Capital infusions : Last week, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation announced it was awarding $125,000 in “community impact” grants to help finance culinary education and summer camp programs.

Cafe Reconcile was among the grant recipients. The Central City cafe, which helps at-risk youth acquire skills in the restaurant business, received $25,000.

Also, the Willie Mae’s rebuilding project received $30,000 from the James Beard Foundation.

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Times-Picayune

Quick Bites
Friday, June 23, 2006
Brett Anderson
Restaurant writer

Brett Anderson writes about restaurants. He can be reached at banderson@timespicayune.com or at (504) 826-3353.

Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Emeril Lagasse will make Hill and McGraw’s time in New Orleans even more special on July fifth, when they host a special invitation-only luncheon at Emeril’s Restaurant.

Lagasse will cook up his signature New Orleans dishes for 120 guests, and the net proceeds from the event will go to the Neighbors Keeper Foundation and the Emeril Lagasse Foundation.

Both help charities with hurricane recovery and the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast region.

They’re calling the luncheon Feed The Soul, and attendees will also receive V-I-P passes to the acoustic pre-show party and V-I-P seats to that evening’s sold-out Soul2Soul Two Tour at the New Orleans Arena.
That performance also is benefiting the Gulf Coast region.

EMERIL LAGASSE FOUNDATION’S “CARNIVALE DU VIN” RAISES $1.4 MILLION TO BENEFIT CHILDREN IN NEW ORLEANS

Michael McDonald Performs New Orleans Tribute with Sammy Hagar and Emeril Lagasse

LAS VEGAS, NV (November 29, 2005) – Carnivale du Vin, a culinary event and fundraiser for the Emeril Lagasse Foundation raised $1.4 million dollars to benefit children in the New Orleans area whose lives were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The evening featured a musical performance by Michael McDonald who performed a song that he wrote as a special tribute to New Orleans, especially for the evening’s performance, for which he was joined on stage by Sammy Hagar on guitar and vocals and Emeril Lagasse on percussion. Musician Jimmy Buffett was also on hand to lend his support, while Andre Agassi auctioned off a private tennis lesson with himself and wife Stefi Graf during the evening’s live auction. Over 600 guests attended the inaugural event which took place on Saturday, October 29, 2005 at Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
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‘Kidz Kitchen’ Hosted by Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Alton Brown and Giada De Laurentiis

MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ — It’s never too early to learn the art and science of cooking. And leave it to Food Network’s Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Alton Brown and Giada De Laurentiis to make the experience a fun one for kids. The exuberant celebrity chefs and culinary personalities all credit Mom for piquing their culinary interests — and now they aim to do the same for your child. The South Beach Wine & Food Festival in 2006 debuts this new series of Kidz Cooking demonstrations. The idea is to give youngsters an opportunity to take part in the Festival in a fun and educational way. The chance to learn some basic recipes from some big-name cooks could even pay huge dividends later on.

“Kidz Kitchen might well be an early launching pad for youngsters who eventually wish to parlay their love of cooking into their own restaurant or catering businesses,” says Joseph J. West, dean of the Florida International University School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “We’ll be waiting for these budding young chefs at FIU, where we’ll give them the management training and hone their business skills to enter any of a variety of hospitality and tourism jobs. No parent should ever underestimate the power of early cooking experiences to inspire greatness down the road.” The Kidz Kitchen series offers four individual demonstration sessions, all of which will take place at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival Grand Tasting Village.

“We are so excited about the launch of our Kidz Kitchen seminars,” says Lee Brian Schrager, founder and director of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. “After receiving countless requests from parents to bring their children to see their favorite Food Network hosts in action, we are delighted to now offer them the opportunity at Kidz Kitchen. This could very well be the breaking ground for the next Emeril Lagasse or Rachael Ray.” Another potential pay-off of encouraging children to cook: Parents just might wind up with some extra help in the kitchen.

Saturday February, 25, 2006
11:00 AM, Cooking with Emeril Lagasse (followed by book signing at 11:45 AM
1:30 PM, Cooking with Rachael Ray (followed by book signing at 2:15 PM)

Sunday February, 26, 2006
11:00 AM, Cooking with Alton Brown (followed by book signing at 11:45 AM)
1:30 PM, Cooking with Giada De Laurentiis (followed by book signing at 2:15 PM

“Kidz Kitchen” will take place at the Grand Tasting Village, Ocean Drive and 13th St., Miami Beach, and is targeted to children between the ages of 5- 16 (children must be accompanied by an adult and adults must be accompanied by a child).

