Steven Raichlen's Project Fire premieres Memorial Day weekend on public TV

Building on his success with several popular television series, host and bestselling author Steven Raichlen launches his newest show to public TV stations on Friday, May 25, just in time for this summer's barbecuing season. Steven Raichlen's Project Fire offers viewers a new and insightful exploration of how Americans grill today and how people will grill and smoke tomorrow.

Steven Raichlen's Project Fire, filmed on location at the 10,000-acre Alisal Guest Ranch & Resort in California's scenic Santa Ynez Valley, explores the latest trends and techniques in contemporary grilling, using a dynamic format that includes on-set guests, off-road field trips and a surprising collection of new tools, fuels, grills, and smokers. The series' field segments feature some of the most talked about live-fire restaurants in Southern California, from Industrial Eats and The Bear and Star in the Santa Ynez Valley to Gwen, Charcoal Venice, Chi Spacca, Park's Barbeque, and Odys + Penelope in Los Angeles.

The series' 30-minute episodes reveal an inspiring range of techniques to elevate the backyard grilling experience, from ember-roasting to high-tech spit-roasting. Raichlen also introduces new foods, from unfamiliar steak cuts to eco-friendly seafood, and new twists on popular classics, from pastrami beef ribs to wood-fired paella.

Upcoming Steven Raichlen's Project Fire season one episode highlights include Grilling 24/7 (yes, he grills eggs), Extreme Grilling (using hot iron, live embers, and more), and Wine Country Grill (exploring the intimate connection between grilling and wine). Viewers also get insights on such Raichlen innovations as brisket tacos, pork loin "Reuben," finger-burner lamb chops, and orange-mint mojo grilled lobsters. Of course, Raichlen grills dessert, from Brazilian pineapple to cedar planked chocolate brownie s'mores, along with smoked nectarine Bellinis to wash them down.

The new series comes from the same production team that brought viewers Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke and Primal Grill. Steven Raichlen's Project Fire is a co-production of Maryland Public Television, Barbacoa, Inc. and Resolution Pictures. The series is distributed by American Public Television.

Funding for the series is provided by iBBQ, Inc.; YETI; Bradley Smoker, Inc.; Memphis Wood Fire Grills, LLC; Komodo Kamado; Maverick Industries, Inc.; Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet; FOGO Charcoal; Adrenaline Barbecue Company LLC; Shun Cutlery / KAI USA; Creekstone Farms Premium Beef LLC; Gnarly Head Wines; Pit Barrel Cooker Co.; and Workman Publishing.

Viewers interested in watching the new series are encouraged to contact their local public television station to find out when it will be available in their area. Local stations can be located here: https://aptonline.org/pages/viewers/Index-Stations+Near+You.

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About Steven Raichlen
A Barbecue Hall of Famer and five-time James Beard Award-winning author, Steven Raichlen has written more than 30 books - several multi-million copy bestsellers - with translations in 17 languages. Founder of the celebrated Barbecue University at the Broadmoor, Raichlen has lectured on the history of live-fire cooking at the Smithsonian Institution and Harvard University. Raichlen hosts TV shows in Quebec and Italy and created and starred in Barbecue University, Primal Grill, and Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke on public television. Raichlen's newest book, Project Fire (Workman Publishing), is being published to coincide with the new series and is a bookend to his New York Times bestselling Project Smoke. Raichlen writes for the New York Times and Esquire Magazine. His work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, GQ, and all the major food magazines. In 2012, he published his first novel, Island Apart. For more information visit stevenraichlen.com.

About Resolution Pictures
Launched in 1998, Resolution Pictures is an Emmy award-winning documentary and lifestyle Production Company specializing in food and travel television. Resolution has a long relationship with Steven Raichlen and Maryland Public Television, together producing multiple seasons of Primal Grill with Steven Raichlen, three seasons of Steven Raichlen's Project Smoke, and now Steven Raichlen's Project Fire. Its documentary, The Science of Healing, produced for PBS pledge, explores the mind-body connection to healing featuring the impact of the Mediterranean diet and low stress living on health. Many of its programs have won James Beard Awards including Lidia's Italy, Food Trip with Todd English, and My Country My Kitchen. Resolution Pictures earned an Emmy for exploring the food and culture of Native Americans in Seasoned with Spirit with Loretta Barret Oden. Resolution Pictures' most recently released public TV series is My Greek Table with Diane Kochilas. For more information visit resolutionpictures.com.

About Maryland Public Television
Launched in 1969 and headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, Maryland Public Television (MPT) is a nonprofit, state-licensed public television network and member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). MPT is a leading producer and distributor of national public television programming in the United States. As a major content supplier to 350-member PBS stations, MPT boasts a nearly five-decade legacy of groundbreaking and innovative contributions to public television schedules nationwide. MPT is one of the most prolific producers of regional programming in the public television system, serving a six-state area in the Mid-Atlantic region. MPT's Emmy award-winning catalog includes news, public affairs, documentary, performance, and lifestyle programming. Beyond broadcast, MPT's commitment to professional educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through year-round instructional events and the super-website Thinkport, which garners in excess of 14 million page views annually. For more information visit mpt.org.

About APT
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation's public television stations. For more than 10 years, APT has annually distributed one-third or more of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. Founded in 1961, among its 250 new program titles per year, APT programs include prominent documentaries, performance, news and current affairs programs, dramas, how-to programs, children's series and classic movies. America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated, Cook's Country, AfroPoP, Rick Steves' Europe, Front and Center, Doc Martin, Nightly Business Report, Midsomer Murders, A Place to Call Home, Lidia's Kitchen, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, and P. Allen Smith's Garden Home are a sampling of APT's programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. Now in its 12th year, CreateTV - featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming - is distributed by American Public Television. APT also distributes WORLD, public television's premier news, science and documentary channel. To find out more about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org.

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