Emeril's New Book: Farm to Fork

Well, Martha has done it again. (Yes, THAT Martha.) After "acquiring" all that is Emeril Lagasse, she has molded him into a whole new guy. I had begun to notice the change on The Martha Show. When Emeril came on to cook, there were no "BAM's." No screams from the audience when he announced he was adding garlic. And a merciful break from having to make everything (dessert included) Creole.

Clearly, this transformation has translated to the page. Lagasse's newest tome Farm to Fork: Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh needs to go on your Amazon wish list. From the bucolic photo of Emeril on the front cover to the looping green font in the table of contents, this seems about as far away from Emeril as it can be. And yet, truthfully, it isn't. The stories Emeril tells in the introduction about his "connection with the soil" and his relatives take him back to his roots. And I like them.

The recipes are interesting. Some that I've marked to try include: Tomato Tartare and Micro Greens with Shallot Vinaigrette, Charred Chayote Soup with Adobo Shrimp, Green Onion Spoonbread and Turnip and Radish Slaw with Jumbo Lump Crabmeat and Chive Oil.

And there's still plenty of the old Emeril (or at least his ingredients) to celebrate; you can still find oysters, corn, bacon and a few things destined for the deep fryer.

Congrats, Emeril. Let Martha keep steering you in this new (old?) direction and I'll keep on buying your stuff.