It’s been a while since we’ve seen Emeril Lagasse ‘Bam!’ his way through his Food Network shows. For a while in the 1990s and early 2000s, it seemed as though the Massachusetts native was the Food ...

"However, Emeril is under contract with Food Network," Welch said Tuesday. "We love him, we support him and look forward to a long partnership with him." Welch wouldn't comment on Lagasse's contract.

It’s hard to remember a time when words like “Bam!” and “Yum-o” weren’t part of our food lexicon. But in October 1993, the Television Food Network debuted with very little fanfare or flourish. After ...