LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Beginning today, fans of KFC’s Facebook® Pages around the world can access exclusive content from the soon-to-be-released book, “Colonel Harland Sanders: The Autobiography of the Original Celebrity Chef.” The original manuscript, written by the Colonel himself in 1966 and discovered by accident more than 40 years later, is being launched exclusively on Facebook. The entire book can be downloaded for free at facebook.com/kfc beginning Monday, June 4. It is not available in book stores or via online book sellers.
“What’s most amazing about the book is that while it was written nearly a half-century ago, both the insightful life lessons and the delicious recipes remain relevant today,” said Jason Marker, Chief Marketing Officer for KFC in the United States. “Because of that, our goal is to share the autobiography with as many people as possible, free of charge. We couldn’t think of a better way to do that than via Facebook.”
KFC U.S. has a robust following on the world’s most famous social network, boasting nearly five million Likes at facebook.com/kfc.
Free content available beginning today includes: a foreword written by KFC’s first franchisee Pete Harman, an introduction written by Colonel Sanders, and the first chapter. Also available are two recipes selected from among the 33 never-before-seen recipes featured in the book: potato pancakes and upside-down peach cobbler.
Also featured on the KFC Facebook Page today are two videos from celebrity chef Edward Lee, who provides a modern twist on the Colonel’s recipes. Chef Lee, a Brooklyn native and executive chef/partner at Louisville’s famous 610 Magnolia restaurant who grew up eating KFC, won the Iron Chef America competition in November, 2010, and finished in the top five of Top Chef Texas Season 9 earlier this year. He was a finalist for The Best Chef Award Southeast from the prestigious James Beard Foundation in both 2011 and 2012.
“‘The Autobiography of the Original Celebrity Chef’ truly is an inspiring story of passion and determination,” Lee said. “I’m thrilled that KFC’s Facebook fans are going to be able to download it free of charge. I think it will move people to be the best they can be. And of course, the recipes are amazing!”
The autobiography provides an authentic look into the life of one of the world's legendary entrepreneurs and is centered on his passion for food, hard work and the importance of home-style country cooking.
“The only thing keeping this book from being a best-seller is that we’re not selling them,” Marker said of the free download.
Full Autobiography and Recipe Book Available June 4
In November, 2011, KFC announced that the manuscript had been discovered in the company’s archives and it quickly made worldwide news. The world was fascinated by the idea that the man who perfected one of the world’s most famous recipes had also penned a book featuring his life story and some of his favorite recipes.
The book contains 33 never-before-published recipes, dozens of rare historic photos and countless amazing stories told firsthand by the man who lived those stories. Beginning Monday, June 4, the entire book can be downloaded free of charge, but only via KFC’s Facebook Page.
In addition to the downloadable book, a very small number of hardcover copies are also being printed. While none of these beautiful and rare hardcover books are being sold, 11 of them will be awarded to KFC Facebook fans. Those interested in a chance at receiving a copy of this historic and collectible book should watch the KFC Facebook Page for more details.
For more information about “The Autobiography of the Original Celebrity Chef,” visit www.facebook.com/KFC or www.kfc.com.
About KFC
KFC Corporation, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world's most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™, Kentucky Grilled Chicken® and Crispy Strips with home-style sides, Hot Wings, and freshly made chicken sandwiches including the Double Down® and the Doublicious®. There are more than 17,000 KFC outlets in more than 115 countries and territories around the world. Each week, more than 13 million people visit a KFC restaurant in the United States. KFC Corporation is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM). For more information, visit www.kfc.com. Follow KFC on Facebook (www.facebook.com/KFC) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/kfc_colonel).
About Colonel Sanders
The Kentucky Fried Chicken concept was pioneered by Colonel Harland Sanders (1890-1980), whose cooking career began at age six. Sanders held jobs ranging from streetcar conductor to insurance salesman, but his cooking skills were a constant throughout his life. In 1930, Sanders operated a service station in Corbin, Ky., and filled the stomachs of hungry travelers who stopped in to fill up their gas tanks. Sanders soon moved his restaurant across the street when he could no longer keep up with the demand from travelers who he had been feeding at his kitchen table. In 1935, the Kentucky Governor made Sanders an honorary Kentucky Colonel for his contributions to the state's cuisine. Over the next decade, the Colonel perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and the basic cooking technique still used at KFC today. When Sanders was 65, a new interstate highway forced the closure of his restaurant and he was left with only his recipe for fried chicken and a $105 Social Security check. The Colonel hit the road and struck handshake deals with restaurant owners who agreed to sell his fried chicken. What began as a dream fueled by the Original Recipe, a no-quit attitude and a Social Security check grew into the world's largest chicken restaurant chain. Until he passed away in 1980 at the age of 90, the Colonel still traveled 250,000 miles a year visiting KFC restaurants around the world.
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