Food Network to Cease Production of Emeril Lagasse's 'Emeril Live'
NEW YORK — Food Network is kicking Emeril Lagasse down a notch.
The celebrity chef's "Emeril Live," which has been on the air for 10 years, will cease production Dec. 11, Food Network publicist Carrie Welch told The Associated Press.
"However, Emeril is under contract with Food Network," Welch said Tuesday. "We love him, we support him and look forward to a long partnership with him."
Welch wouldn't comment on Lagasse's contract.
Asked why the show was canceled, she told the AP: "The only reason would be that it hit a ton of television milestones and, you know, all good things come to an end."
The Food Network will continue producing Lagasse's "The Essence of Emeril," and he will take part in "specials and other development opportunities in the future," Welch said.
The network will also air reruns of "Emeril Live."
Coffee here we come! After experiences at 2 other places in the Texarkana area we still needed to find some coffee to go with our previous purchases (see prior Feasting on Asphalt - Thanksgiving Editions)...although after having had the bread pudding heat up we greedily ate that right away! Only saving the Kentucky Butter Cake to enjoy with a much-needed coffee fix.
We found out from a local that the coffee shop we were looking for had closed down, and tried to point us to a well known national one, to which we expressed our dismay. She then pointed us to a local place that was pretty popular.
tip*~take a few minutes to research areas you are going thru, you would be surprised the local establishments that know a good web presence can 'grab' a few more customers even if they will never be a chain or franchise but don't miss asking the locals because this is not always the case, if in doubt ASK THE LOCALS~
tip**~one more things since the previous tip reminded me, ask people who work at pizza or food delivery jobs for directions and/or local popular places (once I pulled into a pizza delivery place, hopped out of the car, and asked one of guys taking a smoke break about local hot spots and motel directions, he was SPOT ON/CORRECT and simple for every turn or landmark whether he knew the road names or not~
The Doughnut Cafe & Coffee House is serving up beignets, coffee, and espresso drinks. It was inspired by New Orleans cafes. With a combination of South Louisiana doughnuts and a large variety of the finest roasted and brewed coffee available (ok so I stole a little from their description on the website)...they also take orders online then you can pick them up in the drive-thru. Ironically their French Market Coffee w/Chicory is the actual coffee that is sold by Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans (pronounced Nor'lens or Naw'lins) Louisiana. The (now) typical beignets are a square yeast doughnut highly dusted with powdered sugar (I would ask for a light dusting, or eat outside standing up with the wind blowing away from you coming from behind)... But I would suggest their Blueberry Cake Doughnut made fresh...or whatever they call it, maybe just blueberry doughnut, but it is of the cake texture/variety. Very good!
OH! Almost forgot, free wireless access as well as 2 computers for free customer use...see slide show below.
This is off of the Richmond exit in Texarkana, Insterstate 30. From their website, you can print directions and see the map.
The cafe next door actually turned out to be Cobbler Shoppe Restaurant. And from the picture you see it boasts of Espresso and Cappuccino (and if you can't see that, click to go to the album picture which is much larger).
Directions for this place was in the previous Feasting on Asphalt - Thanksgiving Edition post, its right next to Spices Unlimited.
Ironically, or maybe just humorous we didn't get coffee or cobbler! Once inside we found several options that were more interesting (and we were not ready to eat a regular meal). On the erasable marker board they listed a bread pudding with vanilla sauce that caught both Stephanie's and my eye...so we ordered one to go. And why they were preparing that, heating it up...There was a delicious, moist, and 'good crumb' looking cake on the counter that was calling my name.
I asked one of the ladies what kind it was and she said it was a Kentucky Butter Cake. Oh yeah, give me a piece of that too!
Suspiciously I asked (or was it Stephanie, we often think alike in situations like this) wait a minute, do you make everything yourself or is this 'imported'? Oh no, we make it all ourselves!
In hind site I wish I had took pictures of the cake and bread pudding, DELICIOUS! The vanilla sauce for the bread pudding looked caramel-e but with a definite vanilla taste and appeared to be riddled with vanilla specks like when you scrape a vanilla bean clean after splitting it. The bread pudding itself looked something like this:
But was not as compressed looking as this, notice towards the bottom or the rest of the picture after the top that this bread pudding looks more like a solid? Our bread pudding had more of the 'top' consistency all thru it but still held together for a clean slice...and it was bigger and taller than this one. Ok, I tried to give you a picture.
