I love fresh citrus and always keep lemons, limes, and oranges on hand; they come in handy for spritzing up quickly grilled meats, seafoods, and vegetables, especially when followed up by a quick drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. – Emeril Lagasse
I’ve always been known for bold flavors and rustic cooking, but there is another side to me. As you evolve as a cook, you understand life and how serious it is. There comes a point where there’s got to be a better balance. – Emeril Lagasse
Many of my staff have been with me for over 20 years. I have a great team, and I make sure they feel respected and appreciated. – Emeril Lagasse
I think you have to be careful with spices. Kids’ palates can be very delicate, and they might not like things overspiced. In my cookbooks for kids, I do a milder version of my signature spice blend, Emeril’s Essence, called Baby Bam, which has no cayenne pepper. – Emeril Lagasse
Music is one of those things that is constantly going in my head all the time. It’s sort of like the evolution and creation of doing food, or my philosophy about wine. It’s always beating in my head, so it keeps the spirit moving. – Emeril Lagasse
Cleanliness is very important. If you let kids make a total mess in the kitchen and then leave, you’re not really teaching them anything. – Emeril Lagasse
Life just doesn’t hand you things. You have to get out there and make things happen. that’s the exciting part. – Emeril Lagasse
My favorite Aspen memory is saving an upside-down cake that had exploded from the high altitude. – Emeril Lagasse
Being a food show and being me, I always kicked it up a notch, which means I would always elevate the spice level or the complexity of a particular dish. So, it was always like we’re going to kick this up a little bit. – Emeril Lagasse
I think all kids need snacks. Mine are fruit machines. I give them things like apple slices, berries and melon. Do I let them eat ice cream? Absolutely. But not every day. – Emeril Lagasse
My philosophy from day one is that I can sleep better at night if I can improve an individual’s knowledge about food and wine, and do it on a daily basis. – Emeril Lagasse
Wrap fish fillets, sliced veggies, and other quick-cooking items inside foil packets with bundles of fresh herbs and throw them directly on the grill; the steam will release the herb’s perfume and flavor anything contained inside the pouch. – Emeril Lagasse
Home base is the support system where we have a culinary team, my own writers because of the shows and the books and stuff, we have a culinary team of about six people. Marketing, public relations, accounting and all that sort of stuff. – Emeril Lagasse
I’m pretty actively involved with the military because I think they’re incredible human beings. If I can give back to them for what they’re doing for us, it’s a good thing. And I think to have happy soldiers, you need to feed them well. – Emeril Lagasse
We’re probably close to reaching 2,000 shows, which is more than Julia Child and Jacques Pepin together. – Emeril Lagasse
You go to a restaurant in the States and kids have these game boards at the table. You don’t see that in Italy or Spain. It’s not because they can’t afford to buy them, it’s because that’s not what eating together as a family is about. – Emeril Lagasse
The world has changed, and it’s almost been 11 years. I have 975 employees. I have six restaurants. We haven’t opened any new ones in almost three years. – Emeril Lagasse
I make some of my best recipes with a simple homemade stock. Keep shrimp shells stored in a plastic bag in the freezer. When you have almost a gallon-bag full, you can make a stock in 30 minutes that you can use in soups and sauces. You can then freeze the stock in ice-cube trays. – Emeril Lagasse
You have to be cautious of eating continuously the same thing. Beef comes to mind right away, and there’s nothing wrong with beef, but you’ve got to do whatever you’re doing in moderation. So try to break it up a little bit. Eat some fish or some shellfish at least a couple of times a week. – Emeril Lagasse
Radishes grow just about anywhere. People think, ‘Oh it’s just a radish.’ But radishes are delicious, and people don’t think of cooking them. – Emeril Lagasse
I grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts. My background was modest, and I worked at a Portuguese bakery in town. – Emeril Lagasse
We’re setting up an urban farm for kids on more than 20 acres in New Orleans. We want to make this a world-class educational center for the community. – Emeril Lagasse
We began building this incredible new foundation in this restaurant, and that’s what began giving me the left-hand side of tradition and the right-hand side, my new palate. – Emeril Lagasse
We’ll be going to the fish market and a farmer’s market this afternoon to get what we need to make and eat dinner as a family. I’m trying to expose my kids to going to a farmers market or the fish market and learning what that’s all about. – Emeril Lagasse
Soups are a great way to introduce a lot of vegetables to kids. Stir-fries, too, because they contain so many different shapes and colors. – Emeril Lagasse
You gotta have good olive oil. You should have a cooking olive oil and you should have a finishing olive oil, like an extra-virgin olive oil. – Emeril Lagasse
I guess I feel that I was following my instincts, and at the same time being guided by the best. I became totally intrigued with Louisiana – the people, the food. It is a part of my life. Everything that has happened for me since moving here has just been icing on the cake. – Emeril Lagasse
I’m working harder than ever now, and I’m putting on my pants the same as I always have. I just get up every day and try to do a little better than the day before, and that is to run a great restaurant with great food, great wine, and great service. That’s my philosophy. – Emeril Lagasse
