Illustration by Jonny Ruzzo
We recently spoke with Nick Greenberg about his new book The Culinary Caper (the first in his By Cook or By Crook trilogy), which explores the exploits of a food truck owner and chef who gets dragged into several art heists by a shady acquaintance. The Cincinnati author tells us about his chocolate-making days and how he used his own background to build characters.
Are you originally from Cincinnati?
I was born here, as were my parents, but we moved away when I was around 1 year old. I moved back to Cincinnati to attend UC’s College-Conservatory of Music, and somehow never left.
How did you get into making chocolate? Why did you decide to stop?
I am a certified chocoholic. It was at a time when I was contemplating a non-musical career path. My wife was making truffles for the holidays, which I loved, and I started thinking about gourmet truffles as a possibility. I created recipes for about four or five flavors, then began selling them to several local coffee shops, a couple of wine stores, and the Esquire Theatre in Clifton. I quit because making hundreds of chocolates was extremely time-consuming, and although the boxes of chocolates were priced on the high side, I wasn’t really being paid for my labor. I also had my day job as a musician keeping me busy. I still make a few hundred truffles for the holidays, up to about eight flavors, but now I just give them to friends and family.
Are there any ways in which writing and chocolate making are similar?
Absolutely! As a musician, composer, writer, and seasonal chocolatier, I definitely see the similarities in the process. Each of these “art forms,” if you will, begin with the germ of an idea. An idea that requires an open mind and the willingness to dig deep to discover what’s going to work or not work. Oftentimes, when I’m creating a new truffle recipe, it takes multiple trial batches—to my wife’s delight—to find the perfect combination of flavor and structural integrity. Much like crafting a story or composing a piece of music.
How and why did you decide that your main character would be a chef?
I’ve been a dedicated foodie for some time now. I have great respect for chefs and the work they do. Also, secretly, I’ve probably always wanted to be one. The food truck protagonist in The Culinary Caper actually arose from semi-serious family conversations about the idea of launching a food truck of my own.
Did you draw on any of your own culinary background to flesh out any of your characters?
Maybe not the character themselves, but I did draw on my brief experience in the restaurant and catering world to portray a hopefully accurate picture of that life. I also interviewed a food truck chef before diving into this project.
Your main character runs a food truck. What’s the best meal you’ve ever had from one?
Having eaten at countless food trucks, that’s a difficult question. I’d have to say I like unexpected mashups of cuisines. Maybe one of my favorite is Korean tacos.
What’s your favorite local restaurant and why?
This is an easy one, because it’s the one, not including my typical haunts, that I recently dined at: Aperture. I loved everything about the restaurant. The beauty of the space itself, the knowledgeable, unpretentious staff, and of course the food—which was such a whimsical and ridiculously delicious ride. I can’t wait to take my sister there when she comes to town.
Anything else you want our readers to know?
So, back to that day job I mentioned earlier: I am a classically trained freelance bassist. Which means that every week brings something slightly different. Broadway shows, corporate pop/jazz gigs, symphony concerts. And [in July, I released] a couple of original compositions on various music streaming platforms [with my band, Equal Parts].
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