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival is set to take place February 24-26, 2006. Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and Florida International University (FIU), the festival benefits the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center both located at FIU.

For a complete listing of events, additional information, and to purchase tickets, please visit the festival website http://www.sobewineandfoodfest.com or call (877) 762-3933. Website: http://www.sobewineandfoodfest.com/

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GLORIA ESTEFAN, QUEEN LATIFAH & EMERIL LAGASSE JOIN TOGETHER FOR “MIAMI ROCKS FOR RELIEF” BENEFITING HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS

Miami Beach, FL (September 21, 2005) Ocean Drive magazine, CBS 4-WFOR , Estefan Enterprises, Emeril’s Miami Beach, The Insider, The Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Clear Channel Radio Broadcasting and Sports Talk 790 THE TICKET are teaming up for “MIAMI ROCKS FOR RELIEF,” in effort to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The event will be held on September 30th, 2005 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on the beach in a tented area. Gloria Estefan and Queen Latifah will both be performing at the star-studded benefit, additional artists still to be confirmed. The evening will also include guest appearances by A-list celebrities and athletes, and will feature HBO’s Entourage star Adrian Grenier.

The Insider’s Host Pat O’Brien will act as the event’s emcee and The Insider will be broadcasting its Friday show from the Loews Miami Beach Hotel, featuring exclusive interviews and rehearsals with the artists. Prior to the evening’s blockbuster concert, which includes a special performance by rock band, The Honey Brothers, Chef Emeril Lagasse, New Orleans’ most famous restaurateur and celebrity Chef Norman Van Aken will co-host a VIP sit-down dinner. The elegant meal will include performances by a top jazz band and concert guests will be treated to Emeril’s famous gumbo, both as an ode to the New Orleans’ spirit and people. The event will also feature a live and silent auction, premiere performance seating and a private after party.

Money raised from “MIAMI ROCKS FOR RELIEF” will go to, CBS 4 ’s Neighbors 4 Neighbors, The Emeril Lagasse Employee Disaster Relief Fund, MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund and The American Red Cross.

Supporting the event are top-level sponsors Southern Wine & Spirits, Logistics Management Group, Swank Audio/Visuals, Miami Executive Aviation and The Hit Factory Criteria -Miami.

General admission tickets are available now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster for $250.00 at www.ticketmaster.com . VIP tables can be purchased by contacting Jill Martin at 305.639.4552 or jmartinmiamirock@aol.com.

Press Contact:
Lauren Reitman: 305.532.2544 x 1255 laurenicole@oceandrive.com

Laura Mejia: 305.695.7053 LMejia@estefan.com
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Emeril Makes Over The Children’s Storefront School in Harlem Read more »

New York Daily News
March 25, 2005

A newly renovated school cafeteria - Bam!
Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse stopped in at a Harlem school yesterday to tell pizza-eating students he is going to soup up their cafeteria as part of a cable television contest.

“Not only did you win, you won me, too,” Lagasse told kids at the Children’s Storefront School on E.129th St.

“We aren’t just going to kick it up, we are going to kick it up a big notch,” Lagasse vowed.

The independent, tuition-free school entered the Food Network’s “All-Star Kitchen Makeover” contest, in which celebrity chefs, including Bobby Flay and Lagasse, overhaul old kitchens. The Children’s Storefront is the first school to win.

“This is the greatest moment of my life,” said fourth-grader Olivia Thompson, a star-struck 9-year-old.

Over the next month, Lagasse and his helpers will install a new oven and refrigerator and bring in fans and warming ovens, school officials said. The renovated kitchen should be completed by April 22.

“Our kitchen is pretty old and run-down,” said Kathy Egmont, head of Children’s Storefront, where 170 students are enrolled in prekindergarten through eighth grade. “We will be able to cook more food more quickly and have a better variety of lunches,” she said.

The school is housed in what used to be a single-family home and has been dishing out lunch from a basement cafeteria for 39 years.

Students seemed to care little yesterday about the type of food the new cafeteria would serve. Many just wanted to know what color the walls would be painted.

“I think they should paint it red - Bam! - and blue,” Olivia said.

Kathleen Lucadamo

BAM! CHEF EMERIL LAGASSE JOINS “SHINE MIAMI” WEEKEND LINEUP
Black-tie Gala, Golf and Fishing Tournaments Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation January 30-31
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