"emeril lagasse" news and stories

Fathers Day is this weekend so we asked some chef dads how they like to spend the special day. Turns out they like the same thing as most regular, non-chef dads: hanging with the kids and eating a favorite meal. Wouldn't it be nice if families got to do that every Sunday?

Wolfgang Puck, chef/owner multiple restaurants nationwide (Spago and Chinois among them); has four sons: Cameron, 21; Bryon, 15; Oliver, 5; Alexander, 3.

What's your dream Father's Day menu?
WP: I would love to wake up have my wife prepare me her special Ethiopian coffee with a few flaky pain au chocolat, and about an hour later have a baked potato with caviar and a bottle of Krug Champagne with a raspberry soufflé to finish it off.

Do you take the day off or do you cook?
WP: I take the day off. Since my kids are very small, they bring me presents in the morning. My wife brings the coffee and the kids bring the croissants.

Did your dad influence your desire to become a chef?
WP: My father did not influence me. On the contrary, he wanted me to be a carpenter or mechanic or a mason, or any other "useful" profession. All my cooking was influenced by my mom -- my dad thought cooking was for women; not a profession for a man.

More interviews after the jump.

Emeril Lagasse, who became one of the first stars on the fledgling Food Network and introduced "Bam!" to the popular lexicon, nearly went broke a few years ago. His unlikely knight-in-shining-armor was none other than domestic diva, Martha Stewart.

Hurricane Katrina was the culprit. Lagasse has three New Orleans restaurants and lost at least one million dollars, with profits dropping by a third. Also, his 17-year run on Food Network was over. Adding insult to injury: his Mississippi home was destroyed. It was precipitous times for the celebrity chef who opened his first restaurant over twenty years ago. But in 2008 Martha swept off her white horse (with a perfectly braided mane) and purchased the rights to Lagasse's empire of cookbooks, televisions shows and kitchen products for $45 million in cash and $5 million in stock.

Star chefs were making the scene at the second night of the 2010 Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, from the Perrier Jouet BubbleQ to Wine Spectator's Best of the Best. Over the years, both events have consistently been foodie favorites, however, they differ in their approach and vibe.

At the more casual Bubble Q, the combination of grilling and champagne made for a memorable evening. Hosted by telegenic chef Emeril Lagasse, there were smoked meats, flowing bubbly and a lively band. Lagasse presided over an impressive roll call of toques including Michelle Bernstein, John Besh, Todd English, Tim Love, Tony Neely, Norman Van Aken and Susan Spicer.

While we didn't hear Emeril utter his "Bam" catchphrase, he did make a major announcement at the BubbleQ concerning his new line of steaks with presenting sponsor Allen Brothers. Called Emeril's Red Marble Steaks, these high-quality cuts of beef (bone-in rib eye, filet, rib roast and hangar) will be available to consumers in the spring. Moreover, as the host of the event, Emeril's booth was the biggest and most impressive. He served a Creole pulled pork sandwich with spicy coleslaw, kicked-up bbq sauce and homemade pickles. For this signature dish, he went through 475 pounds of pork butt.

Be sure to follow Slashfood's SOBE coverage on Twitter.

Time, they say, heals all wounds. In the hopes that we've all forgotten his cringe-worthy 2001 attempt at sitcom stardom, Emeril Lagasse is returning to prime time.

Okay, so his new employer, Ion TV, isn't really a network -- it's more one of those weird pseudo-networks that takes over a local channel and shows incessant repeats of "The Ghost Whisperer." And Emeril never really left our living rooms: He still graces the upper digits of our basic cable subscription on the Fine Living channel, hosts something called "Emeril Green" on the Planet Green network and just a few weeks ago he was Mario Batali's right-hand-man on the extra-special "Iron Chef America" White House challenge.

But judging by the description of Emeril's new gig, it seems the Cajun chef is jonesing to elbow in on Rachael Ray territory -- as if to remind us that he is, indubitably, king of the kitchen catchphrase.

'Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast'
Recipes by Emeril Lagasse
Photography by Steven Freeman
Harper-Collins Publishers -- 2009
Buy it on Amazon

Emeril Lagasse needs no introduction. The Bam! man is arguably one of the first chefs ushered into celebrity stardom as a successful restaurateur and a long tenure on the Food Network.

This time, the world-famous chef brings his fun and approachable cooking to the family on the go.

See what we tested and find out whether the book's worth buying after the jump.