Published June 26. 2018 12:00AM
Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse kicked off the ninth annual Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Festival June 1 with a cooking demo at the Sands Bethlehem Hotel and Casino. He and fellow chef Chris Wilson prepared and served samples of chicken and andouille gumbo and Hawaiian-style Poke to the audience.
The demonstration ended with an announcement of the winners of Northampton Community College’s mystery basket culinary competition held in mid-May. Winners received a full scholarship to attend Lagasse’s externship at one of his New Orleans restaurants.
Lagasse is passionate about passing on the secrets and art of cooking to culinary students and is dedicated to cultivating new talent. Many graduates from NCC’s culinary program work in his restaurants.
Chef Emeril Lagasse tells his audience that lids are a critical piece of cooking equipment. “When you buy a 10-piece cookware set, and it comes with seven pots and three lids, do you feel ripped off? Why three lids?” he asked. “Because the lid is a critical cooking tool. If you put the lid on, you stop evaporation and braise the meat, which cooks and tenderizes it. You remove the lid – you get
