(BLACK PR WIRE) May 15, 2009 – Do you remember that scene in Jerry Maguire when Jerry expresses his love in a long-winded speech to Dorothy and she responds, “You had me at ‘Hello.’?” That’s pretty much how we felt about Pat and Gina Neely on the day we first met. The Neelys had a restaurant and a compelling story to tell, one where years of hard work earns out. They were also, except for barbecue aficionados, undiscovered.

Fast forward three years: the Neelys have become a phenomenon. Millions of viewers watch their daily Food Network show; tour buses line up in front of their Memphis restaurant; and fans around the world are clamoring for a cookbook. Happily, the long wait for the latter is over. DOWN HOME WITH THE NEELYS: A Southern Family Cookbook (published by Knopf on May 12, 2009), encompasses all the great menu items that have made NEELY'S BBQ a destination for bbq aficionados around the world, as well as signature recipes from their history making show (which had the highest rated premiere in TVFN’s weekend block!) Each week, over 4 million viewers tune in to watch the Neelys cook recipes that have made them so admired and loved, including: Get Yo’ Man Chicken, Barbecue Spaghetti, Sock-It-to-Me Cake, and their famous Cheesy Corkscrews with Crunchy Bacon Topping (which can feed a family of four for under ten dollars and was recently featured on NPR’s All Things Considered!)

Anyone who loves great-tasting barbecue will tell you: the secret’s in the sauce. But for Pat and Gina Neely, the secret to their success is in the familial approach to everything they do. They have raised a family in the kitchen and built a successful business as a husband and wife team and Americans have responded to their story and their food with gusto. So get your grill on and start having FUN with DOWN HOME WITH THE NEELYS.