You know, for 300 years it’s been kind of the same. There are restaurants in New Orleans that the menu hasn’t changed in 125 years, so how is one going to change or evolve the food? – Emeril Lagasse
If kids can learn how to make a simple Bolognese sauce, they will never go hungry. It’s pretty easy to cook pasta, but a good sauce is way more useful. – Emeril Lagasse
I ended up turning down a full scholarship of music at the conservatory to pay to go to cooking school. – Emeril Lagasse
When I want to kick it up, I like to add hardwood chips or chunks to the grill; it adds bold smoky flavors. The most common woods are hickory and mesquite, but you can find alder, apple, cherry and, my personal favorite, pecan. – Emeril Lagasse
The cool thing is that now that people have made this evolution where cooking is cool, people are doing it on weekends, they’re doing their own challenges. It’s back to cooking. And it’s real cooking. – Emeril Lagasse
My food is Louisiana, New Orleans-based, well-seasoned, rustic. I think it’s pretty unique because of my background being influenced by my mom, Portuguese and French Canadian. There’s a lot going on there. – Emeril Lagasse
I try to teach my son about sanitation, especially when handling foods like chicken that could be dangerous. I remind him to wash his hands all the time. When my son cooks with me, he stands on a step stool so he can reach the stove. I teach him about safety and fire. – Emeril Lagasse
I think you’ve got to keep it simple, keep it fresh. Stay away from all that processed stuff, read the labels. – Emeril Lagasse
My family… always had the value of the family table and these cultural influences of growing up. – Emeril Lagasse
I wouldn’t ask any of my employees to do anything I wouldn’t do. And I work as hard, if not harder than the rest of the staff, to set an example. I also believe in giving my employees a lot of room to be creative and to express themselves. – Emeril Lagasse
Those other 10 o’clock shows that come on, all you get from them is headaches and nightmares when you go to bed! At least we give you food, know what I mean? – Emeril Lagasse
I respected it. I submerged myself into it. So on a lot of days off I would go and fish with the fishermen and the families that ran the boats. I would go work the fields with farmers. I would go and talk with farmers about growing particular products for me. – Emeril Lagasse
Scatter soaked hardwood chunks over your coals for a quick and easy way to add a smoky nuance to your grilled foods. – Emeril Lagasse
When I cook with my son, I might chop vegetables and have fun with different shapes. Cooking is a way to teach kids about other things, like reading or math with all of the weights and measures. There are so many things that are part of cooking that are also very educational. – Emeril Lagasse
I can’t tell you enough about cinnamon. Cinnamon is an awesome spice to use and it goes great with something like apples in the morning or in a mixture of fruit or in your oatmeal or even in your cereal. – Emeril Lagasse
You can easily put together your own favorite spice blend, whether that’s a salt and pepper mixture or you’re adding herbs to it or Creole spice. Just watch out for the sodium content. That why I encourage you to make your own. – Emeril Lagasse
I think many cooks are afraid of undercooked meats. A good thermometer is a cook’s best friend. – Emeril Lagasse
I launched The Emeril Lagasse Foundation to provide culinary training, and developmental and educational programs to children in the cities where my restaurants operate. I think everyone has a responsibility to give back to the community if they can, and to help future generations learn new skills. – Emeril Lagasse
Kids are now eating things like edamame and sushi. I didn’t know what shiitake mushrooms were when I was 10 – most kids today do. – Emeril Lagasse