Emeril J. Lagasse III is a chef/restaurant owner of 11 establishments and the author of 19 cookbooks.

He has received accolades for his culinary skills from a variety of sources, including “Chef of the Year” from GQ Magazine and “Restaurateur of the Year” from New Orleans City Business.

Aside from his fame as a chef, the food celebrity serves as an example for his four children, who have all entered the culinary business.

Transferring the Legacy

There are benefits to being a star chef’s child. From an early age, all of Lagasse’s children have worked in the kitchen with him.

This experience has molded their careers as they carve their routes in the culinary industry, in addition to their inherent talent for cooking. It appears that having a talent for cooking is a family trait.

The chef’s first wife Elizabeth Kief gave birth to his two eldest daughters, Jullian Lagasse and Jessi Lagasse Swanson.

He is currently wed to Alden Lovelace, his third wife, with whom he has two children: Meril Lovelace Lagasse, his daughter, and Emeril J. Lagasse IV (EJ).

His son EJ entered the culinary industry as a chef, much like his father, while his daughters Jullian and Jessie began their careers as authors of cookbooks with gluten-free recipes.

Emeril Vs. Emeril

The Lagasse team faced a 5-ingredient cooking challenge while making an appearance as guests on the Rachael Ray Show, where they both had to make different dishes with the same ingredients.

Rachael Ray complimented EJ for his first year of employment as a professional chef in his father’s restaurant as the father-son duo worked on their meals.

When questioned about his approach to cooking, EJ replied that he liked to take traditional recipes and give them a unique twist. EJ’s father also mentioned that his culinary approach was more akin to French cuisine.

It was enjoyable to watch the pair interact and their healthy competitiveness, and the food they served looked delicious.

EJ has been preparing meals with his grandfather for a variety of initiatives, such as the Cayman Islands culinary festival. In addition, he plans to graduate from Johnson & Wales University with a professional degree, and he is eager to start attending culinary school in the fall of 2020.

The young chef continued by saying he was eager to learn new skills and that one of his goals was to inspire the next generation of chefs.