Celeb Chef Emeril Lagasse Heads Back To QVC

Old news, but here is QVC’s press release Tuesday as celeb chef Emeril Lagasse coming back to QVC after a long stint on HSN.

BAM!

EMERIL LAGASSE RETURNS TO QVC TO “KICK IT UP A NOTCH” ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16
Renowned Chef to Showcase Kitchenware Collection through the Multimedia Retailer

WEST CHESTER, Pa. (October 15, 2013) – Emeril Lagasse brings the spice of New Orleans to QVC with his high-quality kitchenware, food and cutlery products. The star chef, restaurateur, TV personality and best-selling cookbook author is scheduled to return to the multimedia retailer to showcase the collection on Wednesday, Oct. 16 beginning at midnight with shows throughout the day including 10 AM (ET), 1 PM (ET) and 5 PM (ET).

Lagasse will heat things up at QVC with his collection during the “Emeril’s Kitchen” broadcast as he showcases the culinary vision which gained him worldwide fame. His line features an eclectic assortment of culinary tools that are perfect for home chefs, including cookware sets, a cast iron pizza pan, a master cutlery set and even a deep fryer.

Designed to reflect Lagasse’s signature culinary expertise, each piece in the line embodies an innovative yet practical style that is created with professional-quality materials. Ranging from $20 to $100, the collection includes cookware by All-Clad, kitchen appliances by T-Fal, cutlery, cookbooks and more.

‘Iron Chef’ Judge Donatella Arpaia Replaces Emeril On HSN

HSN didn’t take long to find a younger replacement for celeb chef Emeril Lagasse.

The home shopping network Wednesday said that Donatella Arpaia — “Iron Chef” judge, restaurateur, author and “culinary personality” — was doing a kitchen and culinary collection. It debuts Monday and will include stoneware, table linens and Italian food items.

This news came a day after QVC announced the Lagasse, who has been on HSN for years, was coming comng over to the No. 1 home shopping channel.

Donatella Arpaia

The HSN hype is as follows:

Named by Zagat as the “Hostess with the Mostess,” Donatella Arpaia has a reputation of fusing Italian tradition with modern, glamorous style. Her new collection brings added sparkle to the kitchen with a chic home pizza oven and luxurious rhinestone stoneware including platters, ceramic dishes and ramekins.

Additionally, Donatella has taken the guess work out of traditional Italian cooking with her authentic Italian food offerings, featuring a variety of fresh pasta sauces, flavorful pizza crust mixes and her award-winning meatballs. With food preparation and presentation already made easy, the collection is completed with sets of cotton placemats and napkins on tear off rolls.

“Donatella Arpaia is a perfect addition to our lineup of award-winning chefs,” HSN Chief Merchandising Officer Anne Martin-Vachon said in a canned statement. “She is not only a well respected culinary personality with a tremendous story to tell, but also an icon of style and glamour, which comes through in this beautiful new line. We are thrilled to be introducing her first ever kitchen collection at HSN.”

Prices will range from $24.95 – $129.95 and will be available on HSN.com following Arpaia’s HSN appearance Monday.

Celeb Chef Emeril Lagasse Defects From HSN To QVC

Holy crow!

Celeb chef Emeril Lagasse has defected, from HSN to QVC!!!!

The No. 1 home shopping network announced Wednesday that Lagasse “returning” to it. We don’t remember him ever being on QVC, just HSN, but there you go.

The press release said that Lagasse will be showcasing his line of professional kitchenware, food and cutlery products.

Emeril Lagasse

Lagasse, of Food Network and restaurant fame, will have a QVC collection that includes cookware sets, a cast iron pizza pan, a master cutlery set and a deep fryer.

“Designed to reflect Lagasse’s signature culinary expertise, each piece in his line embodies an innovative yet practical style and includes cookware by All-Clad, kitchen appliances by T-Fal and more,” according to QVC.

