Declared the “pope of peppers” by The New York Times, DAVE DeWITT is one of the foremost authorities in the world on chile peppers and spicy foods. After working his way through undergraduate and graduate school as a radio announcer, including a stint at top-rated WRVA Radio in Richmond, Virginia, Dave owned audio/video production companies in Richmond and in Albuquerque, New Mexico. However, Dave’s interest in chile peppers led to his writing numerous articles on the subject, and in 1984, St. Martin’s Press published his book, The Fiery Cuisines, co-authored with Nancy Gerlach. In 1988, Dave and Nancy launched Chile Pepper magazine, which led to book projects including The Whole Chile Pepper Book (Little, Brown, 1990). Other best-selling books include The Pepper Garden, The Hot Sauce Bible, The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia, The Spicy Food Lover’s Bible, and The Complete Chile Pepper Book. Dave and his wife, Mary Jane Wilan, are the founders of the National Fiery Foods and Barbecue Show, now in its 27th year. They live in the South Valley of Albuquerque with a Doberman, two Cornish Rex cats, and their microfarm.