SEVEN-TIME WORLD BBQ CHAMPION AND AWARD-WINNING CHEF MELISSA COOKSTON IGNITES HER MOST AMBITIOUS COOKBOOK YET

Fanning the Flames: Recipes and Tall Tales from BBQ Hall of Famer Melissa Cookston Launches April 21, 2026

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Dec. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- From growing up in the Mississippi Delta to becoming the winningest woman in barbecue, Melissa Cookston has always combined tradition with innovation. In her new cookbook, Fanning The Flames: Recipes and Tall Tales from BBQ Hall of Famer Melissa Cookston, she invites readers to gather around the fire with her to explore the art of cooking with flames featuring global flavors and ingredients that have inspired her along the way. This new collection of 75 dishes expands her pitmaster repertoire beyond the classics, illustrating how barbecue connects cultures and sparking new ways to bring the world to your table. With an insightful forward by Chef Michael Symon, and richly photographed recipes by Ken Goodman, the book is set to hit shelves April 21, 2026, published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Symon captures what makes Cookston's approach so distinctive, writing: "What I respect most about her philosophy is her openness. Melissa doesn't believe barbecue belongs to a chosen few. She believes it belongs to anyone willing to learn. She shares everything she knows so others can find their own fire."

Building on her earlier books Smokin' in the Boys' Room and Smokin' Hot in the South, Cookston shares personal stories and delicious dishes exploring how cooking with fire truly knows no borders. With expert tips, master techniques, and her signature warmth, the new cookbook highlights her unique philosophy of blending Southern tradition with culinary influences from other countries and cultures.

"Barbecue will always be my first love - it's where I come from and what connects me to my Mississippi roots," says Cookston. "But from my travels over the years to places like Sicily, Chile, Abu Dhabi, and many more, I've learned that every culture has its own version of smoke and fire. This book is my way of celebrating those shared traditions - how flavor, technique, and hospitality bring people together no matter where in the world you're cooking."

Fanning The Flames begins with the foundations of barbecue, featuring award-winning recipes like Brisket and Burnt Ends or Baby Back Ribs, then ventures outward to showcase Cookston's curiosity and respect for global culinary traditions. Recipes like Duck Breast with Smoked Blackberry Mostarda and Smoked Oxtail Peposo with Gremolata highlight how she marries southern technique with international inspiration. Globally influenced meals such as Peruvian-Style Chicken with Aji Verde Sauce, Cretan Goat and Tomato Stew, and Pork Tenderloin Souvlaki with Tzatziki demonstrates the ability of barbecue to connect cultures across the globe.

About Melissa Cookston:
Melissa Cookston is the only woman to be crowned World BBQ Champion, which she has won the title seven times, and was the first woman inducted into the BBQ Hall of Fame. She is a renowned pitmaster, restaurateur, author, and philanthropist. Her award-winning food is served at her Mississippi outpost Memphis BBQ Co. and via Goldbelly nationwide. Melissa makes regular appearances on a wide variety of food television programs and was a judge on three seasons of Netflix's BBQ Showdown. In 2022, Melissa was invited to participate in The Diplomatic Culinary Partnership, an initiative formed by the US State Department and The James Beard Foundation to promote diplomacy through food. In 2023, Melissa retired from competition barbecue to focus on her non-profit, The World Junior BBQ League that engages underserved youth in the culinary arts, while teaching them life skills beyond the grill.

About Andrews McMeel
Andrews McMeel Publishing is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, the world's largest independently owned feature syndicate and a publishing industry leader. Distinguished by a creator-first approach and the uncanny ability to tap into the zeitgeist of popular culture, Andrews McMeel represents a remarkable roster of talent across syndication, book, calendar and greeting card publishing, digital consumer experiences and entertainment licensing, including dozens of New York Times best-selling authors and Pulitzer Prize-, Reuben Award- and Emmy Award-winning creators.

Media Contact:
JLC Communications
Julie Ceresnie, [email protected]

SOURCE Andrews McMeel Publishing