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October 15,
1959 |
Emeril Lagasse is born in Fall River, Massachusetts, to Hilda, a homemaker, and John, who works in a textile mill. As a young child, he helps his mother in the kitchen, standing on a stool to cut vegetables for soup. At age 10, he talks his way into an after-school job at a local Portuguese bakery.
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1978 |
Lagasse graduates from the culinary program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, and rounds out his education by spending some time in France before returning to the United States. Over the following years, he works at restaurants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Boston, Massachusetts; and New York.
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1982 |
Lagasse leaves the East Coast to take the position of executive chef at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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1990 |
Emeril's Restaurant opens in the warehouse district of New Orleans -- Lagasse's first solo venture.
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1992 |
Lagasse opens his second restaurant, Nola, in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
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1993 |
"New New Orleans Cooking," Lagasse's first cookbook, is released. He launches his career as a TV cooking host when he appears in a pilot for a show on the Food Network.
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1994 |
"The Essence of Emeril" premieres on the Food Network.
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1995 |
Emeril's New Orleans Fish House opens in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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1996 |
"Louisiana Real & Rustic," Lagasse's second cookbook, is published.
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1997 |
"Emeril Live" begins production in New York. He publishes "Emeril's Creole Christmas."
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1998 |
ABC's "Good Morning America" hires Lagasse as a food correspondent. He opens his fourth restaurant, Emeril's Delmonico, in New Orleans and releases the cookbook "Emeril's TV Dinners."
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1999 |
Emeril's Restaurant Orlando opens in Florida, and his cookbook "Every Day's a Party" is published.
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2000 |
Total sales of Lagasse's books pass the 2 million mark.
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2001 |
In February, Lagasse films his 1,000th show for the Food Network. He stars in an NBC situation comedy, "Emeril," in the fall, but the show succumbs to poor ratings. Lagasse fares better with the cookbook "Prime Time Emeril: More TV Dinners From America's Favorite Chef," also released in the fall.
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2002 |
Lagasse publishes his first children's cookbook, "Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup: Recipes for the Kid in Everyone," in March, and the book quickly lands on The New York Times best-seller list. Teaming with Fetzer Vineyards, he introduces a line of wines in July. Lagasse announces plans to open Emeril's Tchoup Chop in Orlando, Florida, in the fall.
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Melissa Etheridge
