More of this Feature • Part 2: Emerilized Pilau  • Part 3: Mississippi Mud Cake

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I'll admit that I approached this book with some skepticism. I've often watched his shows and, as much as I find Emeril entertaining, his recipes seem a bit excessive. This man makes no apologies for the layers of fat and spices that he adds to his dramatic dishes. What I discovered is that there's no reason why he should - the recipes are excellent.

For example, I decided to try a basic recipe - Emeril's Pot Roast - to see how he would "kick it up."  The roast turned out flavorful, tender and blessed with an abundance of rich and fragrant gravy. Next I turned to a more contemporary recipe, the Truffled Corn and Wild Mushroom Fettucine. This proved to be a simple, quick and tasty meal. 

Both of these efforts alleviated my concern that I wouldn't have the time to cook his Emerilized recipes. I found that there were many recipes that could be tossed together easily by any cook who is comfortable with preparing meals from scratch. The instructions are clear and the format is clean. If you're a big fan, you'll love the black and white photos of Emeril in action that are scattered throughout the book.

One of the best parts about the book is that Emeril speaks directly to the reader as he introduces each recipe. Each introduction will give you some kind of insight, whether it's the history behind the dish, suggestions for serving it, or the reason Emeril enjoys it.

The over 150 recipes in this volume are divided into regular and Emeril-type categories. For example, besides your standard chapters including Salads, Pasta and Rice, and Vegetables, you'll find chapters dedicated to Pork Fat and Macho Meats. In the chapter titled Fall River Memories, the chef pays tribute to the recipes from his Portuguese-French Canadian heritage.  Emeril fans will also be happy to discover the section devoted to Emerilisms, recipes that really showcase his personal style.

Bam!

Recipes from Book

Emerilized Pilau

Mississippi Mud Cake

Photo used with permission of publisher.