Emeril Lagasse is no stranger to reality cooking competitions. The celebrated chef starred in Food Network’s “Emeril Live” from 1997 until its cancelation in 2007, and has since been a staple as a guest on popular shows such as “Top Chef” and “Food Network Star.” However, there’s one aspect of modern cooking shows that leaves Lagasse with a sour taste in his mouth.
Keep Competition Out of the Kitchen
In an interview with PEOPLE, Lagasse revealed that he’s not a fan of the dramatic competition featured in cooking reality shows, preferring to focus on teaching.
“I enjoy the television aspect because I like to teach. I’m not interested in competition. I’m interested in getting your attention, taking the intimidation out of that and teaching you how to cook, about ingredients, how to shop, how to pair it with wine,” he said.
Beloved chef Anthony Bourdain shared similar sentiments. In a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread, he stated that while “Top Chef” was his favorite cooking show – and his daughter was a fan of “Chopped” – he had “never thought of cooking as a competitive sport.”
“I have mixed emotions about it. I think a lot of these shows, on one hand, have been good for the industry. On the other hand, they’ve created an entire species of cook, who really doesn’t want to work in a restaurant; they just want to be on TV. And that’s always worrying,” he posted.
Food Network executive Kathleen Finch disageees, telling RealityBlurred, “Our job is not to teach people how to cook. Our job is to make people want to watch television.”
She continued, “When we find a format that works, the viewers tell us through ratings, and then we just keep making more of it.”
Lagasse’s Advice to Home Chefs: “Keep It Simple”
GettyDuring his television career, Lagasse was involved with a wide range of shows on the Food Network. Now, the New Orleans chef is focused on teaching home cooks his skills and passion for cooking.
“I’ve made bolognese sauce probably, I don’t know, about 6,000 times and I’m still trying to perfect it,” he told PEOPLE.
“I’m just trying to pass that knowledge of what I have, and pass that on to make people excited about cooking.”
His advice to home chefs? “Keep it simple. Keep it fresh. Don’t overcomplicate it,” reports PEOPLE.
