Emeril Lagasse's BAM meals

[GlorifiedRice]

Apparently Emeril Lagasse has been bitten by the licensing bug.

Emeril is allowing his name and likeness to be placed on CANNED PASTA MEALS

FOR KIDS! Think Chef Boyardee and Franco-American!

According to the website Emerils BAM MEALS are:

BAM MEALS are great tasting, good for you, fun meals in a minute made special for kids by Chef Emeril Lagasse. Put a smile on your face and your children’s when you watch them devour the New Emeril BAM MEALS. Emeril cares about you and your children and wants to do what’s right for both of you. No MSG, 25 percent less Sodium than the leading brand and whole lot of other goodness plus all Chef Emeril’s love and caring make these meals really special and great tasting for the whole family.

Why Emeril? Why?

http://bammeals.com/

Edited July 27, 2010 by heidih
Delete copyrighted image (log)

[Alex]

Because Auguste Gusteau is his hero.

[lancastermike]

Ripping Mr. Lagasse seems to be a requirement to be an EG member. Mr. Lagasse has been very successful in creating "Emeril" as a brand. He has established and run successful restaurants. Has published many books. And wait for this one, had an extremely successful career on TV, on yes, the horrid Food Network, that we all know is an insult to cooking as we approve of it.

If extending that brand to this product is a decision he and his people have reached I say why not? I know no self-respecting EG member would ever consider serving canned ravioli to their kids. But their may be some less enlightened folks on the planet who do not have time to make and roll their own pasta, fill it and cut it to shape and prepare a sauce from home grown organic vegetables. If his product truly is better than others on the market I say why not?

So lets rip Lagasse. Frankly, I think he should be saluted for creating a brand that can be extended in the general market.

Perhaps I am too plebeian and uneducated to have developed the required animus towards Mr. Lagasse that seems to be required around here. To me, he is a highly successful chef and businessman. And for that, I think he should be congratulated, not ripped. If he is too low brow for you tastes, please ignore him

[DaleJ]

And he provides jobs for a couple of thousand people.

[IndyRob]

Hmmm, several thoughts...

I don't mind anyone selling out if they can. But it does affect the brand, so I hope it was a big check - I think this could prove to be Emeril's shark jump.

But I guess Ettore Boiardi didn't do so bad for himself.

Holy crap! One can of Chef Boy-ar-dee ravioli has 96% of one's daily sodium needs. A can of Emeril's only has 56%.

I'm now waiting to see Emeril's guest judge appearance on Top Chef's canned food elimination challenge.

Oh yeah, and for me, the image associated with "BAM!" now includes an inverted can of ravioli.

Edited July 26, 2010 by IndyRob (log)

[Lindacakes]

Oh, I think we hate Rachel Ray more.

If Emeril comes up with a tasty can of crawfish etouffee, I'll open it.

[sdkittycats]

I'm with you lancastermike - I loved Emeril in his early days....he was a novelty. Remember there was a time when seemingly everyone loved Dr. Phil? I will be honest and say I don't watch him unless it's on the Green Network now, it's kind of a back-to-basics show.

You are completely correct in your point that he is a marketing machine. Any of the celeb chefs are, truly: Batali, Colicchio, Ramsay, Oliver and countless others. That's how they make money. Padma Lakshmi think's she's a chef/cook when she's more a model, but she's branded herself and she's making money. There are very few Marco Pierre Whites out there! Don't hate on him, he is a brand manager now and he's a heck of a lot wealthier than I will ever be.

[Moopheus]

To me, he is a highly successful chef and businessman. And for that, I think he should be congratulated, not ripped. If he is too low brow for you tastes, please ignore him

Yes, he's successful, but so what? Being a successful businessman and making a profit doesn't render one beyond reproach. It is not a shield for legitimate criticism. Just ask Lloyd "Doing God's Work" Blankfein.

Rip away, folks.

[Alex]

Ripping Mr. Lagasse seems to be a requirement to be an EG member. Mr. Lagasse has been very successful in creating "Emeril" as a brand. He has established and run successful restaurants. Has published many books. And wait for this one, had an extremely successful career on TV, on yes, the horrid Food Network, that we all know is an insult to cooking as we approve of it.

....

Perhaps I am too plebeian and uneducated to have developed the required animus towards Mr. Lagasse that seems to be required around here. To me, he is a highly successful chef and businessman. And for that, I think he should be congratulated, not ripped. If he is too low brow for you tastes, please ignore him

A little less sarcasm and a little more proof, please. You and I started posting on eG about the same time, but I don't perceive the same global animus toward the man that you do. From what I recall and from what I see via a quick search (and from the small sample now on this thread), the comments are within shouting distance of balanced.

For an interesting and somewhat related (and long) forum, here's the one about Rick Bayless and Burger King, mostly from 2004.

[KathyP]

I really don't have a 'beef' with Lagasse. I do take note of that can label, though. "Real beef." As opposed to what? Horsemeat, tofu?

[prasantrin]

@GlorifiedRice--How did you feel about Ferran Adria's line of Lay's potato chips? Surely Adria earned just as much disgust and disappointment from you as Emeril has. And if not, why not?

And let's not forget Adria's cookbook which makes use of convenience foods like supermarket rotisserie chicken and uses potato chips to make Spanish tortilla. Does that cookbook make him any less great a chef than he is? Does it bring him lower in the average eG reader's eyes?

(FWIW, I really couldn't care less, but it seems so many people here do.)

[heidih]

I just skimmed the nutritional information and it appears that the only thing "better" is the lower sodium, no MSG, and no high fructose corn syrup. The overall calories and fat are the same as the leading brands they comp on the site, and sadly the Bam meals seem to have a little less fiber.

Nutritional information aside, I think Emeril is dynamic. Kid food is hugely about marketing. If eating a Bam meal versus another brand is possibly going to get kids to want to watch Emeril and (stretch maybe) want to watch his shows and try to cook then I can see a possible long term kid benefit.

Anyone up for a side by side taste test?

[Florida]

This isn't Emeril. Well, at least not directly.

Emeril sold his marketing rights to Martha Stewart's Omnimedia back in 2008. http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/02/19/martha-stewart-living-omnimedia-set-to-buy-emeril-empire/

Emeril no longer has control over any of these products. Martha Stewart could put his face on a box of condoms if she so wanted. He only owns his restaurants.

If you want to blast someone, blast Martha Stewart.

[Porthos]

Thanks for that bit of info on marketing rights.

[djbeers]

That is also a fairly old photo of Emeril on the pasta can. He sure doesn't look like that these days. Omnimedia no doubt using whatever images were sold to them.

[Moopheus]

If eating a Bam meal versus another brand is possibly going to get kids to want to watch Emeril and (stretch maybe) want to watch his shows and try to cook then I can see a possible long term kid benefit.

Or not. I mean, most kids won't even know if he's a real person. When you were a kid, did you know that Chef Boyardee was based on a real person? Duncan Hines? Did you even think about it? Admittedly, those guys were long gone when I was a kid and Emeril is still on TV a fair amount, but I think for a lot of kids he'll be as real as Betty Crocker or Martha Stewart.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

I guess I'm not a self-respecting egullet member.

My almost 13 year old actually likes Chef Boyardee ravioli. This is the same child was eating sashimi and chunks of parmesean at a preschooler. It's nice to know that there's a lower sodium option out there for him.

[Kouign Aman]

Dunno about the canned stuff, but Emeril's cookbook for kids is quite functional.

It has real recipes for real food. The for-kids part was in choosing dishes kids tend to enjoy,

with recipes within their grasp.