| Emeril Lagasse is one of America's most | | | | Emeril's - in 1990, which emphasized Cajun and |
| celebrated celebrity chefs. Born on October 15, | | | | Creole cuisine. In its first year Emeril's restaurant |
| 1959 in Fall River Massachusetts, Emeril was raised | | | | won Esquire magazine's "Restaurant of the Year" |
| by his Portugese mother Hilda and his French | | | | award. Over the next eighteen years Emeril |
| Canadian father Emeril. He worked as a teenager | | | | opened thirteen more restaurants. |
| in uniform work shirts in a local Portuguese | | | | Emeril began his television career on the show |
| bakery where he developed his life-long interest in | | | | Great Chefs, where he appeared on ten episodes. |
| cooking. At fourteen he enrolled in a culinary arts | | | | After appearing on several other shows on |
| program at a local vocational high school, where | | | | FoodTV, Emeril began his own program, The |
| he also played drums in the school band and | | | | Essence of Emeril. The essence in the show's title |
| played in a band at dances and parties. Upon | | | | refers to the name of a blend of spices which he |
| graduating high school Emeril was offered a music | | | | employs frequently in his cooking, and which is |
| scholarship to New England's Conservatory of | | | | available commercially in several different flavors. |
| Music, but he decided instead to pursue a chef's | | | | One of Emeril's teachings is that all cooks should |
| career by enrolling at the college of culinary arts | | | | create spice blends for themselves, which reflect |
| at Johnson and Wales University in Providence. To | | | | their own personal taste, to customize recipes. |
| help pay his tuition he worked at a local | | | | Emeril has been nominated for Daytime Emmy |
| restaurant, where he met his future wife Elizabeth | | | | Awards eight times, but has not yet won. Emeril's |
| Kief. Over the next five years the couple had | | | | popularity as a television personality is due to his |
| two children, Jessica and Jillian. Shortly after | | | | jovial style of hosting, as well as his famous catch |
| graduating college in 1978, the couple married and | | | | phrases such as "feel the love", "Bam", and "kick it |
| Emeril traveled to France in order to polish his | | | | up a notch" which he usually says when he adds |
| skills. | | | | something spicy to a recipe. He exalts in using lard |
| Upon returning to the United States Emeril | | | | to fry or make sausage, with the war cry "Pork |
| worked for several years in chef pants in some | | | | fat rules!" Emeril's lively style in front of a studio |
| fine restaurants in the Northeast, and also | | | | audience led to his starring briefly in an NBC |
| Wisconsin's Telemark Lodge under Tony Wise. In | | | | sitcom in 2001, but the show was canceled after |
| 1982 he was appointed executive chef at New | | | | only a few episodes. Emeril was the Grand |
| Orleans' famed Commander's Palace restaurant. | | | | Marshall of the Tournament of Roses Parade in |
| The demands of his job, which required Emeril to | | | | 2008, dressed in a business suit - a rarity for him |
| put in 18 hour days, strained his marriage and led | | | | since his trademark uniform is chef's white aprons. |
| to divorce. But it was at Commander's Palace that | | | | Emeril's latest project is a daily Discovery Channel |
| Emeril began to achieve national fame, which led | | | | series Emeril Green, which airs on the Planet |
| to his opening his own New Orleans restaurant - | | | | Green network. |