Emeril John Lagassé III was born October 15, 1959, in Fall River, Massachusetts, to a French-Canadian family from Quebec. He is a regional James Beard Award winner, known for his mastery of Creole and Cajun cuisine and his self-developed "New New Orleans" style. He has appeared on a wide variety of cooking TV shows, including the long running Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril.