February 28th

Tuesday February 28th

Mardis Gras is here! This year’s celebration is a bit muted because of the catastrophic effects Hurricanes Katrina and Rita had on the city of New Orleans last summer. There was a party in the French Quarter, but not the lively one that is usually held. (My regret is never having gone there to see one in person. I will someday.) When I think of New Orleans, I think of food. (Gumbo, jambalaya, muffelata, beignets, etc.) When I think of food from that region, I think of one man, Emeril Lagasse, who ran two successful restaurants in the “Big Easy.” (One of the best meals I ever had in my life was at Emeril’s Orlando restaurant.) I’m thinking of Emeril, and so I’m sending him a note to wish him well.

This is also Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday on the Christian calendar. Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season, where sacrifice and fasting are the norm. In the Catholic faith, consuming any type of meat or meat by product is forbidden on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent. It became a custom that Catholics had to get rid of all the perishable items that couldn’t be consumed during Lent, so on Shrove Tuesday they had big feasts, and one of the main dishes was pancakes. (Creatively using the milk, butter and eggs that would have gone bad.) In many circles, including my home, Shrove Tuesday is now called, “Pancake Tuesday” and that’s what we eat for dinner. This year, the International House of Pancakes (more commonly known as “IHOP”) capitalized on the notion of “Pancake Tuesday” and ran a promotion where pancakes were free all day, and money that the customers would have spent on the pancakes was donated to children’s charities. I thought this was a terrific way to celebrate, so my wife and I brought our kids to the local IHOP and had a blast. It was incredibly packed for a Tuesday night, and if the restaurant I was in is any indication, the charities did very well because of IHOP’s generosity. I’m contacting the CEO of IHOP to thank her for the promotion.

Emeril Lagasse

Emeril Lagasse is a celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and writer. He is of French Canadian and Portuguese ancestry. Emeril is most well-known for his TV show Emeril Live on the Food Network, one of its highest-rated programs. Lagasse joined Food Network in 1993 with one of its first shows, How to Boil Water. After several appearances on several other FoodTV programs, he hosted his own show, The Essence of Emeril. He is known for his light and jovial hosting style as well as several catchphrases, including "BAM!", "Kick it up a notch", "Feel the love", and "Oh yeah, babe", usually said before or after adding something spicy to a dish, or after the reaction to adding something (respectively). Lagasse initially gained fame in the culinary world after opening his first restaurant, Emeril's Restaurant, in New Orleans. He has written several best-selling cookbooks, from “Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking“, his first book which was published in 1993, to “From Emeril's Kitchen“, published in 2003.

Julia A. Stewart

Julia Stewart, a 34-year veteran of the foodservice industry, serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Director of IHOP Corp. Prior to joining IHOP Corp. in December 2001, Ms. Stewart served as President of the domestic division of Applebee's International, Inc. Prior to joining Applebee's, Ms. Stewart held several key executive positions with Taco Bell Corporation. Named one of Top Fifty Women in foodservice by Nation's Restaurant News, Ms. Stewart has also held leadership positions within the foodservice industry including past president and founding member of the Women's Foodservice Forum, Executive Board Member of the California Restaurant Association, and President of the National Restaurant Association's Marketing Executives Group. Ms. Stewart is also the recipient of prestigious industry awards including the Silver Plate, Golden Chain, and the Commitment to People award.