How to Promote a Cookbook When Your Co-Author Is in Jail

Last week writer Amy Reiley was on The Today Show to promote her new cookbook The Love Diet — something about how lasagna with truffles and limoncello spritzer are aphrodisiacs? Thing is, her co-author on the cookbook was Juan-Carlos Cruz, the ex-Food Network chef who was arrested in an alleged murder-for-hire plot back in May.

When asked about it by Hoda Kotb, Reiley was a total professional, with a more-or-less rehearsed statement, saying "All I know is that this is a man who is very, very passionate about cooking for better health and sharing it with other people and that's why we did The Love Diet together." And then it got a little... uncomfortable. Said Reiley, "I promised myself I wouldn't cry today." Thanks to The Soup for picking up this clip.

Video: The Soup on the Love Diet

Video: The Love Diet, Full Clip

· The Love Diet [MSNBC]
· Juan-Carlos Cruz, Ex-Food Network Chef, Cooks Up Murder-for-Hire Plot [-E-]