So what does a serious eater make of all this? Now that prime-time television is going to be an Emeril-free zone for the first time in what seems like forever is that cause for celebration? In some ways yes. The show had run its course. The Food Network had ridden the Emeril horse to death. Think about it.
I'm sure the recipes Hesser tried didn't work and I don't doubt that the food she tasted on his show was not very good. But in retrospect she and everyone else in the serious food world piling on Emeril for not being serious enough were missing the point. The fact is that Emeril has done a great deal for the cause of serious and delicious food in this country and it's time that we acknowledge that.
Think about it. Emeril introduced much of America to many of the things serious eaters hold near and dear. Seasonality? Farmers? Serious chefs and cooks from all over the world? Broccoli rabe? Foie gras? Artisanally made andouille sausage? Sweetbreads? Locally grown produce? Organics? Local food traditions? The very act of cooking at home for family and friends? Emeril took up every one of these causes and brought them into tens of millions of homes in this country.
And in so doing if he made himself into a wealthy star so what? This is what happens to successful television personalities in this country. The point is that most of the things and causes Alice Waters and the rest of us hold near and dear in terms of food have been furthered by Lagasse. He had been a general in Alice Waters's Delicious Revolution long before many people had even been drafted into the fight.
There's one more thing. In the early '90s I ate at Emeril's in New Orleans. And I have to tell you that much of the food was awesome. He is a really good cook. Whether that translates into consistently great food being made throughout his far-flung empire is another question entirely. There is no doubt that Emeril has put his name on some products that are most assuredly not delicious like his very ordinary jarred pasta sauces. But I don't doubt Wolfgang Puck's ability to cook just because his frozen pizzas are less than wonderful.
Of course I tend to get sort of cranky when people seem to demand more-than-human perfection from people they have turned into celebrities by their interest and financial support and can end up getting very rude and saying "Oh yeah? Let's see you do it better."
I never liked the show but I always appreciated what it did for the food community across the country- especially in middle-America. And his recipes can be pretty good as long as you don't use his "Essence"- which just adds empty heat to everything. At this point. Emeril is one of the only real chefs left on the Food Network and that is frightening to me. I know this is old news but the FN is about cooks not chefs- which is fine I guess but I find myself watching more and more Public TV shows and less Rachael Ray.
I'll take a bit of a sidestep here and agree with about the inclusion of entertainment in cooking shows. Think back for a moment to the film "Mrs. Doubtfire" and the old-school science show vs the one Robin Williams' Daniel put together. I don't see much difference between that sub-plot of that film and the things people have the audacity to complain about with Emeril Live. Why should cooking shows be nothing but instruction? Isn't that what college-level culinary courses are for? Is Food Network supposed to be some kind of "Food University: A Telespondence Course"?
Television without entertainment is boring. Even Essence of Emeril is less boring when camerman Jay has something to say. Bourdain shows cultural dances and such on No Reservations. Camera operators busting through plate glass on accident on Dirty Jobs is part of what makes that show click. Even Julia Child knew how to use comedy to liven things up.
If you don't want entertainment in cooking turn off the TV head to the nearest buffet restaurant and sit in the kitchen to watch the proceedings. Food Network should be more entertaining than that.
I love both Emeril and Alton Brown because I can watch their shows and learn something about food preparation. Maybe it's a spice maybe it's how to make a corn starch slurry but in all cases for an untrained hobbiest cook like me. I find these shows invaluable sources of information.
I don't have anything against Emeril but I am burned out a bit. He was fun at first exciting really. The problem I had was that almost every show seemed exactly the same the past several years. The jokes were the same the conversations the crowds etc. The food always looked good and I liked some of his recipes but I tired of the repetitive nature of Emeril Live.
As a matter of fact. I coined a term named after Emeril. Emerilizing occurs when TVFN jams a personality so far down everyone's throat the public can't stand watching him/her anymore.
