Farm to Fork: Cooking Local, Cooking Fresh [Paperback]

Emeril Lagasse (Author)

Book Description

Release date: June 1, 2010

Farm to Fork brings out the “green” in Emeril with recipes that will inspire cooks, new and old, to utilize fresh, organic, and locally-grown ingredients throughout the year. A must have for those interested in the Green and locavore movements, and the legions of Emeril’s own fans!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ignore the labored title and forgive his first sentence, I have had a connection with the soil since I was a young boy. This is simply another of Lagasse's highly competent creations, full of flavorful recipes presented with simplicity and minimal chitchat. The third in a 10-book series ordered up by Harper Studio back in 2008, the celebrity chef this time goes green, with a focus on using fresh, local ingredients. This collection focuses on fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and seafood, with just a little poultry and pork thrown in for good measure. Chapters are broken out as if dividing up a garden. Corn, beans, and squash over here; broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower over there. Leafy greens, root vegetables, and orchard fruits all get their due, with space left for winter fruits and nightshades. Among the 152 offerings, one can dish up lemon-scented blueberry pancakes for breakfast; Emeril's roasted beet salad, along with perhaps an eggplant relish crostini for lunch; and a dinner of, say, creamy turnip soup, braised broccoli rabe, and gumbo with smoked ham and wild rice. Dessert choices include pumpkin custard pie and apricot clafouti. Wash it all down with some watermelon limeade or enjoy a nightcap after the nightshades, like a pink lady apple martini. (June)
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From the Back Cover

In this extraordinary new book, Emeril Lagasse continues his lifelong commitment to using fresh, local ingredients in his restaurants and home kitchen. He has spent the past thirty years building close relationships with farmers, fishermen, and ranchers. Farm to Fork is his guide to help you explore the great local bounty through fifteen flavorful chapters—sweet summer in "The Three Sisters: Corn, Beans, and Squash," juicy "Berries, Figs, and Melons," sublime naturally raised meats in "Out on the Range," fresh catch in "Fresh Off the Dock," and home canning tips from "Home Economics: Preserving the Harvest."

Fill your basket with the ripest ingredients from every season at the markets (or your backyard garden) and dig into delicious recipes such as Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter, Cheesy Creole Tomato Pie, Honey-Brined Pork Chops with Nectarine Chutney, Watermelon Rind Crisp Sweet Pickles, and Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp. Even learn how to make your own cheese and pasta at home. Emeril shares his love for fresh from-the-fields foods—and the heritage of the artisans who bring them to the table.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; 1 edition (June 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061742953
• ISBN-13: 978-0061742958
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.9 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #25,687 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Gardening & Landscape Design > By Technique > Propagation & Cultivation
  • #39 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > Seasonal
  • #50 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Entertaining

More About the Author

Emeril Lagasse is the chef/owner of several critically acclaimed restaurants, including Emeril's Restaurant, NOLA, and Emeril's Delmonico in New Orleans. He also owns and runs Emeril's New Orleans Fish House and Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas, as well as Emeril's Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop in Orlando, Emeril's Miami Beach, and Emeril's Atlanta.

In addition, Emeril Lagasse is the host of Emeril Green on Planet Green and and The Essence of Emeril on the Food Network. His previous cookbooks include Emeril's Potluck; Emeril's There's a Chef in My Family!; From Emeril's Kitchens; Emeril's There's a Chef in My Soup!; Emeril's TV Dinners; and Every Day's a Party.

Emeril Lagasse's enthusiasm for mentoring and teaching young people inspired him to establish The Emeril Lagasse Foundation(R), a nonprofit organization that seeks to mentor, inspire, and enable young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive and creative individuals. The Emeril Lagasse Foundation(R) supports a diverse network of organizations -- including St. Michael Special School for Exceptional Children in New Orleans and the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation(R) -- and will continue to cultivate relationships with organizations that are committed to improving the quality of young people's lives in each of the communities where Emeril's restaurants operate.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Suprisingly Nice August 11, 2010

By AmandaGal VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I have to admit it: I don't like Emeril Lagasse's recipes very much. He's fun to watch, but I've always thought that his food looked disgusting. I've been gifted a few of his cookbooks and I've never made a single recipe. I'm mostly vegetarian and, while he often jokes that he has an oddball vegetarian daughter, his cookbooks don't cater to her.

This cookbook is the exception. I love it. The book is beautiful. It has many gorgeous, full color photos and an attractive and user friendly layout. The recipes give some advice on picking out, substituting or using some of the ingredients. There's even a section on canning and preservation.