“While Emeril’s star appeal is great for QVC, what attracted us most about offering this signature line is his genuine passion for cooking and his desire to create innovative, high-quality products,” QVC vice president of merchandising Ken O’Brien said in a canned statement. “The variety of pieces in his line is sure to appeal to self-proclaimed ‘foodies,’ as well as the occasional home cook.”

“No stranger to QVC,” the network said, Lagasse previously appeared on air in 2002 with a cookware set.

More than a decade later, he’s scheduled to return Oct. 16 during the “Emeril’s Kitchen” broadcast with additional shows scheduled for December, January, February and well into the spring.

“I’m thrilled to rejoin the QVC family and bring my kitchen collection into the homes of the QVC shopper,” Lagasse (or a PR person)) said. “QVC’s dedication to cooking and to the home chefs through food-related programming allows me to have a direct platform to the type of customer that I know will enjoy my cookware and products.”

App This, App That: HSN To Offer Emeril On iPhone, iPod Cooking Dash App

Those social-media junkies at HSN have teamed up with PlayFirst on an update to the Cooking Dash App for iPhone and iPod touch that adds what we are told is “a unique new restaurant venue” called “HSN Cooks with Emeril.”

Say what?

This app will feature Big Easy chef Emeril Lagasse cooking and serving some of his favorite dishes.

The new venue showcases an Emeril avatar and allows players to interact with virtual representations from Emeril’s top-selling Emerilware cookware and kitchen electrics line. Players can also instantly choose to purchase those very same Emerilware products directly from HSN’s e-commerce site, without leaving the app.

“Cooking is so popular today because it’s the perfect mix of food and fun,” Emeril said in a canned statement. “I’m excited to partner with HSN to set up shop on Cooking Dash so viewers can cook along with me in the studio and try their hand at running their own restaurant. If you love cooking then you’ll absolutely love this new feature.”

And from PlayFirst …

“This integration of game play, celebrity and shopping is a great new concept that we are excited to bring to our Cooking Dash users,” PlayFirst president and CEO Mari Baker said. “Players will enjoy interacting with Emeril in the game and joining him chopping, slicing and dicing with the same piece of cookware that they can later buy for themselves.”

When players enter Cooking Dash they immediately see the new “HSN Cooks with Emeril” venue. They can then enter the restaurant and begin to play.

During gameplay, they will have access to a variety of Emeril products including a blender, mixer, deep fryer and chef’s knife. As players progress through the game, traditional Cooking Dash characters such as Flo are joined by virtual Emeril and together they cook and serve various recipes for the restaurant’s diners.

Emeril’s products are then available in the DashMart, PlayFirst’s virtual store, as either virtual items or as an actual online order for delivery directly to your home.

“HSN recognizes that gaming, shopping and sharing are three of the most popular activities across mobile and digital platforms,” HSN executive vice president of digital commerce Jill said. “Mobile continues to be HSN’s fastest growing channel and this partnership with PlayFirst and Emeril helps us bring together content and commerce in a fun and innovative way.”

The Cooking Dash App, with the new “HSN Cooks with Emeril” restaurant venue, is available for $2.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/AppStore.

HSN To Promote New Movie ‘The Help’ With Collection Inspired By The Film

This week HSN will launch a multi-platform event that celebrates the style, fashion and decor inspired by the summer film “The Help,” the home shopping network said Monday.

Let’s hope “The Help” does better the other movie that HSN has promoted with its programming and products: The bomb “EAt, Pray, Love.”

“The Help” event will kick off starting Friday across all of HSN’s platforms, including television, HSN.com and HSN mobile.

“The Help,” presented by DreamWorks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment, in association with Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi, is distributed by Touchstone Pictures and will be released nationwide Aug. 10.

“HSN is proud to collaborate with DreamWorks Pictures to celebrate this powerful film as part of our ongoing entertainment strategy.” Bill Brand, HSN executive vice president of programming, marketing and business development said in a canned statement. We are excited to bring to life one of the biggest movies of the year on all of our platforms with exclusive content and unique products.”

Here is the boilerplate on the movie:

Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a No. 1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award—nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny — three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk.