There was a blurb in one of the cooking magazines several years ago where Emeril was quoted as saying (may not be exact). "People see me in one of my restaurants and they want to hear me say "Bam" but when I'm in the kitchen it's not about the "bams," it's about the food." Not enough press is given to this aspect of Emeril. He really is a serious cook and deserves some props for that skill.
I don't disagree with your basic premise that Emeril has done a lot for the cause of serious and delicious food. He was always out in front for various causes and groups.
However. I was more than tired of "Emeril Live," which he "bam"med to death. I mean what cooking show really needs its own live band? At that point. I decided he was more about entertainment than cooking and stopped watching. I also think the beginning of the end for "Emeril Live" was when Alton Brown got Emeril's 8 PM time slot. When I saw Alton in Nashville he joked about not looking Emeril in the eye when he passed him in the hall.
I hope without the Food Network he lands on his feet somewhere on the TV landscape. I hate to say it but I'll miss flipping to watch him when nothing else is on.
I'm not mad at FN; new blood is nice. But there's no excuse to keep Sandra on and to keep cramming Paula and her family down our throats every day. A Mario and Emeril-less FN doesn't sit well with me.
I don't think of Emeril as a TV personality therefore can not get pissed off about it because I watched his show a few times and found it not to my liking but then most TV food shows are not to my liking so I turned it off and continued thinking of Emeril as a chef and a businessperson.
Don't worry all you "Emeril Live" fans the Food Network (in all of it's infinite wisdom) has that new Paula Deen show "Paula's Party" to replace "Emeril Live". It is an exact copy of the Emeril show with all of the stupid jokes and contrived dialogue except that instead of saying "Bam" a 100 times a show. Paula says "y'all".
It's not that I don't like Emeril or Paula in fact. I like their old shows "The Essence of Emeril" and "Paula's Home Cooking" where it is just them in a kitchen cooking and not clowning to a live audience. The best show the Food Network ever had was "Molto Mario" where it was just Mario cooking for a few friends.
The Food Network needs to change their focus group demographic or something. They take a good show with good host and concept and try to make it bigger and better and just end up ruining it in the process.
Emeril is at heart a trained chef who worked his way up the ranks in actual restaurants and he should be applauded for that. He put in his time and now is wealthy and successful. Because of his name recognition he has done a lot for cooking and food but the overly scripted and predictable "Emeril Live" is past it's prime and needs to go.
I hope FN makes good choices in replacing some of the old guard. Even though I haven't watched any of their shows in a long time. Emeril and even Rachel Ray were really what got me cooking. I had friends who watched Emeril religiously in the early days and would make many of his recipes (they came from a big cooking family - I came from a cook/eat to live family). Most of them seemed great to me but I was sure I couldn't do that. Then I started watching Rachel Ray and realized I could sure as hell do that and I could improve on it! At some point yeah they lost their appeal to me but I can't think of any many shows on television that never lost their appeal. At least FN and particularly Emeril have raised the bar for many home cooks. I'd love to see them continue in that direction - maybe they should bring on the cheesemaker from whichever season of Top Chef to teach us how to do that.
How exactly is Emeril's career "ruined"? He is THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CHEF IN THE WORLD by monetary measures. Yes he's a ham yes the "bam" shtick is tired yes the audience was encouraged to act completely moronically with the oohhing and ahhhing and cheering at the mention of certain key words like "garlic" but the fact remains that the man is a workhorse he cooks great food which is a combination of traditional and haute cuisines and he's filthy stinking rich and frankly doesnt need the work.
Maybe he feels he needs to spend more time in his kitchens. Maybe he was tired of the show; he's not an idiot and probably sensed it was getting lame himself. I wouldnt be surprised if all that cheezyness was pushed on him by FN execs.
I wish him the best and thank him for his work. I am willing to bet that whatever they replace him with will be 100 times worse in the superficiality and schlock entertainment factors and wouldnt be surprised if the new show was product placement centric instead of a real cooking show.
