Iron Chef is playing in Michelle Obama’s garden and we think it’s just swell!

The popular Food Network program has taped a special episode using produce from the White House garden to help promote local and organic food. The episode will also feature Mrs. Obama discussing her crusade to reduce childhood obesity through better school lunches, community gardens, farmers’ markets and exercise.

Mario Batali, perhaps not the most health-conscious man in America, told the New York Times:

“What’s exciting for us is this is the first time I can remember the White House taking an active interest in doing something about diet and health. They understand this kind of P.R.”

He continued, “If we don’t do something about how kids eat soon, it will be simply the largest problem facing this country.”

The show will premiere Jan. 3 on the Food Network, with Cristeta Comerford, the White House executive chef, and Bobby Flay going up against the combined forces of Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse.

Get ready to get your vegetables on!

via: NYTimes.com
photocredit: NYTimes.com

Planet Green is also launching a set of four new short-form series each with diverse subjects. Bea Wildered is an animated series about a New Yorker new to being green who gets educated and then educates those around her in the city. City Shorts explores the movement by the governments of the world’s largest urban centers to make their populations lives greener. Twigsy is also animated and features a woman triying to make some green good in a world that’s not making it easy. The final series, The Elementalists, consists of 90-second interviews with passionate individuals working in a variety of ways to make an impact.

Be sure to check out Planet Green’s brand new shows as well and see what might take your fancy.

Emeril Lagasse’s show Emeril Green is premiering tonight on Planet Green at 8 pm EST! And it’s not just one episode that’s premiering, folks. Planet Green has kicked it up quite a few notches with six episodes slated to premier!

From Planet Green’s site: “On the show, Emeril shares his philosophy for fresh, locally grown foods and inspires consumers by using high-quality produce, seafood and meats to solve their food dilemmas.”

For someone like me, who loves to prattle around in the kitchen and make my family believe I’m the next Food Network Star, you better believe I’ll be watching! You can head on over to Emeril Green page on Planet Green’s website to check out all you need to know about tonight’s episodes!

Now how’s that for kicking it up a notch?

via: TreeHugger

Lindsey is a desperate housewife with a penchant for writing. She’s also a very active Granola Chick and avid blogger.

Though his new show on Planet Green won’t be airing until next month, popular Chef Emeril Lagasse is already making an impression on those looking to become more eco-friendly in the kitchen.

For an upcoming episode, Legasse met with three members of Friends of Oak Grove, Inc. (FOOGI) — a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the health and betterment of the community. The group was looking for a way to ‘green’ up their upcoming block party and the producers thought Emeril would be a great fit.

“We had to shop for all of our ingredients and Emeril created a menu that promoted healthier eating,” said one of the members. “And, during the episode, he held a faux block party for us at the Whole Foods headquarters in Fairfax, Va., and it was just great.”

Besides the food, the chef also gave advice on sustainable supplies — like forks and knives made from corn starch or plates from bamboo. Emphasis was placed on items that could be reused, but also break down quickly once disposed. Since a new law is under consideration in Boston (where the block party will be held) that residents pay $2 additional for every bag of trash they throw away, learning to recycle, reuse, and reduce is being pushed hard. To that end, the producers also taught the organization how to compost a large portion of the leftover scraps and avoid copious amounts of trash.

If you get Planet Green, look for the episode to air sometime this summer. Check out the official site here.

via wicked local

Attention all lucky residents of D.C.! Emeril Lagasse — host of Planet Green’s “Emeril Green” — is looking to help those confused, or even intimidated about how to cook healthy meals for their families. The famous chef wants to get you on the show and get you cooking green! From the article,

“On location at Whole Foods Market, Lagasse works with everyday cooks with real culinary challenges, enlisting the help of the knowledgeable team at Whole Foods Market and other experts to hand pick the best ingredients for every recipe, turning ordinary meals into extraordinary experiences. Faced with questions about quality, cost, taste and even some daunting food dares, Lagasse helps viewers conquer their culinary fears with an open mind and a healthy curiosity.”

According to Emeril, his new series will show how :easy and fun it is to cook with what’s fresh, tasty and in-season and find smart ways to make each day a little greener for you and your family.”

If you think you might need some rescuing — or just want to jam with Emeril in the kitchen, send your name, age, occupation and food dilemma to foodshowcasting@gmail.com

Can you smell what the Discovery Channel is cooking? Adding a new element to their already large array of eco-shows for the upcoming Planet Green network, executives announced this morning that Emeril Lagasse will host a new cooking show called Emeril Green. Prepare yourself for an arsenal of “Bam!” “Shazaam!” “Booya!” and other annoying phrases. From the article,

“Emeril Green will be shot entirely on location in Whole Foods Market stores around the country. “I try a little harder every day to think greener and be respectful of our environment and our resources,” Lagasse said.”

Regardless of how you feel about Emeril, it’s about time we had more cooking shows focused directly on some cool, green meals. I wonder whether he’ll go all out with only vegetarian dishes or go more general to appeal to the masses? I’ll also be curious to see whether the methods of cooking green will be discussed — from energy-efficient appliances to alternatives like solar ovens.

Get that tofu steaming and your apron ready! Emeril Green will debut this July.