Bam! Emeril - no last name required - is coming to Atlantic City. The dynamic Food Network star will offer a cooking demonstration and field audience questions at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Caesars Atlantic City, as part of the Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival.

Perhaps the nation's most famous celebrity chef, Emeril Lagasse is the owner of 11 restaurants, including three eateries in the city that launched his storied career: New Orleans, home of the original Emeril's, as well as NOLA and Emeril's Delmonico.

Among his current projects are his 13th cookbook, "Emeril at the Grill" (HarperStudio), which debuted in April, and a new series, "Emeril Green," on Discovery's Planet Green channel.

Ahead of his appearance at Caesars, Emeril dished with At the Shore about his musical past, his love of all things New Orleans, and how Bam! came to be his catch phrase.

Q: You almost studied music instead of becoming a chef. What are the links between being a drummer and being a chef?

A: In the restaurants, precise training, perfect timing and improvising are all important to keep in sync with your crew and the service teams. All of those things apply whether you're holding a spatula or drumsticks, and music continues to be an important part of my life.

Q: You're a New England native who learned about pastry at a Portuguese bakery, attended the prestigious Johnson & Wales culinary school and studied cooking in France. What was it about New Orleans cuisine that spoke to you?

A: Many traditional New Orleans style dishes are well-seasoned and rustic with influences from the Creole, French, Spanish and African cultures. Besides being influenced by my mom, who is Portuguese, and my dad who is French Canadian, I spent some time doing apprenticeships in France early in my career.

When I moved to New Orleans in the 80's, I found that the city melded very well with my background and travels. I fell in love with the city's cuisine, culture and people, and I've been there ever since.

Q: Explain how you come up with your signature catch phrase, "Bam!"

A: "Bam!" came about in the early days when we would spend long hours in the TV studio, shooting five to six shows a day with a just a few guys in the crew and no audience. After eating a few of the dishes I'd make on the show, the cameraman would sometimes doze off. I would yell "Bam!" as I added ingredients, just to make sure he was awake and paying attention.

Q: On your new cooking show, you go "green." What does that mean, exactly?

A: Since my early days as a chef, I've been passionate about using the freshest quality ingredients from farmers, fisherman and ranchers for my restaurants. One of the easiest ways for folks to cook "green" at home is to use organic, locally grown, in-season ingredients.

Get to know your local farmers - their products will be fresher and require less transportation, which reduces the carbon footprint. Plus, you'll be supporting your local farmers and growers and helping out the community.

Q: Can you share some tips on grilling from your new cookbook?

A: The proper temperature of the grill is very important. I tell people you have to set up the grill where part of it is medium high, another part of it is medium and the other part should be medium well.

You should cook like a clock, and rotate it like a clock. The reason for that is so you don't have so much direct heat and you're not drying out your meat or whatever you are grilling.

Let the meat or protein sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before placing it on the grill. This will help prevent sticking.

Buy a meat thermometer. Even an old-fashioned one works great.

Q: You've only had one restaurant close out of the dozen you've opened, a remarkable record for a restaurateur. Are you concerned about over-expansion and diluting the Emeril brand? Do you have any plans to come to Atlantic City?

A: Each of our 11 restaurants is designed to be unique and independent - no two are ever the same. We receive offers to do lot of amazing projects all the time, but at the end of the day, it has to be the right fit for our team, many of whom have been with me for 10, 15 or 20-plus years.

An Evening With Emeril Lagasse

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1

WHERE: Circus Maximus Theater, Caesars Casino & Hotel, Atlantic City

HOW MUCH: Tickets, priced at $50, are available at Caesars box office or through Ticketmaster at 800-736-1420 or www.ticketmaster.com

WEB SITE: www.emerils.com

OTHER EVENTS: Culinary demonstration and lesson, Malibu Rumm Beach Soiree.