Hopefully the re-runs will air somewhere. My children learned to take an interest in food from Emeril. 7 years old and my DD still asks to watch "that cooking show" sometimes. I have never had a recipe from Emeril fail me- every single one turns out spectacular. I hope he never stops championing good food and good eating.
Emeril is a great chef with a great personality and some great restaurants. I remember Essence of Emeril from when I first started watching Food Network way back in the late 90s. (Remember David Rosengarten. Two Hot Tamales. Grillin' & Chillin'?)
However. Emeril Live wore thin years and years ago. While the food remained pretty good it became unwatchable to hear the audience get riled up and cheer over his latest addition of a dozen cloves of garlic or a fistful of Essence seasoning.
Sadly as is constantly noted. TVFN is dying and there's very little serious cooking being done these days. The departure of Emeril Lagasse will only accelerate the descent.
I have seldom watched TVFN; it just didn't appeal to me the way books and an actual kitchen do. But I ate at his NO restaurants long before he was on tv and with my husband interviewed him about 10 years ago at Emeril's one evening about two hours before they opened the house for service. He was serious and impressive. I've cooked from several of his books and had good results and he's also had a gifted co-author that no one seems to give much credit to. Marcelle Bienvienu.
The unfortunate ramification of ad nauseum pandering to the unwashed masses with Lee/Ray/Dean++ is that the entire network will jump the shark not just one show.
I'm in the camp that thinks that Emeril laid the groundwork for a lot more interest in and discussion of food and cooking in this country. I've also been to 3 tapings of Emeril Live all in 2000-2001. I had the luck of seeing him with Daniel Boulud the first time and on my second visit was seated at the counter (!) which was a thrill. The energy in that studio was quite simply electric. On all three visits. And guess what? He cooked and the food that we got to eat was very tasty much to our surprise! There is no doubt that the man is passionate about what he does and although I've stopped watching his shows. I agree that he's one of the few chefs left on the FN. I just. Can't. Stand. The talking dolls. UGH! Emeril is also as personable as he appears to be; in addition to meeting him at the show taping. I've seen him out with his family in NYC and despite having fans interrupting their dinner he appeared to be very gracious to them. I say give credit where credit is due and let another network take over with some real cooking shows! I'm definitely over the FN.
I typically didn't watch Emeril Live unless he had a good chef guest on. The "bam" and "oh yeah baby" thing kind of wore off about 5 years ago. But I do agree with others in that he is still very talented and one of the only true chefs left on FN; by ceasing production of Molto Mario first and now Emeril Live. FN is simply dumbing themselves down by making way for the likes of Ray/Lee/Dean and their little proteges that come out of the Next Food Network Star garbage.
I am quite sad to see Emeril Live go if it means that while flipping through I have to endure more 30 Minute Meals or Paula's Party. I know that FN has to make a buck so they're going where the ratings are but it is a sad day for serious cooks to see where FN is headed. I agree that we are due for a new network that will only feature serious chefs and educational programs. That doesn't mean it can't also be entertaining; but FN has forgotten about the food when it comes to their future.
To me alot of these comments seem like an obituary for Emeril. Personally. I think the Emeril Live show is past it's prime and I am not sad to see it go. However I do agree with Ed Levine that he did do a lot to bring cooking and "good food" into a lot of American homes and make the food network what it is today. I initially began cooking because of Emeril Lagasse's enthusiasm. I have been to his NOLA restaurant and really enjoyed it. I do not think he is dead he will continue to thrive as a restaurateur as long as he keeps the quality up and returns to his roots.
I have a hard time thinking Emeril is just about the food. Who would say yes to Crest commercials sit-coms etc has more than food on his mind. I found his live show tiresome and annoying. I was constantly saying to myself... why is everyone laughing so hard at this? Is there something I am not getting? I fear Paula Deen and friends is next. She is getting more crude by the second and all her hangers-on family members are riding her coat tails for a career in the limelight. She is getting old. Plus. I am from and live in Georgia and I classify her as "an act." No one really acts like that in real life down here.
This may be a sad cultural commentary (or alternately it may be an ironically humorous one) but many people who buy cookbooks don't cook from them either.