For the Kentucky Butter Cake I found this recipe from the Allrecipes.com for what I am sure almost exactly covers the taste of what I experienced.
Our cake led you to believe it was made in a big bundt pan and soaked with a brandy or rum icing on the top, bottom, and sides. I know the reason I loved it so much was because it used some of my favorite ingredients; butter, vanilla, and buttermilk. But ours also had the addition of what we believed to be fine ground roasted almonds that you could actually see spotted throughout the cake...almost looked like poppy seeds or cracked peppercorns, but of course I am sure they were not. It looked relatively similar to this one:
Stephanie had viral meningitis (read our other posts to catch up on this) and went back in for an appointment (she was released on the Friday previous from the ER as a patient) to reassess her condition and they request that she not come back to work till the following Monday. If she was not feeling better she would have to come back in for further testing...
That being the case I felt that Stephanie indeed needed more rest and a relaxing environment. Our room that we live in at the IOC at Mercy Ships was quite stuffy and I felt it was time for at least a temporary change. I already had a four day weekend coming because of the Thanksgiving holiday so I loaded Stephanie up in the car and took here for a 'countryside' ride. She had plenty of pillows, medication, and a special neck pillow for our journey.
After researching online for coffee shops I found an interesting place that was called Spices Unlimited that fell under the coffee category even though it was not a cafe or coffee shop. It sold coffee, all kinds of packaged as well as bulk spices...most I had seen before but there were a few surprises. They also had a section in the back called 'The Cellar" or at least thats what I think it was called, it had an extensive collection of equipement, materials, replacement parts, yeast, hops, barley, and other ingredients for the simplest to most sophisticated home-brewer of beer or wine. Very interesting...Although I personally do not care to venture into that region of recipes and what not.
Spices unlimited is located in Texarkana exit 223a off of Interstate 30. That exit deposits you on highway 71 or N. State Line Ave. After about a half mile you should see it on your left. It is in the middle of a couple of other businesses that are attached.
After talking extensively with the Lady who was running it, she also told us that they supplied the coffee, spices, and other supplies for the cafe next door. Actually while we were there the cook from next door came to get a refill of some 'meat seasoning'.
I am not bragging (well maybe I am) but I am a lucky girl. I was 27 when I got married and I truely have found my match. He challenges me to be a better person every day. He prays for me regularly. One of my favorite things about him is that I still have my independace. I don't feel like I have to beg to go ut of town with my girlfriends. He has taught me how to be frugal and how to save for our future. I think while I was single the most important thing to me was to find someone that wanted to do Mercy Ships. Man, I hit the motherload on this one. His desire to serve in Africa is huge and for the right reasons. There are so many reason why he is the best in my opinion, not to mention what woman wouldn't love a chef for a husband. I love that when we travel together we don't eat at chain restaurants and that when I am sick I feel taken care of but not smothered.
He loves me and I know it. Of course we have our challenges ( which he wrote about last month) but so far we are working through them and trying to have much fun as possible in this stage of our lives.
Finally, after 3 long days of thinking it was possible to see my head actaully explode and roll off my neck, my headache is down to just minor pain. Tyrone has been so nice to me. He took me to the ER yesterday. I was so dreading going, because I knew they would do an LP and I was sure everyone I knew at the hospital would see me at my worst. They gave me some Versed (conscious sedation medicine) to knock me out. I was most anxious about what I was going to say while I was visiting the land of the Loopy. And I was afraid who was going to come in the room while they were doing the LP, so I gave the nurse a specific list of people who could come in the room, all others were strictly BANNED!!! As far as I know my wishes were granted. Now I am off work until Wednesday which brings me to 18 more shifts in the ER, then Hasta La Pasta, Sianara, WE ARE OUT OF HERE!!!
I (tyrone) just brought Stephanie home from the hospital. On tuesday Stephanie went to get the 'yellow fever' shot for our travel to Africa. 4 hours later she started getting a headache. It later developed into a burning sensation in her neck, pain, chills, discomfort and a worse headache that was still happening today.
