Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0688163785, Hardcover)

Contrary to what the title may suggest, this is not a cookbook for the meals that come packaged in those nifty foil trays for your convenience. Emeril's TV Dinners is another stellar cookbook from master chef and television star Emeril Lagasse. This is the man who succeeded legendary chef Paul Prudhomme in New Orleans and then took the rest of the food world by storm. His rise has included a few award-winning cookbooks, including Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking, Louisiana Real and Rustic, and Emeril's Creole Christmas. At the same time as Lagasse was turning out terrific food at his restaurants and recipes in his cookbooks, he was hosting the widely acclaimed Emeril Live and The Essence of Emeril on the TV Food Network. And that is what Emeril's TV Dinners is all about--150 of Emeril's favorite recipes from his award-winning shows. But this cookbook isn't simply a revisit to some old television shows; this is vintage Emeril--great recipes from one of America's best chefs. Like all of his books and shows, the most refreshing thing about Emeril's TV Dinners is the approach. As he is fond of saying, we aren't building any rocket ships, we're cooking--plain and simple, and he's an expert at making great food easy and fun. His enthusiasm is infectious. You can almost taste Pecan Crusted Mozzarella with Baby Greens, Rock Shrimp Stuffed Flounder, or Emeril's Potato Truffle Charlotte. If you didn't see the shows, Emeril's TV Dinners offers another chance to find out why Emeril is still one of the best chefs in America today. --Mark O. Howerton