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Cheater Chefs
RB Quinn & Mindy Merrell, authors of
'Cheater BBQ: Barbecue Anytime, Anywhere,
in Any Weather'

Mindy Merrell and R.B. Quinn are food writers who live in Nashville, TN.  They are the authors of Cheater BBQ (Broadway 2008) and together collaborated on Cooking with Jack, The New Jack Daniel’s Cookbook (Hill Street Press 2006).  They are both former Tennessean food columnists and contribute to Big Blend's 'Eat, Drink & Be Merry' magazine and radio shows.

Mindy is a 25-year veteran in food marketing and recipe development.  She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Virginia Tech.  She worked for food public relations guru Marian Tripp Communications in Chicago on accounts including Kraft, Quaker Oats, Pillsbury, Uncle Ben’s, Campbell Soup, Pace Picante Sauce, and the Beef Industry Council. She was director of culinary services at Dye, Van Mol, and Lawrence for 12 year where she handled southern baking brand Martha White and Jack Daniel food marketing promotions.  She tracked restaurant industry trends in her Drive Thru review column for the Tennessean from 2003 to 2006.  She is a former restaurant reviewer for CitySearch.  Her work has also appeared in American Profile magazine.

R.B.’s weekly food column in the Tennessean, The Fire Zone, ran from 2004 to 2006 where he chronicled his cooking and eating adventures on the patio. A native of Rhode Island, R.B. earned a B.A. in English from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, in 1983, and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1987. After law school R.B. joined the Washington, D.C. office of Baker and Hostetler where he specialized in construction law and media defense litigation.  In 1992 he returned to Nashville, TN, to become the founding legal director of The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University.

In 1999, he joined Middle Tennessee State University as an associate professor where he taught First Amendment free speech and free press courses at MTSU’s School of Journalism through 2003.

Check out their book, Cheater BBQ: Barbecue Any Time, Anywhere, in Any Weather (Broadway 2008).  They’re keeping the cheater lifestyle smoldering in liquid smoke.  Here’s to barbecue diversity.

Learn more at www.CheaterChef.com  

Articles & Interviews

French Onion Soup For The Super Bowl!
Meditteranean Holiday Appetizers
Cheater Thanksgiving
Asian Noodle Bowls
Sauce It Up Jack Daniel’s Style
Cheater Chowder
Roasted Tomatoes
Cooking It Up Greek Style!
Cheater Chef Outdoor Party
Cheater Pimiento Cheese
Pico Slaw
Liquid Smoke & Cheater Pulled Pork
Cheater Hamburgers
Irish Vegetable Soup
Man Cave Drums
Cheater Fondue
Fork Chops
Cheater Seafood Dinners
Cheater Super Bowl (featured on
Big Blend’s Creative Celebrations Magazine and Radio Show)