is on the restaurant committee for the Rodman Ride for Kids, an annual event that raises money for children's charities. He is also an active board member of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, for which he was honored as MRA's Chef of the Year in 2014, as well as a Rodman Celebration Restaurant Chair. In September 2017 Husbands joined forces with restaurants East Coast Grill, Firefly's BBQ, BT's Smokehouse and Blue Ribbon BBQ to host Operation BBQ Relief, a fundraiser benefitting those affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Husbands and his team raised over $11,000 for the charity. IQue Barbecue When not in the kitchen and working with his favorite charities, Husbands competes with his internationally recognized BBQ team, IQUE BBQ. In 2007 IQue took 1st place, out of 510 teams, in the brisket category at the Kansas City Royal. IQUE became the first New England team to become World Champions of BBQ at the Jack Daniels World Championships in Lynchburg, Tennessee in 2010. Cookbooks Husbands' first cookbook, The Fearless Chef: Innovative Recipes from the Edge of American Cuisine, was released in 2004. Husbands collaborated with iQue BBQ teammate, Chris Hart, for his second cookbook, Wicked Good Barbecue, released in March 2012. In April 2014, Husbands' Grill to Perfection was released through Page Street Publishing. After The Fearless Chef, Husbands released his latest cookbook, Pitmaster: Recipes, Techniques & Barbecue Wisdom, which was recently awarded "Book of the Year" by National Barbeque News. Awards In 2000 and 2002, he was named one of Boston's nightlife's most influential people by Stuff at Night magazine. In the spring of 2005, he was one of only five "Celebrated Chefs" chosen by the National Pork Board. He participated in the Board's national media tour for its "Pork, the Other White Meat" campaign. A particular passion for Husbands is participating in barbecue competitions, which he has done from Vermont to Tennessee, capturing numerous trophies with his team. Most notably in 2007, Husbands' team IQUE BBQ, with sponsorship from Harpoon Brewery, took 1st place out of 510 teams in the Brisket category at the Kansas City Royal. Husbands was a semi-finalist in the James Beard Award's Best Chef category in 2008 and 2009. Other honors include: Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, grand prize in the National Poultry Council's Grab Bag Contest, and several "Best of Boston" awards from Boston magazine and other Boston-area periodicals. References External links