
Food Network host and icon, Emeril Lagasse
Seasons change, and so did the minds of the powers that be at The Food Network Channel, who have decided to give longtime host
Emeril Lagasse the axe.
The decision to
cancel production on the long-running Food Network favorite,
Emeril Live, was made despite the fact that Lagasse originally inked a five-year contract which is due to run through 2008.
The final taping will take place on Dec. 11, and the Food Network will continue to air daytime's
Essence of Emeril as usual. Still, one can’t possibly forget how the larger-than-life Lagasse once stood among his celebrity chef peers at Food Network with his cornerstone daily showcase, and just on the heels of his short-lived primetime NBC network sitcom, once again, simply titled
Emeril .
But no doubt, a lot can happen in four years. Including the onslaught of celebrity chefs, who are more down-home, perkier, bustier, edgier, street-savvy–er, you name it. Yet, I think many of us will miss Lagasse, if for nothing else, the way he could whip himself around from a hot stove at a moment's notice and bang on Doc Gibbs’ conga drum, before promising to “kick things up another notch” and going to a commercial break.
Emeril, you dazzled us, you really did. I guess it’s just that everything must change -- including Emeril Live.
Miss you already.
By the way, Emeril is also a prolific cookbook author, and my personal favorite and just in time for the perfect Christmas gift, is:
Emeril's There's A Chef In My Soup! Recipes For The Kid In Everyone. This one's an excellent choice for the youngsters on your gift list, ages 9 through 12.