From teaching us the his go-to trick for a deliciously seared steak to his tips on how to create out-of-this-world grilled peaches, Emeril Lagasse has long been beloved by home cooks. Lagasse first made his way into America’s kitchens on the Food Network in 1997 with his hit show “Emeril Live,” where he taught viewers how to make everything from coq au vin to Southern cooked greens.
Early on in the “Emeril Live” series, Lagasse began exclaiming, “BAM!” at several points throughout the cooking process. Known for his unmatched enthusiasm and passion for Creole cooking, Emeril recently shared the real meaning behind his make-you-jump-out-of-your-chair “BAM!” trademark phrase — which had little to do with food, and everything to do with shouting to wake up a sleepy crew.
Lagasse shared that when he first began shooting Emeril Live, he and his crew would shoot up to eight episodes a day, making for one exhausting hour after another in the studio. In an Instagram post, Lagasse recently shared how “BAM!” got its start. “If you can believe it, we were shooting eight shows a day, at least three or four before we break for lunch,” Lagasse said. “We’d do a show, the food would go on the table, and then the crew — we’d break for lunch — they’d whack the food out, and there would just be nothing left.”
Emeril Lagasse used his trademark BAM! to wake up his sleepy crew
After the crew demolished their lunch, the tables would be gone — but something else was gone too, Lagasse jokingly recalled. “What was left was a lack of brainpower,” Lagasse explained, explaining that his crew was especially sleepy after hours of shooting and a delicious meal. “So, ‘BAM!’ that’s how it came about, it was to kinda wake everybody up.”
Fans of Lagasse’s cooking can keep learning his super-flavorful methods (like how to take a bologna log to the next level with brown sugar) by checking out what he’s up to on the Roku Channel, where he currently hosts “Emeril Cooks.” Roku is also the home of his 2022 show “Emeril Tailgates.” The channel also streams some of Lagasse’s classic food network shows, including “Emeril Live” and “Essence of Emeril.”
Those who want to get a taste of Lagasse’s cooking need to make a trip to New Orleans, where Emeril’s Restaurant has become a culinary destination for many. Rumor has it that Lagasse is seriously stepping up his Creole cooking game in hopes of securing a Michelin star in the coming year.