The recipes are fresh and simple. He has some unusual vegetables in the book, but also hits on the usuals. I like the unusual ones, because I'm always bringing something home from the farmer's market that I just wanted to try. With a few exceptions, the recipes are very practical and could be made just was easily from stuff found in your local grocery as your local farmer's market (though a few items are seasonal even in the grocery). They also aren't overly complicated to make. Just plain, healthy food.

Also, don't be fooled. Just because he's turned locavore doesn't mean Emeril has traded his pork fat for tofu. The pages do contain slightly healthier foods than I associate Emeril with, but there is plenty of pork (bacon included). I would say much of the book is about prepping vegetables, and therefore mostly vegetarian (some even vegan), but at least 1/4 of it is dedicated to various meats and he even teaches us how to make our own cheese. Who can hate that?

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another outstanding cookbook from Emeril June 8, 2010

By C. Braithwaite

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you are interested in cooking food the majority of your family & guests will like, especially those who are into fresh foods, then this is the book for you. Forget those children who now dominate the so called "Food Networks" who don't teach you a thing about "real" cooking - stick with the chefs with a proven track record like Lagasse. Straightforward, yet creative; accessible, yet adventurous; everything you would expect from someone who wants to help you cook and not just to impress the food snobs. Another winner.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideas for using local produce and even goodies you grow yourself. October 19, 2010

By Craig Matteson HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

I make no bones about being a fan of Emeril Lagasse. The fact is that when I make his recipes the food tastes great. Friends are impressed with the food, and it is fun to make. So, why not? Long live Lagasse!

In this effort, Emeril provides us with an approach to incorporating more local foods, especially vegetables and fruits from local farms or delights you grow yourself, into your meals. While there are some meat and seafood dishes in this collection, most of the focus is on fruits and vegetables of all kinds. While I love eating meat, I appreciate this fresh approach to fresh food.

He begins the book with a section on using herbs you can grow yourself. He shows you how to turn them into herb oils, pesos, mixing them into goat cheese, using them as (rather than just in) a salad, and with peaches or halibut.

The next chapter focuses on milk, eggs, and cheese, which are things we can usually get locally if we look just a bit beyond our grocers dairy case and cheese racks. He uses cheese in scones, in frittatas, and quiche. Emeril has long advocated shirred (baked) eggs. Want to make your own fresh ricotta? He shows you how. How about making your own mozzarella? Yep, it's here. All this and more fun stuff.

The chapter on leafy greens even includes a lettuce soup, an escarole soup, and cooked greens. I think the recipe for Swiss Chard Boules that you stuff with Lemon Barley cooked like a risotto is fun. He also pan fries oysters with a creamy fennel dressing. Yeah, I think it sounds delicious too. I just bought the book, so I haven't tried it yet. There are also a few salad recipes, as well.

Since it is fall now, the section on corn, beans, and squash is particularly appropriate. From Butternut Squash Soup to Tempura Squash Blossoms, to Corn, Tomato, and Lobster Salad. Have fun! The section on Nightshaes implies tomatoes, but also includes peppers.

You can have a lot of fun with the recipes in the berries, figs, and melons chapter. The Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula salad with Watermelon Vinaigrette is a winner. Just a reminder, though, the better the ingredients, especially the feta, the better the salad will be. Don't skimp! I really want to make the blackberry soup for guests. He also takes us out into the orchard to make delights with apples, apricots, nectarines, and pears. He also has a half dozen recipes helping us enjoy fresh Brussels Sprouts, Kohlrabi, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale, and Broccoli Rabe. Enjoy!

He has recipes for thistles, stalks, and pods, roots, shoots, tubers, and bulbs, and winter fruits. If you haven't cooked with celery root (no, it is not the root of our celery plants - it is a something different, but quite wonderful (if very ugly). He also has a chapter on using grains.

There are two chapters on meats. A bunch of seafood recipes, especially shellfish. And a chapter on quail, chicken, turkey, duck, lamb, pork, sausages, and a spectacular one using a 4 bone rib roast.

The last chapter is especially useful for us home cooks who also garden and want to preserve our work for use in the winter. He shows you how to can, pickle, and jam your veggies and fruits. This chapter alone makes the purchase of the book worthwhile.

The recipes are laid out well and the instructions are simple and clear. I think you will find this a practical collection of recipes. The paper and binding are durable and will hold up to real world use. The photos in this book are very nice. Some are of general ingredients while others are of the finished dishes. I prefer the finished dishes so I know what I am aiming for and have serving ideas.

I am glad to have this book and these recipes to try out for my family and friends.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Saline, MI