FARM TO FORK by EMERIL LAGASSE: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
FARM TO FORK
Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh
BY EMERIL LAGASSE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Farm to Fork brings out the “green” in Emeril with recipes that will inspire cooks, new and old, to utilize fresh, organic, and locally-grown ingredients throughout the year. A must have for those interested in the Green and locavore movements, and the legions of Emeril’s own fans!

In this extraordinary new book, Emeril Lagasse continues his lifelong commitment to using fresh, local ingredients in his restaurants and home kitchen. He has spent the past thirty years building close relationships with farmers, fishermen, and ranchers. Farm to Fork is his guide to help you explore the great local bounty through fifteen flavorful chapters—sweet summer in "The Three Sisters: Corn, Beans, and Squash," juicy "Berries, Figs, and Melons," sublime naturally raised meats in "Out on the Range," fresh catch in "Fresh Off the Dock," and home canning tips from "Home Economics: Preserving the Harvest."

Fill your basket with the ripest ingredients from every season at the markets (or your backyard garden) and dig into delicious recipes such as Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter, Cheesy Creole Tomato Pie, Honey-Brined Pork Chops with Nectarine Chutney, Watermelon Rind Crisp Sweet Pickles, and Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp. Even learn how to make your own cheese and pasta at home. Emeril shares his love for fresh from-the-fields foods—and the heritage of the artisans who bring them to the table.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 10 restaurants, including three in New Orleans, Louisiana (Emeril’s, NOLA, and Emeril’s Delmonico); three in Las Vegas, Nevada (Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse, and Table 10); two in Orlando, Florida (Emeril’s Orlando and Tchoup Chop); one in Miami, Florida (Emeril’s Miami Beach), and one in Gulfport, Mississippi (Emeril’s Gulf Coast Fish House).

Lagasse is a national TV personality, has hosted over 1,500 shows on the Food Network, and is the food correspondent for ABC’s Good Morning America. He is the host of Emeril Green, a new series exploring fresh and seasonal ingredients on Discovery Communications’ Planet Green, an eco-lifestyle network. His show, Essence of Emeril, can be seen on Food Network, and Emeril Live appears on both the Fine Living network and Food Network.

Lagasse is the bestselling author of 12 cookbooks including, Emeril’s New New Orleans Cooking, which introduced his creative take on Creole cuisine, and Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My World!, a children’s cookbook. In September 2008 Lagasse announced a multiyear, 10-book project with HarperStudio, a new imprint of HarperCollins. The chef’s first book with HarperStudio, Emeril at the Grill, is slated for release on May 5, 2009, in time for Father’s Day. It will be chef’s first book since 2005.

In September 2002 Lagasse established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support and encourage programs creating developmental and educational opportunities for children. As of September 2008, the foundation has contributed over $2.3 million to Gulf Coast organizations.

Lagasse’s corporate office, Emeril’s Homebase, is located in New Orleans and houses restaurant operations, a culinary test kitchen, and a boutique store for his signature products.

In April 2008 Emeril Lagasse joined the Martha Stewart family of brands; MSLO acquired the assets related to Lagasse’s media and merchandising business, including television programming, cookbooks, the emerils.com website, and his licensed kitchen and food products.

MY REVIEW:

Before I review FARM TO FORK, I had to share my favorite Emeril food I have eaten and it was at Delmonico's in Las Vegas in the Venetian Hotel. Of course, known for their steaks, I have to say the entire meal was AMAZING, but the sweet tooth in me would trade my steak for another piece of Emeril's trademark Banana Cream Pie pictured above. I just realized during some research on Emeril for my review that both his restaurants in Orlando near my home feature this dessert so if I leave and this is a very short review, it is because I got in the car to go get some! YUM to the 10th degree!

As for FARM TO FORK, there isn't a cookbook that the "King of Bam" doesn't do a great job on and this is no exception. In the introduction, Emeril discusses his connection to fresh, local food that started when he was a child with his father farming and using all they produced. He has always had that "connection with the soil" and supports local farmers' markets and the slogan "Buy Fresh, Buy Local". His support of urban gardens and students starting to farm at a young age is something he strongly believes in, and is very near and dear to him. In FARM TO FORK, this is the basis for all the wonderful recipes.

FARM TO FORK is divided into 15 sections by kinds of fresh ingredients rather than grouped by kinds of meals. No breakfast, lunch, appetizer but rather sections like the Herb garden and Milk, eggs, and cheese to Berries, figs, melons, and Fresh from the dock. One section called The three sisters: corns, beans and squash may be familiar if you are a fan of Emeril's as he uses the term in a lot of his recipes. This section includes quite a range of dishes from Roasted spaghetti squash with Parmesan curls to Pumpkin Custard Pie.

Home Economics: Preserving the Harvest is the last section of the book and one I found most interesting. I have always wanted to be able to preserve fresh foods and this section not only gave you the recipes, but explained how to preserve them. I can't wait to try Watermelon Rind Fresh Sweet Pickles now that watermelon is so available. There are even pictures to show the pickling part. Of course, photographer Steven Freeman does gorgeous work as he adds his craft to include pictures of many and most of the dishes to prepare. I loved this cookbook because it has the feel of "down home" food but the panache of Emeril's master chef style.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MEGAN AND GOOD PEOPLE
AT HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHING,
I HAVE 3 COPIES OF THIS FABULOUS
COOKBOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT
YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY!

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THIS BOOK DESCRIPTION, AND/OR REVIEW, THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN AND READ THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING ABOUT THE AUTHOR/CHEF, EMERIL LAGASSE, THAT IS FOUND ON HIS WEBSITE HERE. THERE IS SO MUCH TO READ AND LOOK AT..ENJOY!

GIVEAWAY ENDS
6 PM, EST, JULY 19!

GOOD LUCK