After some tests, IV, and some shots (not necessarily in that order) they took an LP (what is that?) yeah me too, what is that? They take a long (blunt/dull) needle and extract fluid from your spinal cord and run tests with it...and it was decided she indeed has viral meningitis, and yes its contagious. So I would ask that you pray that she will start feeling better and heal. Usually its just a waiting game.
I don't think I will get it because I have already been immunized for it a few years ago. I am a walking immunization having had all known medical shots for traveling and disease. (not sure if that is something to brag about or not?)
Thanks in advance for your prayers...we probably won't see you Sunday, we'll probably be lying around watching chic flics and feeding Stephanie ice cream to make her feel better.
Our wedding anniversary was more about having fun and enjoying time together and it just so happens travel and food play a big part of it. I posted several pictures in small form in the other parts of this 'post' series that link to my Picasso Web Album which I would encourage you to look at all the other pictures. They range from the river walk...
To the AT&T building (accessible from either exit 19a or 19b in Shreveport not to far from the Eldorado's or Sam's Town Hotel) which has large murals painted on its sides...
Leaving Shreveport Louisiana on Tuesday the 6th of November I decided that I was not quite done with our little adventure and because you usually get kicked out of your hotel room about 11am or noon I asked Stephanie if she wanted to stretch our normal less than 2-hour drive back to East Texas into a little extended trip running thru Longview, Mineola, Grand Saline, and Van Texas on the way 'home'. Sure, ok...but let's eat some of those yummy rolls from Ralph and Kacoo's because I am starving!
Mineola - we took a nice little stroll around town and tried to visit two places, the La Waffaleta (which was closed) and the East Texas Burger Company where the inside was old country style nostalgia of pictures and papers of a bygone era with frames over booths of napkins signed with personalized 'thank you's' and notes over the years of their existence. The menu was painted on chalkboards mounted high on the walls to make it easy for you to order at the register (and then they brought it out to you, sometimes the cook would even bring it out to you himself!). Here we enjoyed some sweet potato pies and Stephanie had to restrain herself from ordering the Peanut Butter Pie. Eating just a little at every stop sometimes doesn't really allow you to get hungry and we don't like eating till were miserable.
Grand Saline - couldn't really find anything that caught our eye, a Sonic, a Bodacious BBQ...nothing really of note. Not saying there isn't anything, just we didn't know about it or see it while traveling thru. What they are known for is salt, salt mines, a tiny salt museum made out of salt bricks/blocks (?). Later while leaving and on the outskirts of town, I found a Morton Salt factory/mine (what do you call it?). Hopefully, I can later go back and get a tour, note to self.
Van - good ole Van Texas! Home of the Dinner Bell & Hubcap Burgers! And Stephanie swears the pies are excellent as well. We have ate here before but we just stopped in so Stephanie could get a slice of pie and I could take a picture of the Restaurant and the Mural on the side of the wall. Inside is like a big box, the ceiling is tight fit sheetrock/drywall decor with dots of dark-colored screws that are holding them up...everything else seems to be that light country-style wood color and grain. A small plate dispatch rectangle hole (framed in the same wood) where all your dishes come out of the kitchen and a possible 50+ seating arrangement that may find yourself seated with folks you don't know during lunch and dinner. They have all kinds of stuff on the menu, including a Philly-style sandwich made of chicken (which Stephanie got last time), a Hubcap Burger (about as round as your head), waffles, BLT (I can recommend this for the bacon crispness and good taste), Mexican breakfast burrito's, or was it omelet?...anyways quite a diverse menu. Not a good choice for multiple eats before a cholesterol check at the doctor's but tasty all the same.
After a nice 'corporate' lunch in Shreveport and 2 movies at the cinema (yes 2 in a row, that the kind of crazy wild stuff we do when we have the time!)...we rolled on down to Bossier city just looking at the cluster of buildings close to each exit ramp to see what looked like it was Restaurant populated.
We found a spot that looked like the usual, but with a few hometown 'favorite' places thrown in for good measure. If a local restaurant can survive between the corporate and franchise outlets then it's a good sign the locals keep it alive because really, besides crazies like us who do you know that eats mom & pop while traveling without worrying about the repercussions on their stomachs? Yep, everyone wants to play it safe.
