We caught up with chef Emeril Lagasse on the set of his new live show in Atlantic City to talk about competitive cooking, a guy’s new role in the kitchen, and the one dish you should learn to perfect.
Interviewed by Josh Fulmer
MJ: Your new show seems a bit like Iron Chef meets The Price is Right.
EL: Yeah, that sounds about right. It’s a live cooking challenge called A Taste of Emeril’s at Caesar’s in Atlantic City. Each audience member’s ticket is raffled for a chance to participate on stage. If they’re chosen, they’ll be paired with a chef to face off against other teams in culinary challenges. If they win, they stay on stage to compete with the next team. Along the way, audience members are quizzed about ingredients, restaurants, techniques, flavors and other aspects of foodie culture for a chance to win prizes. At the end of the show, the entire audience gets to sample what we made. It’s a new concept that takes audience participation to a new level and I’m really excited about it.
MJ: What’s the plan for when the run is over?
EL: If it all goes well, we’ve talked about expanding to other places like Las Vegas. We’re excited about giving more fans the chance to participate directly — I mean, what other opportunities do you have to walk onto the set of a show and cook with an executive chef like that? We haven’t discussed televising it yet, but who knows?
MJ: What made you think this was the right time to try a hands-on live show?
EL: People really want to be into food right now. It’s not hard to find an audience full of foodies these days — we’re not screening people based on their knife skills, we’re after people who want to get into the kitchen, make good food, and have fun with it.
MJ: As one of the first chefs to become a household name, how do you feel about the recent explosion of food programming?
EL: As a chef, nothing makes me happier than helping people develop a lifelong appreciation for great food. I love hearing from parents who tell me that their kids want to be chefs — just a few years ago their interests would have been medicine or law or whatever, but now it’s cool to be a chef. One of the most important benefits that I see is that by taking an interest in food, people are cooking and eating right instead of relying on processed crap.
MJ: How do you think the average guy’s role in the kitchen evolved in recent years?
EL: When I was filming Emeril Live, I was always amazed at my nearly all-male audience that was often louder than the Rangers game across the street. There’s no question that there are more guys who are interested in learning about food and wine, and they’re not just cooking it — they’re also shopping for it and discussing it with their friends. They’re taking an active approach to what they’re eating, and that’s great.
MJ: What advice would you offer men who want to step up their game?
EL: Get into making soups. A solid soup can provide all the protein, vegetables and starches you need for a complete meal. Great soups can be fancy or simple, and they can be as healthy as you care to make them.
A Taste of Emeril’s: Cooking Challenge runs four times a week from October 21 through November 12. Tickets are $35 at caesarsac.com.
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