36 Facts About Emeril Lagasse

Emeril John Lagasse III is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, cookbook author, and National Best Recipe award winner for his "Turkey and Hot Sausage Chili" recipe in 2003.

Emeril Lagasse is of Portuguese descent on his mother's side, while being of French heritage through his father.

Emeril John Lagasse III was born on October 15,1959, in Fall River, Massachusetts, to a French-Canadian family from Quebec.

Emeril Lagasse graduated from the culinary school JWU in 1978 and became Executive Chef at the Dunfey's Hyannis Resort in 1979.

Emeril Lagasse was nominated as Chef of the Year in 1983.

In 1982, Emeril Lagasse succeeded Paul Prudhomme as executive chef of Commander's Palace in New Orleans under Richard Brennan, Sr.

Emeril Lagasse led the kitchen there for seven and a half years before leaving to open his own restaurant.

Many of his restaurants, as well as his corporate office, Emeril Lagasse's Homebase, are located in New Orleans.

Lagasse's restaurant company, The Emeril Group, is located in New Orleans and houses restaurant operations, a culinary test kitchen for cookbook and recipe development, and a boutique store for his signature products.

Emeril Lagasse often suggested that viewers of his show create their own spice blends that reflect their personal tastes and be unafraid to use them to customize the dishes he would teach.

Emeril Lagasse was one of sixteen chefs featured in the 1993 Julia Child series Cooking with Master Chefs.

Emeril Lagasse appeared on Shop at Home Network, on the From Emeril's Kitchen from 2005 to 2006.

When Emeril Lagasse first began at Food Network, he would tape seven shows a day, from seven in the morning until two in the afternoon.

From April to July 2010, Lagasse hosted the weekly variety program The Emeril Lagasse Show, which aired on Sundays on Ion Television.

In 2013, Lagasse began hosting the Cooking Channel show Emeril's Florida.

In 2009, Emeril Lagasse joined Bravo's Top Chef as a judge.

Emeril Lagasse was a guest judge during season 9 of Top Chef: Texas in 2011 and joined the judges' table for seasons 10 and 11 in Seattle and New Orleans, respectively.

Emeril Lagasse teamed with fellow Food Network personality Mario Batali in a tag battle against Bobby Flay and White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford on an episode of Iron Chef America which aired on January 2,2010.

Emeril Lagasse served as the "Menu Master" of the TNT cooking competition show On the Menu, which ran for one season in 2014.

In 1996, Emeril Lagasse was a guest on the animated show Space Ghost Coast to Coast, where he and other chefs, including Martin Yan, prepared meals for Space Ghost.

Emeril Lagasse provides the voice of hot-tempered alligator named Marlon the Gator in the 2009 New Orleans-set Disney film The Princess and the Frog.

In 2006, Emeril Lagasse appears as himself in the film Last Holiday, starring Queen Latifah.

Emeril Lagasse is featured as the cooking inspiration to her character and appears in the final scene.

In 2012, Emeril Lagasse appeared as himself on an episode of the HBO drama series Treme.

Emeril Lagasse's scene was written by fellow chef Anthony Bourdain, who stated afterward that writing the scene was "a dream" for him because it showed a sadder, more burdened side of Emeril Lagasse, which existed in real life but was rarely shown in his television appearances.

Emeril Lagasse has appeared on the Home Shopping Network and QVC.

The Emeril Lagasse Foundation, founded in 2002, supports non-profit organizations and educational initiatives that create opportunities for children, especially for those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential.

Emeril Lagasse Foundation has distributed more than $6 million in grants for children's charities.

In 2013, Emeril Lagasse was honored as James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year.

In 2010, Emeril Lagasse appeared in a commercial to raise awareness of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

However, the styles of cuisine at Emeril Lagasse's restaurants are not all the same.

Emeril Lagasse has two lines of kitchen knives produced by Wusthof and cookware made by All-Clad, as well as a line of kitchen electrical appliances made by T-Fal.

On February 19,2008, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced it had acquired the rights to all Emeril Lagasse products including cookware, cookbooks, television shows, and food products in a $50 million agreement.

Emeril Lagasse met his first wife, Elizabeth Kief, while working at the Venus De Milo Restaurant in Swansea, Massachusetts to pay his way through school.

Emeril Lagasse was married a third time on May 13,2000, to a real estate broker, Alden Lovelace.

Emeril Lagasse is the chef or proprietor of the following restaurants:.