Interview with Emeril Lagasse

By P. Greaney and Courtesy of StarChefs

(http://www.starchefs.com/ELagasse/html/interview.shtml)

If restaurants are theatre, Chef Emeril Lagasse deserves an Oscar. His New New Orleans style cooking has turned the town nicknamed the "Big Easy" on it's heels. And I don't think anyone thought that was possible. Listen in to hear what today's drama in the south is all about.

PG: What makes Emeril's Restaurant different from other New Orleans restaurants?

EL: When you look at Louisiana food you'll see there is a tremendous amount of respect. Mainly because of the amount of years... it has 200 years of history. There are restaurants that have menus that are older than most US cities.

I never disrespect the tradition but I add new cultures. Portuguese, Southwest, Caribbean, Vietnamese. Eighty percent of the fishing boats are run by Vietnamese, so it's natural. I am fortunate to have built relationships with fishermen, farmers, lettuce growers. I've helped put many of them in business.

Everything I do is from scratch. I've been doing organic for 14 years. I started with a hog farmer to make andouille sausage. In order to have great cuisine you need to have great ingredients. Now...I didn't say EXPENSIVE ingredients.

I spent a lot of time at Commander's Palace... this is why I came in late '82. I came here because the city has a tradition and is a very respected food city. I loved it's culture, music, food...

PG: What is the most popular item on your menu?

EL: The signature items I've created. Double Cut Pork Chops with a tamarind glaze and a green mole sauce (made from nuts) and caramelized sweet potatoes. Barbecue Shrimp with homemade rosemary biscuits. Banana Cream Pie with banana crusted caramel drizzles. Then we have partridge from Michigan and Antelope from Texas. And a dish called Study of Duck. It's a breast of duck that has been Creole marinated. The leg is a confit of duck with foie gras that is seared. We serve it with a wild mushroom bread pudding.

PG: What are the most common special requests from diners?

EL: Food and wine pairings. We have over 17,000 bottles of wine and two full-time sommeliers. We have a 7 course tasting menu that are matched with wine. Sometimes our customers want the dishess to specifically complement the wine. We try to take care of guests in any way we can. Like vegetarian tastings. Which reminds me of our truffles... we are known for our truffles.

PG: I see you include many homemade seasonings in your cookbook.

EL: Oh yes...spice is life. It depends upon what you like... have fun with it. Yes, food is serious but you should have fun with it.

PG: Knowing that you have a Portuguese background I am wondering what your favorite Portuguese dish is.

EL: Kale soup. I use lots of fresh kale, chorizo or andouille sausage, potatoes and chicken stock. My mom (who is Portuguese) used to make it. Mom ran the house so we grew up Portuguese.

PG: What do you like to do when you're not working in the kitchen?

EL: I like to fish. And listen to music. I like to bring music home to relax. After talking to people all day long in the restaurant, which I love to do, I look forward to being quiet at home.

PG: You turned down a music scholarship to go to cooking school. Why did you chose a cooking profession over a music profession?

EL: They are both art forms. I was a whiz kid at music and cooking was more of a challenge. I started working when I was 10 years old in a Portuguese bakery. I just kept with it and liked it. I eventually went to culinary school, Johnson & Wales.

PG: Which chef or cookbook author has inspired you most?

EL: Paula Wolfort, all of her books are great but the one I like most is "Cooking of Southwest France".

PG: Which do you think are the best culinary schools in America?

EL: Oooh, you are putting me on the spot, I am on many school boards. Culinary schools have come so far in America. It depends upon the individual, a good school applies to the
individual needs and it shouldn't be just financial. Louisville, Kentucky has a great school, Sullivan College. Also, NE Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. And there's Johnson & Wales and of course the Culinary Institute of America.

PG: Well, Emeril, thank you so much for your insight and time.

EL: It was a pleasure, thank you. It was fun.

Culinary Institutes

culinary schools in California
culinary schools in New York
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Portland
California culinary schools
French cooking classes
cooking classes in Chicago
Texas Culinary Academy
cooking schools in New York
New England cooking school

Pastry Schools

baking school
pastry chefs
pastry chef careers
pastry chef training
bakery chef
baking schools
pastry school
baking courses
bakery school
pastry course online
pastry chef information
pastry degrees

Culinary Art School

best culinary schools
cooking classes
cooking schools
culinary jobs
sommelier training
chef school
sommelier certification
sommelier education
culinary arts colleges
culinary arts school
culinary arts degree
institute of culinary arts
culinary arts college
career in culinary arts
culinary arts programs
culinary arts careers
culinary art colleges
restaurant management careers

Chef Training

chef training curriculum
French chef schools
chef training colleges
cooking class
vegetarian cooking class
Italian cooking school
cooking college
gourmet cooking school
French cooking school
Mexican cooking school

Featured Schools

The Art Institutes - Multiple Locations

Turn your passion into a four-star career. At The Art Institutes, you�ll explore traditional, fundamental cooking skills and get hands on training in our student-run restaurants.