From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed — even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.

HSN programming during “The Help” event will focus on the themes of fashion, American home decor, Southern-style cooking and beauty products. It will feature the launch of new personalities, designers and brands, including:

CR by Cynthia Rowley — exclusive fashion and accessories.

Lela Rose for HSN — 60’s style apparel with bold flowery prints and whimsical silhouettes.

Chef Martha Hall Foose — chef and food stylist for “The Help” will debut her cookbook “A Southerly Course: Menus and Recipes from Close to Home” and present a variety of classic Southern foods ranging from boneless stuffed chicken breasts to red velvet cakes and brewed ice teas.

Viking — known for their top-of-the-line major kitchen appliances, Viking will be showcasing their line of state-of-the-art hand-held appliances as part of the event.

In addition, the event will showcase products from Carol’s Daughter and Stila; culinary and home offerings from Emeril Lagasse, Jeffery Banks, and The Lee Bros; and jewelry from R.J. Graziano.

Mary J. Blige, a spokeswoman and investor in the Carol’s Daughter brand, will be expanding her fragrance collection with the launch of My Life Blossom, exclusively on HSN Aug. 13. The Grammy award-winning singer composed “The Living Proof, the theme song for “The Help” and will share personal anecdotes on working on the film when she appears on HSN.

Blige’s song is written from the point of view of the lead character Aibileen, the African-American maid who bravely shares her story. According to what we suspect is some hype in HSN’s press release, “Blige was in awe of the character’s fearlessness and deeply moved by the support of the women surrounding Aibileen in the film.”

Her canned quote:

I cried the most when I saw all of the women gathered together. They chose to walk in love and forgiveness. My personal connection to the themes in the film is the fact that my Aunt Lara belle was a maid who worked for a very wealthy white family and they loved her to death and she ultimately raised their children. To be able to speak to so many women with this song means a lot to me.

The events special features will include behind-the-scenes footage, videos, community boards and cast biographies, as well as an opportunity to buy an autographed copy of the book, can be found at http://www.hsn.com, keyword: the help.

HSN Kicks Off 34th Birthday Festivities

Jennifer Lopez’s appearance just marks the start of HSN’s “34 More Reasons to Celebrate” month-long birthday event.

In celebration of its 34th birthday in July, HSN is offering its biggest-ever giveaway, which includes more than $100,000 in giveaways and instant-win prizes plus an opportunity to win eight exclusive, grand prize experiences, such as:

A private meet-and-greet for two with Mariah Carey in St. Petersburg, Fla.

A design consultation and $5,000 room makeover by Vern Yip, who launches his exclusive new line on HSN July 26.

A trip for two to New Orleans, including dining at three Emeril Lagasse restaurants.

A trip for two to the exclusive movie premiere of “The Help” in theaters this August

A trip for two to New York City, including accommodations at The Plaza Hotel and dinner at Todd English’s Food Hall restaurant.

Information on how to enter the “$150,000 More to Celebrate Giveaway” can be found at http://www.hsn.com,

Throughout the month, HSN will feature some of the biggest names, best surprises and most famous personalities, including:

Serena Williams will introduce exciting new additions to her exclusive Signature Statement collection on July 18.

Martha Stewart premieres her craft paint collection on HSN on July 21.

Tori Spelling returns with fashionably chic jewelry offerings on July 21.

Mariah Carey will debut stylish new apparel exclusively on HSN on July 25.

Jenny McCarthy makes her HSN debut with the Rescue Bullet blender to benefit Generation Rescue, her charitable organization that supports children with autism.

Vern Yip will make his HSN debut on July 26 with the launch of an exclusive home collection.

ImanN will appear on HSN July 28 and 30 with new pieces for her Global Chic collection.

All month, there will be something new every day of the week to ensure customers are continually surprised and delighted, including:

“More Mystery” Mondays will keep customers wondering what will happen next with surprise celebrity walk-ons, “mystery” products and exclusive surprise giveaways on Facebook.

