Essential Emeril ─ Favorite Recipes and Hard-Won Wisdom from a Life in the Kitchen

Emeril Lagasse is a culinary legend. One of the original Food Network stars, he has hosted numerous television shows, opened 13 restaurants, and become one of the most beloved personalities in the industry today, inspiring millions of fans with his great passion for food.

In Essential Emeril, the iconic chef goes back to basics, presenting more than 130 recipes that defined his award-winning career, each tested and perfected for today's home cook. Dishes such as Crab and Corn Fritters with Fresh Corn Mayo, Roasted Portuguese Pork Loin With Potatoes and Homemade Pimenta Moida, and White Chocolate Bread Pudding With Toasted Macadamia Caramel Sauce reflect a lifetime of lessons in technique, showcasing the big flavor for which he is known and his continued evolution in the kitchen. Emeril is at the reader's elbow throughout, offering valuable tips and step-by-step photo tutorials to ensure flawless results.

Fans will delight in Emeril's anecdotes revealing the inspiration behind each recipe, with appearances from A-list names - Mario Batali, Roy Choi, and Nobu Matsuhira, to name a few - alongside family members and early influences such as Julia Child and Charlie Trotter.

Gorgeously photographed and imbued with his signature warmth, Essential Emeril is Emeril's most personal cookbook yet, offering an intimate portrait of a chef at the top of his game.

Emeril Lagasse is the chef-proprietor of 12 restaurants across the country. He has received numerous Best Restaurant, Best Chef, and Best Service awards, and in 2013 received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the James Beard Foundation for his work through the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, which supports children's educational programs. The author of 18 cookbooks, his phenomenally successful Food Network show Emeril Live! launched a new era in culinary TV. In 2014, Lagasse participated in his third consecutive season as a main guest chef on Bravo's hit food series, "Top Chef," and joined TNT as co-host for their cooking series, On the Menu. Most recently, "Emeril's Florida" entered its third season in January 2015 on the Cooking Channel. Born and raised in Fall River, Massachusetts, he is a graduate of Johnson & Wales.