Is 'Down Home With the Neelys' a show about cookin' or lovin'? It's a question that Memphis barbecue baron Pat Neely, who stars on the Food Network cooking show with his wife and business partner, Gina, has been asked numerous times by viewers. The easy answer is it's about cooking. It is a cooking show, after all. But as the Neelys, who are loving and playful with each other on their hit show, learned on their recent 17-city book tour, their relationship inspires their fans as much as their delicious Southern food.

The couple recently chatted with Black Voices about their book, their food and how their marriage has inspired a legion of food-loving and relationship-minded fans.

"What I found was that even though [our book, 'Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook,'] was a cookbook, it was almost like a relationship book," Gina said. "It surprised me that it would be perceived as such. I didn't expect that. I thought people would talk most about the dishes, but most of our questions were about us and how we make marriage work and how we keep it alive and what we do to change it up. It was really kind of funny. I was like, 'Okay, so that's a little different.'"

For a couple that has been working together for a decade -- they already co-owned Neely's Bar-B-Que when the show aired -- mixing marriage, business and barbecue sauce, though a novelty to their fans, is nothing new to them.

"We have a lot of fun building successful shows and writing cookbooks and running businesses together." Pat said. "Hopefully, we're setting a good example. We're coming upon a time now where African American husbands and wives are starting to be put in the forefront and looked up on in a very positive way. You look at Will and Jada Smith. You look at the president and the first lady. You're starting to see more and more of it. We have a responsibility."

It's clear that in the Neely family, cooking is an important part of life. Cooking connects not just Gina and Pat, but their two daughters as well. Pat said that one of his favorite things to cook in the winter is his fried pork chop soup, because it puts smiles on his daughters' faces. And Gina's a fan, too.

"I got pregnant behind [that soup]," Gina joked.

The Neelys are currently in negotiations for their second book, and based on the feedback they've gotten from their latest venture into publishing, it will probably have a side dish of relationships to go with the down-home recipes.

"We're trying to figure out a way to tie it all together, where everyone can be happy," Gina said. "I think we'll all find common ground that we can all be happy with, and the readers will be excited to read again."