New Caesars show channels the inner Emeril in all of us
Oct, 27-2009 5:23 pm
By SUZANNE MARINO
Staff Writer
ATLANTIC CITY — Food can be almost as much fun to watch as it is to eat.
Whether it’s learning the fundamentals of how our favorite foods are made or watching eclectic chefs fight the clock and harsh judges to blend a basket of ingredients into a full dining experience, when food is on we are tuned in.
No one knows that better than Emeril Lagasse who has been coming into our homes via the Food Network for a decade, bringing us great ideas kicked up a notch.
Caesars Atlantic City is trying something very different that allows the “foodie” in all of us to celebrate cooking with its “Taste of Emeril” interactive show, running now through Nov. 12.
The blend of food, competition, trivia and off-the-cuff comments comes together for a fast and entertaining 75 minutes.
The host for the evening was Marc Summers of “Unwrapped” and “Double Dare” fame. He was accompanied by guest chef Ralph Pagano, a recent competitor from “Hell’s Kitchen” on the Food Network.
The Circus Maximus Theater stage is transformed into two dueling kitchens where two teams of three, chosen from the audience, compete for prizes and the right to be the “Taste of Emeril” champion cook for the day.
Lagasse makes several “guest appearances” via a big screen, talking about food, New Orleans and congratulating the winners on stage. Although he is not there in person, his signature “Bam!” definitely is.
The first round had six competitors, all local folks having some fun in the kitchen. Their first task was to break an egg and whip up some meringue.
While the contestants are busy following directions from Pagano, he and Summers exchange comments and friendly jokes that have the audience laughing and cheering for their favorite cook.
How do you know if the meringue is stiff enough? Pagano will hold it over your head to see if it drips.
The most proficient contestants move on to the next round while the recently eliminated collect a prize and head back to their seats.
Between rounds of cooking comes kitchen and cooking trivia for prizes. Hands were waving in the air as Summers picked audience members to answer questions for a chance to win “Taste of Emeril” aprons and baseball caps.
In the next rounds were cold soup, risotto and finally lemon meringue pie for dessert, the latter using Emeril recipes. Peppermint schnapps and lemoncello liquor were part of the ingredients, which spawned a funny exchange between Pagano, Summers and one of the guest chefs who decided the liquor made better beverages than ingredients.
The winning chef that night received a number of Emeril products including spices, a cookbook, and dinner for four at Mia’s Restaurant inside Caesars. Everyone was treated to Emeril’s lemon meringue after the show.
Erland Chau, a teacher at Mainland Regional High School, member of the Northfield Board of Education and self-acclaimed foodie, won the first night of the show on Oct. 21.
“I had a great time and if I looked like I was having fun it is because I really enjoyed myself,” Chau said. “That was so much fun and I could not believe how the time went.”
For his culinary caper that night, he took home a cappuccino machine, which he loves.
Tickets for the “Taste of Emeril” show are $35 each. Those purchasing on Ticketmaster can access a buy-one-get-one free offer by entering the promotional code TASTE.
The shows are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday through Nov. 12. See www.ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-745-3000.
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