healthy cuisine.
What is your intended audience?
More people are entertaining at home and are constantly looking for fresh and new ideas. I find that our primary audience tends to be people ranging in age from 20 to 55, primarily urban dwellers, with a tendency toward experimentation with different ethnic cuisines or spicing up the food in their lives. However, in my public appearances, I’ve often been very pleasantly surprised by the many different ages and types of people who respond to our books and fiery foods with great enthusiasm. Keeping in mind the ever-growing popularity of fiery foods and flavors of the world, particularly with light and healthy recipes, I foresee that The Hot Sauce Bottle Cookbook, Light the Fire and The Fire ‘n’ Ice Cookbook will continue to fill a niche in the gift and general book market for many years to come.
Three cookbooks on fiery foods originating from an author in Canada seems rather odd. Please comment.
Most of the “hottest” cuisines of the world originate in countries with consistently warm climates. From the sizzling salsas of Mexico, to the jarring jerk of the Caribbean, to the tongue- tingling food from India, these cuisines all share a common passion for “heat”. I’ve often thought that the fiery foods of the world would more logically originate in cold countries so that people could warm up from the inside out! Surprisingly, many northern and cooler climate countries have among the blandest diets in the world. Our countries, however, and Canada in particular, have a tremendous infusion of people and cultures from around the globe. The supermarkets in larger centers now have a wonderful selection of hot sauces and other products to enable people to enjoy global culinary adventures or to maintain the dietary traditions of the countries that people originate from. Combined with people traveling more (particularly those of us traveling to escape the cold winters) and exposing their minds and their taste buds to new countries, cultures and cuisines, we’re seeing a growing interest in healthy and fiery foods of the world.
Where did the inspiration for The Hot Sauce Bottle Cookbook come from?
The idea for this book came from Fred Swift, manufacturer of Prairie Fire Hot Sauce, who suggested that Dianne Dallas, President of Lost Continent Hot Sauce Traders, and I meet to discuss the possibility of a project together. Dianne had a vision of making hot sauces less intimidating for the general public and researched a plan to introduce them to the masses. We came up with the idea of creating a hot sauce cookbook that would surprise and delight people with the variety of recipes that can be prepared using hot sauces.
What is unique about your promotional strategy?
We are constantly exploring new distribution and promotional avenues. We launched our own web site at www.cookingwithfire.com in April of 1996 and have several thousand visitors to the site every month.
You can now also order the perfect music to complement the food presented in our cookbooks. Oscar Lopez’s full-length Latin guitar CD HEAT. HEAT is presented, upon request through our web site, in a special adhesive pack that is affixed to the inside back cover of Light the Fire or The Fire ‘n’ Ice Cookbook. This combination is perfect for anyone wanting to ignite some fire, HEAT and passion in their lives!
In addition to our presence on the internet through several sites and venues, we’ve been extremely proactive in exposing our books to the media. Our books have had great exposure with over 400 reviews in magazines and newspapers throughout the world (Modern Maturity, The International Cookbook Revue, Japan Times, etc.). I’ve done over 100 radio interviews all over North America and appeared on over 50 television shows (Fit TV in Los Angeles, Gabereau in Vancouver and Crook & Chase in South Carolina, for example). We attribute our successful promotional exposure to our publicist, Debbie Black, who does a brilliant job of constant promotion for our company, our books and our product line.
I take every opportunity to interact with other people in the publishing industry. We are constantly learning about this business through books and education (I’ve attended a Special Market Sales seminar that was held in Chicago, Illinois, Media Training in Los Angeles and the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference in Phoenix in 1999, for example).
I made three annual pilgrimages to the National Fiery Food Show in Albuquerque, New Mexico and I attended the Northwest Fiery Food Show several years ago in Pasco, Washington and in October of 1999, I was in Tampa, Florida where I appeared as a guest chef at the Florida Fiery Foods Show, where we’ve made many friends and invaluable “fiery food” contacts. I’ve appeared at over 100 promotion venues that include book signings (most recently at the El Tovar Hotel on the south rim of the Grand Canyon), personal appearances (guest chef appearances at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede and the Florida Fiery Foods Show in Tampa) and our books have been displayed at trade shows around the world.
In summary, we take a very proactive part in the success of our company through an extremely aggressive and never-ending promotional campaign.
Is there another book in the works?
I’m taking a bit of a hiatus right now, but who knows what may happen in the near future!