He's not my favorite chef by far on Food Network. I got tired very quickly of his catchphrases and that made the show somewhat annoying but I wholeheartedly agree that he contributed a lot to the mentality of the home cook and has had some positive impact on that group. I'm only sad that Food Network is exploiting "cooks" such as Rachel Ray and Sandra Lee. They are just saying. "It's OK to be lazy and make sub-par food. No one will notice." I'm sad to see Emeril's big show go. I hope he still continues his food career on screen somewhere.
Emeril was ground breaking and if you do not acknowledge that you are just being obtuse. He was the guy who did a stand and stir and turned it into big deal tv. He has a lot of energy and he's likable. The formerly about Food TV took what years of Julia. Graham Kerr and a host of PBS cooks were doing and made it "prime time" baby. Imagine for those who have never worked in TV or Radio what that was like; it was a freaking revolution. Before 1993 you did not see chefs cooking prime time. You saw them on PBS or a morning show. Soon after Food TV came chefs and bakers you never heard of came on TV and showed you how to make the best stuff. I was freaking hypnotized. Faceless cookbook authors and chefs I had never heard of blew my mind with their recipes. How did that effect today? You all know the names faces restaurants cookbooks recipes and biographies of a lot of chefs and food stylists. Chefs are on Primetime TV in the news on NPR radio. Our own Dorie Greenspan was on NRP people The fact that I can chat with Dorie on this blog and on EGullet drop comments on Mario Batali even talk with you good people about these things to me is like heaven on earth. This is all because (SURVEY SAYS) Foodtv and Emeril made being a foodie main stream. Get David Kemp's book United States of Arugula. He goes over all of this. I am not so happy about never having been to Emeril Live (whine whine CRY) but I acknowledge him and his contributions. I am sure he gave up a lot of opportunities to be the face man for Scripps but that was a choice he made. Cough Cough anyone recall the prime time show Emeril on CBS a Linda Bloodworth-Thomason written disaster. I still watched it.
Thumbs UP! Essence of Emeril is my favorite on FN. Live was trite and annoying. Chef's and great cooks aren't enough - they want SEXY STARS to exploit and overexpose literally and FIGUREatively. They change and become obnoxious. I'm glad Emeril is staying - Essence is what I want to see in a cooking show. Recipes techniques expertise wine pairings etc. So far the only "Star" who doesn't seem to have her name on everything who we don't have to watch her eat her way through every city on the planet is Ina Garten. I'll just bet they've tried but she seems to be content and her cooking is awesome. Paula Deen - dump the "party" and stick to your home cooking show. Learn some lessons before it's too late.
I guess I am going to be in the minority. I love Emeril Live and I am sorry to see it go. While it is a cross between entertainment and serious cooking. I have had good experiences with the recipes. And for the experienced cook. Emeril gives a good demonstration that you can turn into your own recipe. For me. Emeril was the new Julia Child. I find the entertainment to be fun and I enjoy the celebrity guests that stop in. My biggest complaint was that there were too many reruns. I wish they could tape more shows and show more cooking. If the FN is going to resort to more dumbed down cooking shows and "reality" or competition-type shows they will lose me as a viewer. Food Network has the opportunity to become the serious go-to place for cooks and people looking for good food information. I would be OK if they revitalize or revamp the Emeril Live show but I will miss Emeril and his entertainment.
Here on the left coast. Essence of Emeril is not available except in the day time this is sad because working folk don't get a chance to see it. I wasn't really fond of the night time show but at least he cooked. All the phony stuff they put on now is truly annoying. Too much making of cakes silly contests and contrived stuff.
Paula Dean and Rachel Ray are too much. Annoying trite and phony! My food shows come on PBS these days where the artist/cook really cooks and you learn something. Three exceptions come to mind - Giada. Ina Garten and Ellie Krieger. I also watch Alton Brown when I can he's funny and has his facts in order. If Tyler Florence is on. I haven't found his show
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