Whafts of cajun spice and excited voices drifted through halls of the Daphne civic Center on a late morning in October, when, BAM!, legendary Chef Emeril Lagasse graced the Eastern Shore facility.

 Muffled chatter escaped from backstage as students of Gulf Coast Culinary Institute lined up to get an autograph and handshake from Lagasse.

 As each young adults stepped up to the table, the chef signed his or her book and took a moment to ask about the inspiration behind attending culinary school.

 While nerves abounded, students replied with a smile and a small glimmer in each eye.

 “I want to be an instructor and have my own cookware,” Valerie Harris, a first year student, replied to the chef.

 Another first year student, John Armour, explained himself honestly.

 “I'm retired and I like to eat, plus I want to impress the kids,” he said with a laugh.

 LaShanda Lowe, a sophomore, replied, “Pastry! Desserts all the way. I'm a sweets girl.

 Lagasse let out a chuckle.

 “Well, there's a lot of good opportunity for you out there,” he said.

 Before heading to the stage for his question-and-answer session, he divulged a few tidbits on “Sizzling Skillets and Other One-Pot Wonders”.

 “It's meant to take the intimidation out of cooking—it's not a restaurant book,” he said. “As cooks, we all have one vessel that we really enjoy, and that's the focus of my 'Sizzling Skillets'.”

 “When I write most of the books I write, I write for the home cooks. A restaurant book with 52 ingredients is not really practical for the individual. I'm still keeping in mind that you have to get ingredients and understand the technique.”

 He hopes his book and his advice will also help students, he explained.

 “Be ready to learn and ready to work hard, 16 to 17 hours a day,” he warned. “Go to bed each night knowing you contributed something to society.”

 While guests waited to hear words of wisdom from the culinary genius, their taste-buds were a bit more fortunate.

 The Wash House restaurant in Point Clear prepared some dishes from “Sizzling Skillets” along with their own Key Lime Bread Pudding.

 Guests moved, mesmerized, down the line that lead to Mussels in Green Curry Both, for starters.

 The light yet tangy dish sent many people returning for more.

 The Pork and Red Chile Posole, a Mexican pork and hominy stew, called for bold flavors of garlic, yellow onion, tomato, chiles and oregano.

 A Southern-styled dish, Chicken Pot Pie with a Biscuit Top, warmed guests inside and out as expressions softened with the taste of this version of a popular comfort food.

 Chicken, mushrooms, onions, carrots and celery swam in a creamy sauce and wore herb buttermilk biscuit hats; they delivered smiles while served piping hot.

 Grillades and Stone-Ground Grits took the menu further south to New Orleans where braised beef melts in rich sauce atop the down-home classic starch. The classic Creole dish boasted spices like cayenne pepper, shallot and thyme from between the layers of stringy, tender meat.

 When Lagasse moved to the public portion, his attitude and professionalism became apparent.

 While sound problems plagued the first few minutes, the chef smiled, and suggested moving to the podium. When problems continued, he laughed and moved back to his chair on the stage.

 After technical problems were solved, Food Editor David Holloway of the Mobile Press-Register continued with questions.

 When he asked about the culinary legend's inspirations, Lagasse said that he'd originally wanted to be a musician, but he began working in a Portuguese Bakery and that is where he found his true love.

 “I worked the night shift and I went to school during the day,” he explained, “that's where I learned the art of baking bread.”

 “I turned down a scholarship to music school and I paid to go to cooking school.”

 He cited Julia Child as a mentor and reported his honor to cook for her twice.

 Other influences on his flavor and style came from his open-mindedness, he said.

 “I never disrespected a people or a culture,” he explained. “I'd visit farms to try to get products, I built a relationship with fishermen.”

 He then divulged the inspiration behind his famous saying. He began shooting the show “Essence of Emeril” while still a line station for 13 shifts per week at his restaurant in Las Vegas; then he'd fly to New York to shoot eight shows in a day.

 “Everybody's sleepy,” he said with a shrug. “I look around at camera one, two, three, BAM!, so I can wake everybody up.”