Emeril's Back and TOP CHEF's Got Him

I'll be the first to admit that I was suffering from a bit of Emeril Fatigue Syndrome (EFS) for awhile. Between his nightly live show on Food Network, the toothpaste ads, the Food Network specials, and the (thankfully) short-lived sitcom it was hard to remember why I liked the guy in the first place.

A viewing of the still-excellent Essence of Emeril will change that any day and the show makes it easy to see why Food Network tapped him early on as the face (and personality) of their fledgling network.

These days I sorta find myself missing Lagasse, though that may have more to do with the personalities making up Food Network's current Mount Rushmore, namely the over-exposed Alton Brown, smug Bobby Flay, shameless Guy Fieri, and all members of the insufferable Deen clan.

So I'm happy to see Lagasse not only returning to the spotlight but returning on my favorite reality show and one of my favorite TV shows, period. Emeril will bring his big personality and penchant for catchphrases to the final two episodes of Bravo's Top Chef (airing next month), where he'll be a guest judge.

Asked about his experience on the show the chef had this to say about the Top Chefs coming to his neck of the woods:

In Louisiana, we have an amazing selection of local ingredients: andouille sausage, frog legs, turtle, catfish and rabbit. I was interested in seeing if the chefs would venture out and really try to explore our local flavors and culture. The challenge for some was finding a balance between the bold spices we love and their own personal style. All I can say is that you'll definitely want to go back for seconds for some of their final dishes!