Emeril Laggase

It wasn’t only the city’s poor that took a hit when Hurricane Katrina plowed into New Orleans. The extremely popular chef and television personality Emeril Laggase was taken down a notch when some of his restaurants were put out of commission in the wake of the storm. But Laggase’s passion for sharing food with the world will undoubtedly help the entrepreneur and kitchen favorite see his way through to clearer weather. The buoyant personality has demonstrated his tenacity by making it to the top in the cutthroat, competitive entertainment and restaurant worlds.

Emeril Laggase’s famously vibrant personality has made his audiences more comfortable and confident in the kitchen. He creates delicious recipes and demonstrates how even beginner chefs can combine ingredients to make something mouthwatering for the whole family. His stick-to-the-basics approach made him a star when he debuted his humorously titled How to Boil Water instructional cooking show. The show’s concept evolved and its name changed, but he has now settled on Emeril Live, employing the name since 1997.

He was born in Massachusetts October 15, 1959 although he has spent the better part of his career in the delicious, spicy city of New Orleans, where his Cajun and Creole specialties turned head the cooking world over. After proving his chef abilities at several restaurants, Emeril Laggase found an outlet for his big, friendly personality when he began appearing on cooking shows. His image and style began to take hold, and soon he was offered his own program on the Food Network.

Like many great chefs, Emeril is controversial, and is perhaps a target for more criticism than he deserves, because unlike most culinary giants, he is a very public figure—at one point he had his own sit-com. But most can agree he has done a very valuable service in promoting quality cooking in kitchens across America. Although his sit-com was not a success, he has made dozens of well-received television appearances and published several cookbooks.