Kevin Bludso - Bludsos BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul

Mommy, thank you for giving me my wings so that I may try to learn how to fly, even though you sometimes have to catch me when I fall! You are now, and always had to be, a little rough around the edges, raising three kids in Watts and Compton, but you did what you had to do to keep us safe and secure. Sometimes I dont know how you did it, but you always got it done! You were the first and finest example of a lady and how a lady should be in any situation: good and bad! I truly believe we are what mothers make us, and Im thankful to you for making me into who I am.

Daddy, you are a true example of what it means to be a good person. Because of you, I learned to treat everyone with kindness and compassion. You taught me how to hunt, fish, play sportsand kick that ass when it was necessary! You taught me to always to be a gentleman and never let them see you sweat! You would always say, I will never come visit you in prison, and that didnt hit home until some of my friends went to prison. Thank you for teaching me as a boy to always be a man.

Mrs. Ruth Tucker, my grandmother, thank you for kind of being a good sport when Granny would call me her grandson. (For those who dont know, my Granny is actually my great-auntiemy grandmothers sister.) Thank you for being you; for singing down-home blues at Imans christening and for your special dance, The Tuck. Thank you for showing me how to entertain people (your parties were legendary). I cant thank you enough for teaching my sisters, Debra, Sonia, Tanisha, Nikki, and Ashleigh, not to be ashamed to burp in public. I feel so sorry for their husbands. But most of all, thank you for my daddy.

James Starr, you saw something in me that even I didnt see. You earned the name Big Game by bringing this business where it is and through where its going. My family knows your family and your family knows mine, so thats it. That means we are family. We had some tough decisions to make and some tough times to go through, but you had the confidence to get through them. I respect your calmness in a storm so much. But you also understand that this business is not just about us, its about our families and their futures. This is just the beginning.

All my teachers and coaches, thank you. Shout out to the city of Compton, my hometown. The rough streets were also good streets. Thank you for all the tough love that youve shown me. My pastor, Rafer Owens, thank you for helping me become who I am; not just in the food world but really as a person. Thank you to all my teachers at Emerson Elementary, Roosevelt Junior High, and the mighty Dominguez High. Compton is a different place. Many people think they know Compton but truly they know nothing about it.

Corsicana, Texas, The Can, how blessed am I to have two places to call home? Thank you for being the birthplace of my daddy. Thank you for the most memorable summers from the time I was nine years old; the strawberry sodas, video games, fishing, chasing girls, staying up all night, catching lightening bugs, chasing trains, hanging out at Little Mamas, Kidd Jones, and the white bricks and the red bricks. Thank you for letting a city boy be a country boy even if it was just for the summer.

Monique, thank you for my beautiful kids. Thank you for your support and your incredible class. Thank you being the best co-pilot during this flight! You will always have a piece of my heart!

Aeryus, we never do steps around here! You are and always will be my son! And please understand that Paul is an incredible father and I thank him for sharing his fatherly duties and love with me! The man youve grown up to be is amazing but was no surprise to me. You have always swung for the fences! Soon to be Dr. Holloway; keep rising, A-bone!

Iman, my beautiful daughter, Ive told you before and continue to tell you that the world is yours and waiting on you to claim it! You have a heart of gold and are beautiful inside and out! Queen Daughter, get the wind beneath your wings and soar to the heights where your many thrones await you! Always rise, Ma!

Dallas, the baby of my tribe, the one who sat back and observed everything that we all had to offer and then decided to become a sociologist. Hmmm, I wonder whylol. I know why you have such a calming soul, and you naturally put people at ease! Youre going to be my second doctor, and I couldnt be prouder. Keep rising, Dallas

My brothers and sisters, by being in the middle of eight beautiful siblings, I got to see both ends of the spectrum. We never did halves or steps in this family; were all the same. Were all Bludsos. I loved you all as kids and I love you all as adults. This book has a little bit of each of us in it. David, rest in peace my big brother and my first bodyguard. Sonia, rest in peace. Deb, Tanisha, Nikki, Chris, and Ashley, thank you for the unconditional love and unconditional respect. Thank you to everyone for understanding their role in the hierarchy. I love you guys. I love your kids. Thank you for my nieces and nephews and doggies too.

Jon Taffer, thank you for taking me on the ride with you, for letting me play a small part in something so huge, for having the confidence in me, and for always calling me your good friend.

James Agiesta and Katy Dierks, thank you for being persistent. I know you hate hearing it but if it wasnt for you, I wouldnt be where I am in my television career. Thank you for staying on my niece until she made me go home and make that video for you all. Your tenacity got me my start.

GT and Jenn Taylor, thank you for making me feel so comfortable my first time on TV, like the cameras werent even there. Every time Im on TV, I judge the directors and producers off of you and who you were.

My Canadian family at Fire Masters , three years later we are still rocking. Thank you for allowing me to come to another country and do my thing, and for all the Canadian love. Mike Sharon and Jim Pratt and Lucky and Dylan and Rosie and all the judges and crew and everyone. Just know that if I didnt mention you, its because my editor wouldnt let me put in any more names. I look forward to more long hours with good people, adding up to lasting memories.

The American Barbecue Showdown , Daniel Calin, Cat Sullivan, Dominic Ciccodicola, and all the rest of everybodyagain, it is too many to namewho would have thought that on those hot days in Georgia, we were changing the way people think about and look at BBQ? I also want to thank my co-hosts, my fellow judges, and all the competitors.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives ; Bong Apptit ; Man Fire Food ; BBQ Brawl ; Home & Family ; Access Hollywood ; TMZ ; The Drew Barrymore Show , KTLA, Fox, NBC, ABCI want to give a shout-out to all of you.

All the media and writers that supported us early on, thank you. The Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Corsicana Daily Sun, New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, LA Eater, Thrillist, The Infatuation, Jonathan Gold , Daniel Vaughn, Tony Chen, Robert from Yelp, and so many more.

My Compton staff, Cookie and Trena, thank you for putting me in check and keeping me grounded during the early days of Bludsos Compton. And to the rest of the staff, thank you for getting us off the ground and helping to make Bludsos more than a BBQ stand.

The OGs at Bludsos Hollywood, Jason, James, and Noah, thank you; and thank you to everyone since. But, especially, thank you for everything you did in 2020, for keeping us going and thriving during that time. So, Jimmy, Kevin, Tad, and the rest of the great staffyou know who you arethank you.

The Bludsos restaurant family from Down Under, thank you. The Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia, brought us down there and believed that our BBQ restaurant belonged on the other side of the world. Your hospitality was second to none.