We decided on a seafood place called 'Ralph & Kacoos' only later did I find out they have several restaurants in Louisiana and Texas, but otherwise it's a 'local' regional place. It was good. Although I felt our waiter memorized the 'special' without really comprehending what he was saying. How is that you say? I had some kind of special called tilapia voodoo or vise versa, and I asked him to blacken my fish (which he said was a choice during the mundane rundown of a memorized specials list in his head, but unfortunately, that was the only special) only he responded that the special only comes one way and that is wasn't blackened? Ok.
The dish tasted fabulous and the bread rolls were outstanding, kinda like a lighter yeast roll with a buttery garlic parmesan like topping. Delicious. Stephanie had a shrimp plate (with several different preparations of shrimp, broiled, grilled, fried...) but Stephanie also has a food allergy to beef and beef products that include soup base and stock. You may ask, 'what does that have to do with shrimp?!' EXACTLY!!! That's what I was wondering...unbeknown to me (or, I did not know) that their version (because I know a few versions, but not like this) of cajun rice has small hamburger pieces in it! What?
Anyway, our meal was delicious and they promptly removed the rice and cooked more shrimp to replace all the ones that were touching the rice (yes, the allergy is that bad...she had stomach problems from the small spoonful she had before realizing what was in it).
We readily agreed for more rolls when asked then packed about 4 of them away to take them back to the hotel refrigerator to put right alongside the other food. Our 'banquet of leftovers' was looking pretty good for getting back on the road the next day (which would be Nov 6th).
Ralph & Kacoos has apparently won the following awards:
2006-2007 AWARDS: 'BEST OF...' LUFKIN, BATON ROUGE, NEW ORLEANS, AND BOSSIER CITY 'BEST BANQUET FACILITY' 'BEST STEAK'- LUFKIN 'BRIDE'S FAVORITE'- BATON ROUGE
Although it's not apparent (at the website) exactly WHO awarded them? Interesting. And what kind of award is Bride's Favorite? What's the criteria?
Click on the picture or link under the picture to be able to see all the pictures in the album on Picasso...over 100+ pictures.
Gary and I made everything from scratch (as we usually always do) and there was not a crumb left. We were told to prepare for about 150 and we prepared for 200. Everyone that was supposed to eat did, and sometimes twice and a little for the road!
We had fun, it was a great time. Menu:
Grilled Chicken Salad Sandwiches on Focaccia bread
Marinated & Grilled Sliced Flank Steak Sandwiches made w/soft homemade roll
Red Skin Potato Salad
Chili
Fresh Baked Cookies
Each sandwich individually wrapped and stored in coolers. Potato salad was in 4 inch hotel pans kept in cooling box. Chili was stored in two 10 Gallon coolers used as warmers (does the same whether insulating hot or cold items, same as boxes for storing hotel pan food in). Hot chocolate in a 5 gallon cooler with valve, 10 gallons of coffee in thermal drink containers, and individual bottled water iced down in cooler.
All chili and drinks (besides water) were still scalding hot after the almost 3 hour trip down.
Just a little tip for any of you who are supplying the dinner for Sunday service in the future...there getting tired of soup.
Just a quick blurb to let you know we (Gary and I) signed up (months ago) to supply the food for the 'dinner' at Church Under the Bridge in Waco Texas along with members of Gary's Sunday School class at CCF (church right next to Mercy Ships IOC) and I will be posting pictures ( as soon as I can devise the best way to do that and have time ) shortly along with the menu we used (which held well for the 3 hours it takes to get there) with no cooking facilities on-site, we where literally under a bridge!!! Under I-35 and S. 4th & 5th streets.
It would be easiest (and best) to go to their website to understand what CUB is...but in my paraphrase, it is this:
Church for the poor, unwanted, homeless, addicts, misfits, mentally challenged, physically challenged, outsiders, outcasts, normal people (if there is such a thing), the curious, middle and upper-class people who are ready for a change and venture outside of their own comfort zones to see what life they are missing, and people who are tired of 'church' as they know it...it is, in essence, an unpretentious, non-denominational experiment in love. As Jimmy Dorrell said yesterday at the service, a laboratory of love.
