Emeril Lagasse

… Listen, the Man is Incorporated! I’ve had a love/​hate relationship with Emeril Lagasse, the celebrity chef, for years for a number of reasons! BUT, after a peaceful encounter with «The Essence of Emeril» this afternoon, I can confirm that EL is the quintessential food world star. What I admire most about Emeril (and what sealed that 5^th star) is that his shows and his on-​air delivery continue to impress the genesis of cooking shows: Cooking Instruction! (Are you listening Bobby Flay?) Within 20 seconds of airtime w. Emeril I learned how to tell Reggiano from a knock-​off hard=cheese (check the rind), why using fry oil again makes food dark (oil composition has broken down) and the best time to season fried food (straight from the fryer as it drains). It may have been LESS than 20 seconds! All the while, Emeril offers stellar food presentation (if not a bit stylishly sloppy), intriguing recipes (much more complex than Everyday Italian with an increasingly diverse flavour base though he can’t give up signature ‘essence’ spice– BAM!) and a True Passion for food and cooking. He’s light years away from the obnoxious, balding, wannabe Paul Prudhomme Food Network lackey by proving himself with Substance– a comforting thought in this era of market-​driven celebrity chef-​dom.
(A tip to the posers, stay off the air if you cannot de-​bone a whole snapper and tell the first half of your lifestory garnering genuine laughs from a small studio audience inside 2.5 minutes.)