Today marks the first in an ongoing series of interviews with various notable barbecue personalities, thought leaders and all around good folks.

Kicking off the festivities is cookbook author, awarding winning competitor, and Executive Chef at Southern Hospitality in New York City, Ray "Dr. BBQ" Lampe.  

SIDE asks: So it turns out you're not a real doctor.  Where'd the name "Dr. BBQ" come from?

Dr. BBQ replies:  I really need to make up a better story than this one but it’s the truth. In 1993 I was really getting into competition BBQ so I bought a new Astrovan to carry my stuff around. At the same time, Illinois began allowing vanity license plates so I figured I’d get one that was BBQ related. I sent in the application with three requests and I honestly don’t remember what the other two were or even if DR BBQ was my first choice. The others were probably BBQ MAN or BBQ GUY or something like that, but they sent me DR BBQ so I put it on my van. My team name has always been Bonesmokers so it really wasn’t intended to be a name that I used but it kind of caught on along the way and I now have it trademarked.

SIDE:  Since retiring from truck driving, do you spend less time on the road now doing contests, appearances, etc. or more? 

Dr. BBQ:  Lots more these days but I did travel a lot when I was trucking. I was a city driver and home every night but I took a lot of Fridays off and was gone Thursday night and back on Sunday. Although I don’t think I ever did more than 20 contests in a year, in those days 20 contests was a lot. Now there are quite a few guys doing 40+ so they travel way more than we did back then. I do less contests now but I’m on the road 30+ weeks a year.

SIDE:  What's your earliest barbecue or grilling memory?

Dr. BBQ:  My mom cooking ribs for all her friends at my Grandmas house on the river in Wisconsin. She used a combination of crushed pineapple, molasses, and Open Pit BBQ sauce on them. The recipe (as I remember it) will be in my new book that is exclusive to Williams-Sonoma for 2009. It’s called “Ribs, Chops, Steaks, and Wings” and they should have it in May.  (Editors note: While you wait, be sure to check some other great Dr. BBQ titles here)

SIDE:  Out of all of your various barbecue related experiences, what's the one that you wouldn't trade for anything?

Dr. BBQ:  I get to do a lot of fun things these days but the one that stands out is the time we cooked three hogs in a backyard in New Jersey for Maxim magazine. It was the first real national media I ever did and a lot of ground was broken because of it. Me, Fast Eddy, and Chris Lilly went there and cooked the hogs and then watched a bikini model photo shoot happen with them. Too cool! I’m still in touch with the writer and the editor from that day and of course Chris and Eddy have become some of my closest friends. Sadly, I lost touch with the bikini models immediately after the event.

On a more serious and professional note, The American Culinary Federation gave me an honorary chef membership last year and that’s about as big of an honor as I could imagine.

SIDE:  Congrats!  Anything you have yet to accomplish that you'd like to?

Dr. BBQ:  [I'm] always looking forward, [and] I see some kind of web based video thing as a fun future endeavor. I’m kind of looking for the right project now.

SIDE:  Is there one cooking tool or ingredient that you simply couldn't do without?

Dr. BBQ:  I do work for them but the Big Green Egg has been a great fit for me. I can grill on it and smoke on it and it’s relatable to the average backyard cook. Giant smokers are cool but most home cooks will never have one. An egg is attainable and realistic to most folks. Oh yeah, they really cook well too!

SIDE:  Care to share a first time recipe or technique that failed miserably?

Dr. BBQ:  My first day working at Southern Hospitality the PR people called and said People magazine was coming in the next day for a photo shoot and they needed original recipes. So I made up a mac and cheese recipe on the spot and ran it by the other chef that was there and it looked good. Next day we cooked up some rotini per the recipe and just used some of the cheese sauce from the days mac and cheese to be served at the restaurant because it would look the same and was just sitting there. All good, beautiful picture and it all ran in People.

A couple months later I decided that I should test the recipe because I wanted to use it at The Greenbrier so I made a batch. I scooped out a little on my dinner plate and gave the rest of the pan to my neighbor. Later when I ate it I realized that it sucked really bad and needed way more sauce and cheese. Next day I tripled the sauce and it was still too dry. I later apologized to the neighbor and never tried that recipe again. I guess this would be a good time to apologize to any People readers who made it.

SIDE: What's next for the good Doctor?

Dr. BBQ:  Well Southern Hospitality has great plans for expansion and I will be part of that. Big Green Egg as well. Maybe Dr. BBQ goes international?

Thanks, Ray, for the time and the great stories!  - Smoke In Da Eye, Home of Bigger, Badder and Bolder BBQ