I was born in a little town about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans and was raised on Creole food, so this particular genre of cuisine will always have a special place in my heart. Most people confuse our native cuisine with the “Cajun-style” blackened seafood made popular by Chef Paul Prudhomme, but as I noted in my book, creole style food is something much different. While the ingredients in Cajun and Creole dishes are similar, there are distinct differences between the two. For the most part, Creole represents a blend of Spanish, American, African, German, and Italian people who settled in Southern Louisiana. The Cajuns, on the other hand, are descendants of the French-speaking Acadians settled in southwest Louisiana and lived in the difficult terrain of swamps and bayous. They had to fight to survive and the Cajun farmers, fishermen, and hunters learned how to live off this exotic land. That necessity inspired Cajun cooking, which can make a great meal out of whatever they forged from the swamps.

I believe it´s important to understand this distinction to appreciate the eclectic style of Chef Emeril’s cooking. His "New New Orleans" cuisine is actually more authentic than most people realize. While he has integrated new flavors from Southwestern and Asian cooking, Louisiana´s Creole genre has always been about fusing together a wide variety of cultural influences. The food at Emeril’s is both unique and flavorful, and I love the way he builds a dish where everything on the plate compliments each other. Another, and equally important aspect of every one of his restaurants that I have visited is the consistently high level of service he delivers. But what impresses me most about Chef Emeril is the team that he has built around him. Great Chefs know how to develop and mentor great sous chefs, and Chef Emeril is one of the best in the industry at growing a great culinary team. This is one restaurant that I consistently recommend to any of my foodie friends who visit Orlando.

Saturday - June 9, 2012