California Culinary Academy
San Francisco, CA

Get your career cooking. California Culinary Academy is located in San Francisco, one of the world's culinary capitals. Students receive the challenging hands-on experience they need to prepare for a career in culinary arts or hospitality. Associate degrees are available in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts or Hospitality & Restaurant Management. Certificates are available in Baking and Pastry Arts. Gain the proficiency you need to work at fine restaurants, top hotels, posh resorts, luxury cruise ships, pastry shops, and more.

Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL

Join the respected Le Cordon Bleu program at the Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Students can earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts or a certificate in Baking and Pastry. Graduates will be prepared for a career as a chef, caterer, baker or pastry chef. Instructors are accomplished pastry and culinary chefs. Classes are taught in professionally equipped learning kitchens.

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Los Angeles
Pasadena, CA

Train with the best. If you have a passion for food, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Los Angeles, located in Pasadena, CA, can prepare you for success. Students receive the challenging hands-on experience they need to prepare for a career in culinary arts, patisserie and baking, or hospitality.

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami
Miami, FL

Start your career as a chef, caterer, baker, or pastry chef in as little as 15 months. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami represents the finest union of French and American culinary arts, blending traditional American culinary education with classical French techniques. Extensive career placement services are available as well as financial aid for qualified students.

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale
Scottsdale, AZ

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale has 20 years of experience educating professionals for the exciting culinary and hospitality industry. Few institutions possess the prestigious reputation of Le Cordon Bleu. This internationally renowned school for culinary arts and hospitality management has become synonymous with expertise, innovation, tradition, refinement, and service. These qualities are enthusiastically nurtured here at the Scottsdale campus and passed on to our students.Our Culinary Arts and P�tisserie & Baking training can help students prepare for opportunities in the culinary arts, pastry and baking, and hospitality industries.

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Portland
Portland, OR

Engage your passion and train for a rewarding career in the culinary field at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu Schools. Our dynamic culinary programs are designed to give you the hands-on experience you�ll need to taste success. We offer an approach that combines classical French techniques with modern American technology. Students can receive not only the basic cooking skills any chef needs, but also the tools to create their own recipes and techniques. Programs to choose from include Culinary Arts, P�tisserie & Baking, or Hospitality & Restaurant Management.

Atlantic Culinary Academy
Dover, NH

Atlantic Culinary Academy� (A Division of McIntosh College), is proud to offer a Le Cordon Bleu� culinary program. Le Cordon Bleu blends the traditional education that we have offered students for over 100 years with the classical French culinary techniques that have made Le Cordon Bleu famous. Earn your Associate Degree in Culinary Arts in as little as 18 months and take advantage of Atlantic Culinary Academy's� extensive job placement services.

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Orlando
Orlando, FL

Located in the heart of Florida, in one of the country's top vacation destinations, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Orlando provides Culinary Arts and P�tisserie & Baking training and can help prepare students for opportunities in the culinary arts, pastry and baking, and hospitality industries.

Pennsylvania Culinary Institute
Pittsburgh, PA

A future for those with good taste. Join the respected and esteemed Le Cordon Bleu program at the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a graduate, you'll be prepared for an in-demand career as a cook, chef, caterer, baker or pastry chef. Instructors are accomplished pastry and culinary chefs and all instruction takes place in modern learning kitchens.

Texas Culinary Academy
Austin, TX

Turn your love of cooking into a career. Texas Culinary Academy, located in Austin, TX, has partnered with Le Cordon Bleu to offer students an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts. The program combines classical French techniques with cutting-edge American technology. Learn the culinary techniques of more than 25 foreign cuisines and earn your degree in as little as 15 months.

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul
Mendota Heights, MN

Your passport to a grand career. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Minneapolis/St. Paul provides quality education to aspiring chefs. This world-class program offers a progressive, comprehensive culinary education taught in an expansive 18,000 square foot facility. Associate of Applied Sciences (AAS degrees) can be earned in as little as 15 months.