Customers that play instant-win games on hsn.com on Tuesdays will earn triple entries in the $150,000 “More to Celebrate Giveaway,” and winners will be revealed every hour on HSN.

Wednesdays will feature a new 24-hour event each week, including special one-day-only values on customer favorites, including Beauty, Silver, Technibond and Christmas in July.

Customers will enjoy extra spending power on every item that airs on HSN all day on “More Flex” Thursdays.

Emeril, $200 Is Too Much For Four HSN Steaks, Even If They’re Marbled

Is HSN the only one that doesn’t know this nation is in a recession?

Both HSN and QVC had cooking days all day Sunday, which kept us and our charge cards away.

But we checked HSN.com, and our mother cued us into this, and Cajun cook Emeril Lagasse, looking like an inflated balloon version of his old self, was on selling pricey meats.

$200 on HSN, from Emeril

Would you pay $200 for Emeril’s red marble 1.5 pound petite New York strip roast, which includes four 24 ounce petite New York strip roasts? That’s $50 a pop. What are they marbled with, 14 carat gold?

$100 for Emeril's sausages

How about $100 for 48 sausages?

Is Emeril trying to cast a voodoo spell on us, to “glamor” (Hi “True Blood” fans) us into thinking these are reasonable prices?

It’s not working.

HSN Says Bon Appetit, With Bon Appetit, With Celebrity Chef Spring Weekend

We wish we could get excited about big cooking events, but we just can’t. But here goes.

HSN will be featuring more than 24-hours of celeb chefs and more than 75 kitchen products during its HSN Cooks Spring Weekend Event presented by Bon Appétit on March 26 and 27, the home shopping network said Thursday.

“The epicurean event will feature extraordinary chefs including Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck and Padma Lakshmi preparing mouth-watering springtime dishes alongside an unprecedented lineup of top kitchen and food brands,” or so we were told by HSN’s press release.

HSN Cooks Spring Weekend Event presented by Bon Appétit will mark the HSN debut of several culinary experts:

• Southern-food enthusiasts Matt and Ted Lee will introduce an exclusive new line of beautiful Graniteware.

• Chinese-American chef and author Ken Hom. Known for making wok cooking an art form across the globe, Hom will be presenting his signature wok collection and healthy stir-fry cooking guide.

• Jacques “Mr. Chocolate” Torres. French pastry chef and chocolatier Torres will launch his collection of chocolate treats to HSN customers.

“HSN is thrilled to add highly respected figures such as Ken Hom and Matt and Ted Lee to our council of culinary experts,” Sandy Conrad, senior vice president of merchandising – electronics and household said in a canned statement. “HSN has long been a culinary destination for our customers and we look forward to hosting our biggest HSN Cooks event yet.”

Here’s Hom’s canned ham:

“I’ve been an admirer of HSN for some time and am impressed with the company’s ever-expanding culinary category,” Hom said. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to join such legendary chefs as Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck for my U.S. return and look forward to bringing my 51 years of wok-cooking experience to life while showing the HSN customer how to use my products to cook easy, delicious and healthy meals.”

And Matt and Ted Lee remarkedly responded in unison about their love of HSN.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing a Southern accent to this exciting HSN Cooks weekend, and so honored to be in the company of food experts — chefs and cookbook authors alike — who have literally inspired us to become better home cooks,” they both said, according to HSN’s opress release. “That’s really the greatest hope we have for our own product line: that our high-performing classics (along with a little Southern know-how!) will enable viewers nationwide to enjoy their kitchen more often, preparing scrumptious meals from scratch.”

Additional brands participating in the HSN Cooks Spring Weekend Event presented by Bon Appétit include: David’s Cookies; Debbie Meyer; The Beverly Hills Kitchen; Kent Island Crab Cakes; Leonetti’s; and Aunt Ida’s Baked Goods, among others.

Bon Appétit editor, Dede Wilson, will be on-air providing cooking tips exclusively for HSN customers.

