Chef Emeril Lagasse Proudly Supports Gulf Coast Seafood During Gulf Coast Seafood & Tourism Bash

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- New Orleans restaurateur Chef Emeril Lagasse and his New Orleans area restaurants are proudly participating in the Gulf Coast Seafood & Tourism Bash sponsored by BP - a two-week celebration of Gulf Coast seafood and tourism tied to New Orleans hosting the Allstate Sugar Bowl and Allstate BCS National Championship. 

Lagasse, an avid Gulf fisherman, has been cooking up several Gulf seafood inspired tailgating recipes with players and sports enthusiasts this week and will continue to in the coming pre-game action around the BCS National Championship on Monday, Jan. 9.

From Saffron-Chili Dusted Jumbo Shrimp to Truffled Gulf Shrimp "Louis" and Etouffee of Daily Market Gulf Fish, Gulf seafood remains a top selling dish at Lagasse's restaurants. On Thursday, Jan. 5 his three New Orleans restaurants: Emeril's, NOLA & Emeril's Delmonico – began kicking up their daily specials to celebrate the Gulf's abundant seafood offerings. The specials will run through Sunday, Jan. 15 and feature Gulf white shrimp, Louisiana oysters, swordfish, mahi mahi and lemon fish, blue crabs and fresh local crabmeat. Last month alone Lagasse's three New Orleans restaurants served 2,600 pounds of barbecue shrimp made with fresh Louisiana shrimp, and over 1,000 pounds of drum.

"I'm proud to be a part of this effort to continue to raise awareness about New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast as we host two major college football games, not to mention a New Orleans Saints playoff game," said Chef Emeril Lagasse. "When you choose Gulf Coast seafood you're supporting the traditions, lifestyles and rich food culture that we all know and love. Gulf seafood has always been a cornerstone of my restaurants' menus and a big part of my recreational life. It's a great time to celebrate this beautiful region."

In addition to the 140,000 people with tickets to the games, it is estimated that another 150,000 fans will come to New Orleans to cheer on their teams, while millions more will watch the games on television.

The Bash includes Gulf Coast seafood at official Allstate Sugar Bowl and Allstate BCS National Championship galas and pregame parties; promotional announcements during the games; vacation giveaways to Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana; seafood samplings for fans and media in New Orleans, and more.

Follow along with Gulf Coast Seafood and Tourism Bash presented by BP activities and updates on Twitter with #gonegulfing and at www.gulfcst2012.com. 

For all things Emeril, including recipes, news, restaurant info and more, please visit emerils.com.

About Emeril Lagasse:

Chef Emeril Lagasse is the chef/proprietor of 12 award-winning restaurants including three in New Orleans (Emeril's, NOLA and Emeril's Delmonico); four in Las Vegas (Emeril's New Orleans Fish House, Delmonico Steakhouse, Table 10 and Lagasse's Stadium); two in Orlando (Emeril's Orlando and Emeril's Tchoup Chop); and three in Bethlehem, Pa. (Emeril's Chop House, Burgers And More by Emeril and Emeril's Italian Table). His newest restaurant, e2 emeril's eatery, will open in Charlotte, NC early this year. He is a national TV personality who has hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network. He is also the food correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America in addition to his popular TV food shows Emeril Live and The Originals with Emeril, both airing on Cooking Channel. In September, he launched his latest program, Emeril's Table, on Hallmark Channel. In November, Emeril joined "Top Chef Texas" – season nine of Bravo's hit food series Top Chef, as the show's newest chef and restaurateur at judges table. A best-selling author, Emeril's creative approach to Creole cuisine is best summarized as "new" New Orleans cooking, also the title of his first cookbook. Fifteen more cookbooks have followed, including his most recent book Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders. In 2002, Emeril established the Emeril Lagasse Foundation to support children's art and educational programs that inspire and mentor young people. To date, the Foundation has given over $5 million to children's causes. Lagasse's restaurant company, Emeril's Homebase, is located in New Orleans and houses culinary operations, a test kitchen for recipe development and a boutique storefront for his signature products.

SOURCE BP