Viking Cooking Schools
margaret suran wrote:
> I met Emeril twice: The first and last time.
>
> It was at the Fifth Avenue Book Fair, which unhappily is no more. He
> was the Spokesperson or King or something for the Fair that year and
> people had gotten on line, after buying his books, to wait in the hot
> afternoon sun. We waited and waited and were told that he was sitting
> somewhere in air conditioned comfort, chatting and eating and drinking
> (I don't know what he drank, perhaps just soda) and having a good
> time. The people on line were in a really bad mood when he appeared
> one hour late.
>
> I wanted to have some of his books for Christmas presents for a few
> foodie friends and had bought six or eight. When I got to him, I said
> "hello, nice to meet you" or something and he looked at the books and
> got really nasty. He said he would only sign two or three (up to that
> point he had signed all that were put in front of him, many had as
> many as I) because this was not to his liking, the heat and all the
> people and he wanted to get done and leave. I told him the books had
> been purchased and I wanted them autographed and I was super polite,
> with many thanks and pleases. He was adamant. Someone from the Book
> Fair of from his publisher was sitting with him and told him he MUST
> sign the books, because there had been no limit in the amount a
> person could buy for the promotion. He became nastier and nastier,
> signed the books, not with his name but with BAM. You cannot imagine
> how I felt. I had spent a good deal of money and he made me feel
> like a beggar. By then, the people who were waiting got impatient
> and the man with him told him to start acting like an adult.
>
> I thanked the man, gathered my books which were finally signed and
> walked away. I really wanted to take the books, tear them up and
> throw the torn mess at Emeril, yelling BAM as I did. I wish I had.
>
> Some time later I met Mario Batali (sp?) at a book signing at the
> Union Square Green Market. We chatted and he thanked me for buying
> several of his books. Just then a woman came along, who asked
> whether she could have his autograph without buying his book, as she
> could not afford it. He smiled, took a book, signed it, handed it to
> her and said "What a pleasure it is, to be able to give a small gift
> to one of my fans" and told her to come back any time he was
> scheduled to appear.
Charming and classy!!!
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