• by Fern Siegel , January 20, 2010

Emeril is serving a new dish to fans -- "The Emeril Lagasse Show," a weekly show debuting March 28 that's also ION TV's first original, non-scripted series.

No stranger to TV, "Essence of Emeril" can be seen on Food Network, and "Emeril Live" appears on both Fine Living and Food. Best-selling chef and restaurateur Lagasse is also the food correspondent for "Good Morning America."

In his new series, Emeril will welcome celebrity guests, musicians and entertainers to his table. Field pieces will be shot in and around New York, where the show will be taped. Both traditional marketing and social media, including Facebook, will promote the effort.

Charles A. Koppelman, chair of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which owns the assets to Lagasse's media business, says the ION alliance "is an important step in further extending the Emeril Lagasse brand."

In addition to his television presence, Emeril has a new live, call-in radio program, "Cooking with Emeril," which airs twice a week on Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius XM. He also has a new column in MSLO's Everyday Food magazine, in which the chef and 6-year-old son E.J. provide family-friendly recipes. Emeril is the author of 14 books, including the recent "Emeril 20-40-60: Fresh Food Fast."

Launched in 2006, ION Television reaches more than 96 million U.S. television households via its broadcast, cable and satellite distribution systems. The network ended 2009 with record year-over-year growth in households, 25-54 and 18-49 -- posting 49%, 65%, and 74% growth in those demos, respectively.