I felt it was only fair that I call this part 1.5 because this episode does not consist of Feeding on Asphalt eating. Although I wish it had, it did not. How about a few pointers?
You may have asked, 'why didn't you go to Dallas?'...been there, did that, quite a few day trips in the last year and a half. Some mandatory some not. And great hotel rooms were horrendous in price. What you need to think about is the area in Shreveport. Bustling city with many a casino and gambling.
We don't particularly care for the Casino's but you can get a great room at a nice hotel for a cheap price because the establishment can afford to make it cheap, they are making money hand over fist with the gambling. Our room was probably twice to three times more expensive in Dallas for the equivalent of what we got in Shreveport.
(a little side note just in case you want to take your dollar and play a penny machine 'just one time for the fun of it' remember Shreveport doesn't have those smoking rules...so if you don't like stuffy, club-like atmospheres...or your a former smoker I would suggest you forgo your 'just for fun one time' trial period)
Unless you want 'all you can eat greasy home style food' or not-so-international International Buffet I would not suggest eating in the actual hotel. We had about 4 or 5 options in the hotel that broke down as follows:
Coffee Place - ok for coffee but not quite equipped as you would think, pastries were good but they failed to change out the crusty displays of everything they sold...so I was actually scared they were going to pull one of the pastries from the glass display case and try to give it to me. Seriously these were baked goods that had been in the window at least 3 days that I know of...not sure they were even changed when I left.
Some kind of restaurant that tried to be a blend of Applebees, Ruby Tuesday's, and TGIF all rolled in one with a cajun injection on the menu to boot. Usually you don't want your cajun food from a national chain, and you don't want your national chain from a local cajun place...personal opinion is - make it one or the other. But food wise it was the usual.
Of course there was the 'International Buffet' that I spoke of previously...in addition to what I said above about 'all you can eat greasy home style food or not-so-international International Buffet' I would like to add that I really can't seem to stuff more than 1 plate (or even a half) of greasy food down my throat at a sitting so I couldn't even attempt to eat enough to make it worth the price $16 a person. Sadly we tried. Overcooked, gravied up, watered down...
Expensive Restaurant with a wine list that won 2 prior awards...but I suspect it was an award in the casino-restaurant-wine-selection category which probably only runs in casino classifications. But at any rate after looking at the menu and the prices and having prior experience with the others...just couldn't take that chance. I like to cook with wine and occasionally drink a glass but most places I go to I drink water, no lemon. Because I just want something to cleanse the palate between bites or eating especially when trying new places...I like to play the "Critic at Large or the ingredient-technique-flavor-guessing-game" with my food. Sometimes I get real good and detect a recipe change in menu items that I eat frequently at certain places so you know they had to substitute an ingredient in a pinch.
Room Service? Didn't see the use...they want you out of the rooms gambling. And to pay extra for all that I already saw just to have it delivered to the room? No thank you!
Now, all that being said...I don't think this would hold true for the 'BIG BOYS' in Las Vegas. Actually I would hope it would be quite the opposite with all the big names they moved out there. I know down in Biloxi (Mississippi) their is an excellent buffet at the Beau Rivage that my good friend Bill took me to, and we took our time grazing for about 3 hours...hey! It takes time to crack them Alaskan King Crab Legs open!
This was just my (and my wifes) opinion of the food choices at the Hotel, but I still recommend the great rooms at these low prices. (use Expedia or something like that to review them and get the best price). We were close to the River Walk which is a nice place of outlet stores and restaurants with a big movie cinema as well (where we saw 2 good movies!). So there were better food choices for the same price like Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro...which eerily reminded you of what it would look like if Copeland mashed together one of its seafood restaurants with a cheesecake factory, funny huh?
It had good food and it was enough to carry leftovers back to the hotel to put in our refrigerator but it didn't really meet the Feeding on Asphalt criteria did it?
On Sunday the 4th we ventured out on celebrating our wedding anniversary (which was on the 5th). What happened became a version of Feeding on Asphalt meets the Newlyweds...or something of that nature. I being a career cook (or chef if you will) and my wife being a Registered Nurse are very adventuresome in general but also with food exploits.
