Emeril Lagasse Isn't A Big Fan Of This Popular Type Of Food Network Show

Do the words "cooking show" inspire visions of "dump and stir" food education? Or of sweaty, stressed-out challengers sprinting around a kitchen on a time clock? In much of popular modern culinary programming, contestants compete in challenges before a panel of judges. But, while the premise might be entertaining, it's a far cry from O.G. cooking shows, like Julia Child's "The French Chef," in which the host broke down culinary recipes and techniques for home audiences. Indeed, much of the Food Network's contemporary programming feels more akin to reality television — and Emeril Lagasse isn't super into it.

In an interview with PEOPLE last November, the chef shared that he prefers to focus on teaching over dramatic competition. "What you see is what you get. I am what I am," Lagasse tells the outlet. "I enjoy the television aspect because I like to teach. I'm not interested in competition. I'm interested in getting your attention, taking the intimidation out of that and teaching you how to cook, about ingredients, how to shop, how to pair it with wine." It's not that Lagasse's shows are necessarily placid (his signature catchphrase, after all, is a staccato exclamation of "BAM!"). But, the pace and tone of his now-retired shows were certainly far off from the network's contemporary violent, Michael-Bay-film-esque titles like "Chef Grudge Match," "Chopped," and "Bobby's Triple Threat." Fellow celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain shared a similar criticism of cooking competition shows for perpetuating drama over helping epicures hone their craft.

Food Network's programming has heavily leaned toward intense cook-offs since the cancellation of "Emeril Live!" in 2007. The show helped put Food Network on the map, and in 1998, "Emeril Live!" was its highest-rated program. But, by the 2010s, the network was transitioning away from education. As Food Network executive Kathleen Finch told Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred in 2018, "Our job is not to teach people how to cook. Our job is to make people want to watch television [...] When we find a format that works, the viewers tell us through ratings, and then we just keep making more of it."

Over his career, Lagasse has hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network. In the years since his hosting heyday, the chef has sporadically appeared on several of these cooking competition shows as a judge; Lagasse was a guest judge in five seasons of "Top Chef," two seasons of "Top Chef Jr," the finale of season 2 of "Food Network Star" in 2006, and season 5 episode 8 of "Food Network Star Miami VIP" in 2009. Nowadays, his chief focus is teaching home cooks how to make better food, pomp and circumstance notwithstanding. "I've made bolognese sauce probably, I don't know, 6,000 times and I'm still trying to perfect it," Lagasse tells PEOPLE. "I'm just trying to pass that knowledge of what I have, and pass that on to make people excited about cooking" (BAM!).