Wait for the `Bam!'

[Food Network Fan]

Wait for the `Bam!'
Starting a new phase of his career, chef Emeril Lagasse can still kick it up a notch with a live audience

By DAI HUYNH
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Tips from Emeril

• Fluffy omelet: To make a fluffy omelet, use a small, preheated pan, and stir the eggs initially to form large, fluffy curds. Then pat the eggs into an even layer, add fillings and fold in half.
• Cajun topping: Though usually served on steamed, long-grain white rice, crawfish étouffée also works as a topping for sautéed fish or an omelet filling.
• Steamer: Try cooking chicken with vegetables in a foil pouch to give it rich flavor and keep it moist and tender.
• Lively mushrooms: To intensify flavors, roast mushrooms with olive oil, salt, black pepper, chopped bacon, butter, onions and a little chicken stock.
MAYRA BELTRAN: CHRONICLE
Public appearances such as his recent cookware demonstration at Baybrook Mall are rare for superstar chef Emeril Lagasse.

Eric Kayne: Chronicle
We adapted chef Emeril Lagasse's rémoulade recipe for this Sautéed Shrimp and Warm Rémoulade Sauce Over Angel-Hair Pasta.

Eric Kayne: Chronicle
We also adapted a Lagasse recipe to make this Crawfish Étouffée in Puff Pastry.

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• Sautéed Shrimp and Warm Rémoulade Sauce Over Angel-Hair Pasta
• Crawfish Étouffée in Puff Pastry

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Emeril Lagasse is grilling rib-eye steaks. But it isn't the sizzle that holds the audience captive.
The more than 500 Houstonians packed into Dillard's at Baybrook Mall want just one thing from this restaurateur, dubbed the ``Julia Child of the '90s'' for his popular Food Network shows: star power.
``Oh yeah, baby,'' Lagasse says, dumping golden french fries onto a platter. ``Maybe it needs a little essence.''
``Bam! Bam!'' a man cries from the audience, urging the chef to utter his signature phrase.
``Not yet,'' replies the chef with mischievous eyes. ``The night is young.''
Lagasse is a culinary rock star. Even those who don't recognize the dark-haired, energetic chef might have heard his catchphrases, including ``Kick it up a notch.'' and ``Bam!''

MORE HERE

[ibcheft]

500 more like over a 1000 crammed in there, yup I was one of them, only thing was so many of us that we could not take the time for pictures with him. They told us in order to just get the cook books signed would take the better part of the night, of course you had to buy them there and he was suppose to leave at 6:30 don't think he made it. Dillard's had no idea what they were in for. They sold out of cook books by 2:00 and were out of most of his products when we got through the signing line which was about 4:00 and the line behind us was out to the front of the floor. We were on the 4th floor, there wasn't hardly room to walk except to the escalator down.

[Food Network Fan]

That's really neat. I am glad you got to see him in person. I am jealous. No one ever comes here.