Our criteria had nothing to do with food per se, Stephanie had 2 days off from work and we didn't want to drive very far to enjoy ourselves. Which left us with Louisiana, which you know can be a food destination of its own caliber.
But right away we never got out of Texas for the first installment of our feeding on asphalt wedding anniversary!
East Texas, Interstate 20, exit 635 will have a few fast food options and a Jim's BBQ & Catfish (locally owned and operated). Big (pizza hut style) cups of sweet tea or soda's, huge heaping helpings of food, and a very 'wanting to serve you' attitude...
Can't say we ever got to the pie or desserts (maybe we should have gotten one to go) but our appetite was bordering on 'no lunch' but to late to get stuffed before supper. We had a fried catfish sandwich and split some spicy curly fries. Catfish was breaded and fried with a big crunch but light in texture and color, moist and juicy inside and the fries were delicious...personal adjustments to the sandwich was hotsauce, but thats to be expected with us.
Menu was great and we got to look at several other peoples heaping plates of fried catfish or bbq...drool factor was in 'full effect'.
Things were looking good and we haven't even got to the destination yet!
There was a large chess tournament held at a hotel, and after the first few games, some of the players gathered in the lobby to talk quite loudly amongst themselves about their various victories. They would boast about their brilliant strategies, sharp tactics, cunning endgame play, each trying to brag of a more impressive victory than the others.
After a while, the manager of the hotel came over and asked them to disperse. “You’re disturbing the other guests”, he told them. The group of chess players seemed unhappy about this, but they left the lobby to find a more private area to continue their conversation.
Once they were gone, one of the other hotel employees asked the manager, “Why did you ask them to leave the lobby? None of the other guests have complained.”
The manager replied, “I just can’t stand chess nuts boasting in an open foyer!”
A few things that would be good to understand about recipes:
I personally don’t buy any recipe books unless it is a very unique one. Most recipe/cookbooks are given to me as gifts. Today’s world has just about any recipe or technique at your finger tips thru the internet. I usually buy magazine, technique, how-to, and/or culinary text/educational books.
I have learned many ways of cooking or preparing food just by working with or beside others. Most of my recipes are in my head. and I modify them to the available manpower, ingredients, storage, cooking times, and proper handling that is available. From there I can tweak them and create different tastes, textures, colors, flavors and combinations. I can however produce them (recipes) in bulk format to be written down for others in the galley.
Usually we (I) make it a practice (in the Galley) to not take anyones recipes for several reasons, but here are a few I can think of right now.
Usually smaller recipes are not translated well for larger groups of people.
Multiplying does NOT always work when using smaller recipes.
Lack of or different ingredients.
And, no matter how hard we try, its probably not going to taste like you remember it.
General suggestions -however- do help. Because they stimulate the ‘how to’ process of what exactly we may be able to cook with what we have…and if its feasible for time and preparation.
Below is a widget that display some recipes from allrecipes.com . I chose this for those of you who would like to see some good and ever expanding recipe collections that even I use in the kitchen. Allrecipes.com is not the fancy Michelin 3 star or NYC 4 star rated restaurant food (although I would say some of their recipes probably taste better)…BUT everyday ‘Good Stuff’!
In addition to that allrecipes.com tells how many star rating it is out of 5 stars, and it tells you how many people voted on it. For example I want the simplest, best tasting, pumpkin pie recipe there is on the site. One recipe has 5 stars but only 2 people voted on it, so I go to the next one that has 4.5 stars but 67 people say it was good. I would pick that one. Then to take it a step further, if 3 recipes had about the same rating and people voting…then I would pick the one with the least and easiest ingredients to get and the simplest instructions to put the dish together.
Also, allrecipes.com has user reviews for the recipes so even though you see a 5 star recipe voted by 200 people they may still tell you it was a little bland and to add some hot sauce. So then if you have time, you see if it was an overall consensus that it was bland and then adjust accordingly.
If that wasn’t enough, allrecipes.com has a US and Metric scaling and conversion calculator for making those small recipes feed hundreds of people. So simple, so easy…But yes, you still need to know how to cook.
If you really want to take it a little deeper, Cooks Illustrated (.com) is like the online consumer report magazine for cooks but that will cost you a yearly subscription for access to their site and there is so much more than the magazine at your fingertips.
