Emeril Lagasse Quotes

My favorite Aspen memory is saving an upside-down cake that had exploded from the high altitude.

I grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts. My background was modest, and I worked at a Portuguese bakery in town.

A lot of parents ask me how to get kids to eat more vegetables. The first thing I say is that it starts from the top.

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.

Anything made with love, bam! -it's a beautiful meal.

Food is very representative of a city's culture. In order to really get to know a place and the people, you've got to eat the food.

If you don't follow your dream, who will?

Life just doesn't hand you things. You have to get out there and make things happen. that's the exciting part.

Kids are now eating things like edamame and sushi. I didn't know what shiitake mushrooms were when I was 10 - most kids today do.

If kids can learn how to make a simple Bolognese sauce, they will never go hungry. It's pretty easy to cook pasta, but a good sauce is way more useful.

Spice is life. It depends upon what you like... have fun with it. Yes, food is serious, but you should have fun with it.

In order to be big, you have to think big. If you think small, you're going to be small.

I think you've got to keep it simple, keep it fresh. Stay away from all that processed stuff, read the labels.

Cooking is so popular today because it's the perfect mix of food and fun.

It's okay to play with your food.

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.

I spent a lot of time on farms when I was young. My uncle and my dad owned a big farm.

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.

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.

If you think big, then it's going to be big.

Whether it's books or TV, or whatever the case may be, the backbone of what I do is my restaurants.

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.

You know, for 300 years it's been kind of the same. There are restaurants in New Orleans that the menu hasn't changed in 125 years, so how is one going to change or evolve the food?

What I go for in my cooking is sinful, bold and real.

I had these recipes that say do this, do that. Who MAKES these rules?

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.

I'm not a TV guy. I'm a restaurant chef and a businessman.

I ended up turning down a full scholarship of music at the conservatory to pay to go to cooking school.

I think many cooks are afraid of undercooked meats. A good thermometer is a cook's best friend.

My family... always had the value of the family table and these cultural influences of growing up.

If somebody has a chance to put my food in their mouth, that tells the story.

I like to keep things simple. It's really about the wine, food and the beach view. Nothing can beat that.

I started cooking when I was about 10. I have memories like when I was 6 or 7 with my mom, and when I was 12 I started getting real serious about cooking.

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.

Those other 10 o'clock shows that come on, all you get from them is headaches and nightmares when you go to bed! At least we give you food, know what I mean?

I don't limit myself.

In the restaurant it's much more serious.

Everyone needs a mentor.

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.

I had a fierce curiosity about this food thing.

Get up every day and try a little harder than the day before.

I love to cook; that's my passion.

Spain has some of the richest culinary traditions and truly appreciates food that is simply prepared with top-notch ingredients.

My office in New York is overflowing with all kinds of cookbooks, and in New Orleans we have a huge culinary library. So yeah, I guess I'm a little bit obsessed.

I've been very fortunate, because I've cooked for a lot of actors and actresses and musicians. I've cooked for presidents and I've been to the White House.

I'm not impressed with presidents. I have met a few, but I'm not impressed with them.

The most interesting thing I've ever heard about myrself that isn't true is that I'm not a nice guy.

I've never really had a problem with people.

When it ceases to be fun, I'll stop and just stay in my restaurants.

We're probably close to reaching 2,000 shows, which is more than Julia Child and Jacques Pepin together.