Q&A: Hewlett Couple to Appear on Premiere of Emeril's New Show

Bam!

Marianne and James Vilardi, of Hewlett, recently got an up close and personal cooking lesson with a famous chef — former Food Network star Emeril Lagasse.

The pair, along with some of their family members, will appear on the first episode of Lagasse’s new Hallmark Channel show, “Emeril’s Table,” which premieres on Monday at 11 a.m.

Patch had the chance to speak with Marianne about the experience.

What was it like being on the very first episode of “Emeril’s Table?”
It was very exciting. To actually be part of the show and meet him was a blast. A quick funny story: My brother (a big Emeril fan) … locked himself out of the apartment. His 16-month-old watched it everyday and when we finally got in, the baby somehow managed to put on Emeril.

How did you get the spot as guests on the show?
Our family is a big group of foodies. We heard about it through our cousins and they needed five people for the show, and they asked if we were interested.

What’s Emeril like in person? Is he the same as he appears on TV?
He’s a dynamo. The man is full of energy. He makes everything look easy. Where I take an hour to do something, he does it quickly. I’m in awe of him. I have a new cooking idol. He’s very personable. He’s very down to earth and easy to talk to.

How was cooking with him? What did the food taste like?
The food was excellent. We’re planning a dinner party the following weekend and I’m going to attempt his ravioli recipe. If I can make it half as good as he made it we’ll be in good shape.

Who cooks in your household?
Day to day I do most of the cooking. There are dishes that I consider my specialty. [James] does like to cook. He put himself through college working as a cook. I’m the more creative cook, he’s more literal. He loves getting involved. The more, the merrier.

What lessons did you take away from the show?
I don’t know if it’s skill, but [Emeril] was so relaxed in the kitchen. I always worry, and I walked away from the show saying if I relax a little, I’d enjoy it a little more. [Now,] it’s almost therapeutic.

Are you planning anything special for the premiere of the episode?
I’m going to be at work. We have people taping on their DVRs and we’ll watch it that night. We’ll go to my husband’s cousin in Brooklyn. Since it’s on a Monday, we’ll get together and try to recreate some recipes.

Are you more likely to yell “bam” now?
I yell many other things in the kitchen, especially when my husband is there, but bam is not one of them.

Anything else we should know about the show?
I can tell you that the format is terrific. There’s no audience. It’s just five people who get intimately involved with Emeril. That to me is invaluable. It’s like getting a private cooking lesson from a renowned chef.