The event will begin at 6 a.m. during a special HSN Today show March 26 and continue throughout the weekend with “Top Chef” star Padma Lakshmi hosting the finale at 11 p.m. March 27, featuring new additions to her line of tea pots, teas and spices.

‘Homemade Millionaire’ Winner Sells Out Her Edible ‘Bake Huggers’ On HSN Debut

You ever get a yen to eat a cupcake along with its wrapper? Then Debra Lee’s Bake Huggers are for you. That is, if you were up at 7 a.m. Saturday to order them for $20.

Lee, the winner of Friday’s episode of TLC’s “Homemade Millionaire,” sold out her invention, the Bake Huggers, during her premiere on HSN.

The entrepreneur made a live appearance on HSN Friday night at 11 p.m., immediately after being announced the winner of the second of six episodes of the hour-long reality show. Then she made her official debut with her product Saturday morning.

The sold-out Bake Huggers, eat your heart out

In case you’ve been living under a rock, “Homemade Millionaire” offers aspiring female entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase and sell their products on HSN. The show is produced by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ production company Milojo Productions for TLC.

Here’s the poop on Lee, courtesy of HSN’s PR department.

“As a mother of three, Lee found herself baking and decorating cupcakes often. Frustrated by the time it took to get the results she wanted, she knew there had to be a better way. Lee created a wrapper for cupcakes that was not only decorative, but also edible. Her time-saving solution was fun, creative, and best of all, eliminated the mess of traditional paper cupcake liners.”

Lee’s newly popular Bake Huggers sold out in less than five minutes during her HSN premiere at 7 a.m. Saturday.

“I am thrilled that Bake Huggers sold out on its first HSN run,” Lee said in a canned statemement. “Perseverance and believing in your product is the key to the American dream.”

One of the judge’s on Friday’s episode was celebrity chef and Cajun cooker Emeril Lagasse.

Here is the canned quote attributed to both Ripa and Consuelos, who apparently have been married so long that they now speak in unison.

“In the words of our guest judge Emeril Lagasse ‘why didn’t I think of that?!’ We’re so proud of Debra and are thrilled to hear she sold out of her products,” said Ripa and Consuelos. “This is exactly what we set out to do with this show … give women the chance to take these incredible inventions and become a success story.”

And here is HSN’s piece.

“Debra’s product nicely illustrates the premise of ‘Homemade Millionaire’ — there are millions of great product ideas, but few people with the passion, confidence, great story and drive to transform their idea into a successful product,” said Sandy Conrad, HSN’s senior vice president of merchandising. “We are thrilled with the response of our viewers to Debra’s great idea and look forward to having her back on HSN again in early 2011.”

Each hour-long episode of the TLC reality show follows three women vying for a chance to sell their inventions on HSN. Open calls were held throughout the U.S., and thousands of women showed up with their products, aspiring to become the next successful entrepreneur.

HSN And Kelly Ripa’s ‘Homemade Millionaire’ Debuts Tonight On TLC

HSN’s collaboration with Jersey Girl Kelly Ripa and TLC, “Homemade Millionaire,” will premiere at 10 p.m. tonight.

The show pits female entrepreneurs against each to land a spot on HSN to sell a product they’ve invented.

Future episodes will feature veteran HSN vendors such as jean queen Diane Gilman, Jennifer Stallone, Badgley Mischka and Cajun kook (that’s no typo) Emeril Lagasse.

A panel on TLC's "Homemade Millionaire," with Kelly Ripa in the center and the designer team of Badgley Mischka on the right

On Thursday New York Daily News TV critic David Hinckley reviewed “Homemade Millionaire,” and he liked the program. He wrote that Ripa “whips up a lively and fun show by selling big dreams in a small, simple package.”

See what you think. We’ve had some inquiries from women who’d like to get on “Homemade Millionaire,” and we are looking into that.

So here’s the answer on getting on “Homemade Millionaire” this season: It’s too late, baby.

“We conducted try-outs last summer for this current season,” a TLC spokeswoman said Friday. “Unfortunately, this season is cast already.”