STEVEN RAICHLEN: The Outdoor Experience

Nothing stirs the palate quite like the smell of food being cooked outdoors on a grill. And no one knows it better than master chef Steven Raichlen. Known worldwide as the preeminent master of grilling, Raichlen has gained fame through his popular TV show Project Fire and his 31 fascinating books including the classic, The Barbecue Bible. “The thought of doing what I love — barbecuing and grilling — on ships as majestic as the Windstar ships seemed like an incredible opportunity,” Raichlen says. “How could I say no to that?” Who could have guessed that a guy born in Nagoya, Japan, would grow up to be the go-to expert on something as American as barbecue grilling?

Maybe it’s because, after leaving Japan as a small child, he was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, a hop, skip, and jump away from the nation’s capital. He graduated from the prestigious Reed College in Portland, Oregon, a school noted for its emphasis on liberal arts. He’s written for The New York Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and Esquire. And his impressive cookbooks have earned him the James Beard award no less than five times.

He even founded a specialty school called Barbecue University at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where students can take a three- day intensive course on live-fire cooking. Of course, that’s not to say his recipes and ideas are exclusive to the U.S. A.

He was trained at the Parisian cooking schools Le Cordon Bleu and La Varenne. In fact, Raichlen’s ideas transcend the limitations of country or region. There’s a name for the cooking style he’s famous for: “global grilling.”

He’s a proud member of the Barbecue Hall of Fame, and in 2003, Bon Appetit named him “Cooking Teacher of the Year.”

Now, he’s embarking on a partnership with Windstar cruise line. In partnership with their culinary team, he’s lending his name and skills to the Star Grill, a new, modern al fresco restaurant where guests enjoy grilled, smoked and rotisserie specialties outdoors under the stars.

Raichlen couldn’t be more excited. “I’ve spent my life traveling the world’s barbecue trail to bring my readers and viewers the ultimate in global grilling,” he says. “What better way to share my discoveries than on a cruise ship bound for new adventures?”

What better way to share my discoveries?