Kent Whitaker

Kent "The Deck Chef" Whitaker

www.thedeckchef.com

Kent Whitaker has taken his down-home, Southern-style cooking to an art-form. "I like to do a bit more than burgers and dogs on the grill."

He is the author and co-author of eight cookbooks, three history books, and two books for children which he wrote and illustrated. His co-authored books with Shelia Simmons include the Tennessee Hometown Cookbook, the Texas Hometown Cookbook, the Georgia Hometown Cookbook, the Mississippi Hometown Cookbook, the Louisiana Hometown Cookbook, and the South Carolina Hometown Cookbook(Great American Publishers.) His love of barbecue, grilling and tailgating are showcased in Smoke in the Mountains - the Art of Appalachian Barbecue and Checkered Flag Cooking - Tailgating Stock Car Racing (Quail Ridge Press.)

Kent has also written three history books, one of which is a culinary history of WWII. These books include Bullets and Bread (History Publishing Co.) The USS Alabama, and Talladega Superspeedway (Arcadia Publishing.) He has also written and illustrated two children's books, Why are the Mountains Smoky? (Overmountain Press) and Big Mo's Tennis Ball Hunt (Great American Publishers)

Kent has appeared on the Food Network and other network television stations, has hosted cooking classes at the Chattanooga Market and throughout the South. He writes a cooking column for the Chattanoogan and writes monthly articles for The National Barbecue News. He also hosts a short format radio show heard on over 60 stations across the country.

A dog-lover and advocate for local animal shelters and rescue organizations, Kent and his grilling buddy, Moses, are spokesperson and spokesdog for ALPO®. Kent and Moses travel the country presenting grilling and cooking demos promoting the idea of including your canine family members in on the backyard grilling fun. Kent gives human grilling and cooking tips while Moses enjoys ALPO® Chop House Originals Ribeye-Flavored dog food.

Kent and his wife Ally live in East Tennessee with one son, Macee, a Golden Retriever named Moses and a Shitzu named Lucy.