Many of my staff have been with me for over 20 years. I have a great team, and I make sure they feel respected and appreciated.

Soups are a great way to introduce a lot of vegetables to kids. Stir-fries, too, because they contain so many different shapes and colors.

I wouldn't ask any of my employees to do anything I wouldn't do. And I work as hard, if not harder than the rest of the staff, to set an example. I also believe in giving my employees a lot of room to be creative and to express themselves.

Spain has some of the richest culinary traditions and truly appreciates food that is simply prepared with top-notch ingredients.

I ended up turning down a full scholarship of music at the conservatory to pay to go to cooking school.

Mom ran the house, so we grew up Portuguese.

I launched The Emeril Lagasse Foundation to provide culinary training, and developmental and educational programs to children in the cities where my restaurants operate. I think everyone has a responsibility to give back to the community if they can, and to help future generations learn new skills.