My amazing wife Heather and her awesome brother Dave have a new book coming out this Friday! I’m so proud of them! It’s called José Picada, P.I.: Deception Al Dente. You can find it here. In honor of this occasion, I decided to do an interview with one of their main characters, Chef Marco Augustino. What role does Chef Marco play in the book? Well, you’ll just have to read it to find out! But, in the meantime, I’m looking forward to trying his pasta.

Rich: So, Chef Marco, I understand you’re no longer with your restaurant, Bistro Italiano. Why did you leave?

Chef Marco: Yeah, we’re not gonna talk about all that.

R: Oh. Okay. Well, there go all my interview questions. We’ll just wing it. So, uh, thanks for making this beautiful plate of pasta I just photographed. It was fabulous!

CM: Yeah, it was. The secret is the sauce.

R: It really is a great tomato sauce! What makes it so special? Do you use a certain type of tomatoes? What herbs do you prefer?

CM: Yeah, we’re not gonna discuss my culinary secrets, kapeesh?

R: Oh. Um, all right. So, in Deception Al Dente, you cross paths with the main character, Josie Cates. What’s Josie’s favorite dish?

CM: I don’t know and I don’t freakin’ care. That girl is a real pain in my—

R: Uh, this is a family-friendly blog, Chef Marco. Let’s just get back to the pasta. What would you pair it with?

CM: Some crusty bread, a nice Chianti, and badda bing! You’re good to go.

R: Okay. Well, that pretty much covers it. I had a lot more planned, but you sort of derailed the entire interview.

CM: Whatever. You got any more Chianti?

Heather and Dave have a unique writing process, where they e-mail the manuscript back and forth. Whoever has possession can alter anything they see fit. It’s a fun process to watch and listen to as they chat on the phone during their planning sessions. You can follow along with them at Driving Blind and on Facebook. Cheers to a job well done!