Before Remy, he taught me anyone can cook

I had been trying to go to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival for about a month, but every weekend something kept me from it.

I put it off until the very last day, and as it got closer I was getting pretty excited. I studied the list of international food and wine offerings (field research for the blog, if you will) and marked all of the things I would indulge in. Part of the reason I wanted to go is because I had a park ticket that would expire at the end of the year, and we all know how I feel about wasting things.

There were few things that would have kept me from going that last day. One of them was Emeril Lagasse.

So what's with this obsession with Emeril, and several other celebrity chefs for that matter?

I guess it's sentimental.

I wrote in my inaugural blog post about how when I first set out on my own and moved to Florida I didn't have many friends and had to adjust to being an adult in my new surroundings. I missed my family and friends, and put a great deal of pressure on myself to succeed in the workplace. Pressure that caused incredible stress and anxiety.

At those times when I felt lonely or down I found solace in the kitchen.

But I never would have ended up there if it wasn't for personalities like Rachael Ray and Emeril. They inspired me into this world where an hour chopping vegetables is better than any other therapy. They taught me to cook, and helped me realize the satisfaction that comes with making a good meal for yourself or to share with others. Food brings people comfort, and over the years has helped connect me with some of the people I am now closest with.

They will probably never know, but their recipes helped me through some of the toughest times at work and in life. They helped me survive the hardest stories. I think it's even fair to give them credit for helping me get through the three consuming and stressful years spent working on the teacher abuse project, which hopefully some good came of. Them and my friends and family : )

They taught me how to manage my stress so I could keep going.

Not to mention, Emeril's food is amazing.

These were the kinds of things going through my mind, and yes I think there were even tears starting to well in my eyes, as I walked up to the table to see Emeril.

But how do you say all that to someone you don't even know without sounding like a mentally unstable stalker?

So I didn't say much at all. The whole experience was somewhat blurred by my excitement and nervousness. I do think I told him he is my culinary hero, and he kind of smiled.

For some reason, at least I'd like to think, he knew what I was thinking. Just like I hope my stories might make a difference in someone's life, or the barista at Starbucks takes satisfaction in pouring the perfect shot that helps get a doctor or teacher going in the morning, I think Emeril probably realizes the impact of his cooking.

So that's why I dropped everything I was doing to make two trips to Brandon to meet the guy.

Now, I just have to figure out what to do with that Disney ticket with a looming expiration. Perhaps I will have to go back to see Chef Remy.

Death of the gourmet foodie?

We pulled into the parking lot just 40 minutes before the book store would open to start handing out tickets.

My stomach twisted in knots the closer we got to the mall, expecting to find hundreds of people who camped out overnight to see my favorite culinary super star. If Bobby Flay could draw a line of over 500, Emeril must bring at least 1,000.

But as we pulled into the lot it became clear there were no more than 40 people standing outside the Books a Million, a relatively few loyal fans who showed up early to ensure a spot for the book signing.

Where were all the foodies?

The scant crowd became the talk among our small group as we waited for the store to open. Maybe the event wasn't well publicized. Maybe Emeril has lost popularity since Food Network dropped his show a few years ago.

Maybe most people - even the most hardcore foodies - just aren't that into cooking.

I love Emeril for so many reasons, not the least of which is that his food is amazing, all packed with bold and daring flavors that just perfectly meld together into incredibly sensuous culinary masterpieces. I've tried a number of his recipes - jambalaya, several gumbos, moussaka, ropa vieja, banana cream pie - and they were all amazing. But a word to the wise: Many will take you hours. Not a feat for the busy, broke or faint-hearted.

Emeril is one of the very best, and many of his recipes are intricate and precise, requiring a keen attention to detail.

But let's face it. How many people will stand there frying dozens of pieces of potato and eggplant just to get the base layers for your moussaka? Or stand by the counter blending a banana cream pie filling (or spend hundreds of dollars on the standing mixer)? Some of these gourmet recipes cost close to $100 to make, and after all we have been going through a recession.

This debate of gourmet versus Rachael Ray has been swirling around the food world this past month with the closure of the nation's oldest food publication. Gourmet magazine was one of the latest casualties of the advertising issues that are plaguing the whole print media industry. Its parent company decided it wasn't profitable to keep it going, especially when it stood in competition to its other food magazine, Bon Apetit.

Foodies all over the Internet have painted the two magazines as rivals in a sophistication versus superficial kind of battle. I've read both magazines over the years, and enjoyed them both. Although I will say I don't think anything jumped off the pages of Gourmet and commanded me to cook it. For whatever reason, it always made me want to sit back on the patio with a glass of wine and casually flip through its pages, not get into the kitchen. The most memorable article I ever read was an investigative piece on the chicken industry.

Something about Bon Apetit made me want to cook. Maybe it was snazzier pictures, or a more engaging layout. Maybe it was the monthly features about restaurants or new kitchen gadgets I found entertaining.

I can kind of understand why Gourmet went out of business. Maybe the recipes weren't any tougher. But there's a lot to be said for perception.

If there's any indication where demand in the food industry lies, just look at the shift in programming on the Food Network. Emeril and Mario Batali are long gone, replaced by home cooks that specialize in fast meals, cheap meals or those requiring minimal ingredients.

Call it the Rachael Ray phenomenon.

But at the same time, I'm not one to knock fast and easy, especially for people who don't know their way around the kitchen. I wasn't born into the cooking world with the skills to put together complex recipes. When I started cooking I pulled most of my recipes from Rachael Ray cookbooks and magazines. They were easy and undaunting, and wouldn't break my bank account with the grocery bill.

I moved up from there, and now I often have dinner parties with elaborate meals courtesy of From Emeril's Kitchen, the cookbook of his restaurant.

As much as many people will knock Rachael Ray - and the scores of people who have followed - there is a reason people like her. Call it lazy, but most people today want easy. They are pressed for time and money. There's a reason many people in this country are more inclined to pull up to a McDonald's then pull out a cookbook.

Even with the simplicity Rachael's style has brought to the food world, I recently saw an interview with Food Network officials who said it's not enough. They acknowledged that while the station has succeeded in drawing people in for entertainment purposes, it needs to find some way to inspire people to get into the kitchen.

Emeril's newest cookbook is called 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast and gives home cooks instructions for preparing home cooked meals in that respective time period.

I'm sure some of the stuffier foodies will say he is a sell out, or dumbing his food down to make money or compete with other rising stars. But hey, don't we all? The whole world is changing. It's your choice if you want to come along.

As far as Emeril goes, I think it's great his new book might make him more accessible to the masses. His food is great and everyone should try it, even those who might not have hours of time or $100 to put toward making dinner.

Those few loyal hard core home cooks among us, we'll still have From Emeril's Kitchen as an option.

Lambapalooza

So it's been brought to my attention that part of the solution to my lamb angst may have been in the check out aisle at Publix.

This month's Saveur had extensive coverage of cooking with Lamb, including recipes from all over the world and tips on how to de-bone it.

If you are interested, check out this super sweet hyperlink I just figured how to add to my blog.

And by the way, I'm on round two of the lamb stew. The re-up is always tastier than the first time around. And man this stew really has a kick to it. It didn't SEEM like that much cayenne pepper...