Emeril Lagasse started his cooking career very early. By age four, he was helping his father make breads and pastries in Fall River, MA. After high school, Emeril turned down a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music because he knew he had to follow his real love – food. He graduated with a degree in culinary arts from the Johnson and Wales University in Rhode Island. Polishing his culinary skills in France, he worked at a variety of restaurants in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia before moving to New Orleans to head the famous Commander’s Palace restaurant.
By 1990, Emeril had opened his own restaurant in New Orleans. Food critics and culinary magazines all over the country raved about Emeril’s cuisine. Buoyed by his success, Emeril was soon opening restaurants around the country including Las Vegas, Miami, Orlando, and Atlanta. He is a best selling author having released a string of books such as Emeril’s Potluck: Comfort Food with a Kicked-Up Attitude and From Emeril’s Kitchens: Favorite Recipes from Emeril’s Restaurants. Over 3.5 million copies of Emeril’s cookbooks have been sold.
In 1993, Emeril became the host of “Emeril Live” on the Food Network. His jovial attitude combined with a talk show approach made his show an instant success. Almost everyone is familiar with his catchphrases of “Bam” and “Kick it up a notch.” “Emeril Live” was voted one of the “Top 10 TV Shows” by Time magazine in 1996. Emeril also hosts “The Essence of Emeril.,” also on the Food Network. Emeril’s shows are viewed in approximately 50 million homes each day. In 2001, Emeril was so popular he even briefly starred in his own sitcom on NBC.
In his spare time, Emeril is a frequent food correspondent for “Good Morning America” and he is the founder of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, a charity that helps improve the lives of young people.
Emeril, through candidness and humor, has opened up the culinary world to help everyone realize that they do not have to be great chefs to create great dishes.