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It all started with a postcard sent to Emeril Lagasse from Saudi Arabia during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“Dear Emeril, Can you please send your favorite recipe for jambalaya to the Defense Dept. I kicked it up a notch [one of Emeril Lagasse catch phrases from his Food Network TV show] with a bottle of Tabasco, which came with the MRE. Your fan in the desert, MSGT John J. Nicotra”
Nicotra, a dining hall supervisor with the 177th Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard, was deployed along with 17 Airmen from the 177th Services Flight in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 21 through July 3, 2003.
Nicotra and the 17 Services Flight Airmen were serving in Saudi Arabia at the time he sent the postcard. When they were sent to Baghdad International Airport, there was a letter with five recipes and some photos of Emeril waiting for them.
In May, the Food Network approached the New Jersey National Guard with a request for a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter – the production team needed it for the introduction to the "Thanksgiving Feast for the Troops" episode, which was to be taped at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey in August. Soldiers with the New Jersey Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 150th General Support Aviation Battalion were tapped for the duty.
Nicotra, back from his deployment, was invited to attend the show as one of the guests of honor.
At 6 p.m. Sept. 25, taping began in front of 1,200 Active-Duty, Guard and Reserve members at McGuire Air Force Base. This episode of “Emeril Live” was his Thanksgiving special, part of his campaign called “Emeril Kicks Up the Holidays” on the Food Network.
The layout copied the New York setup, except with a larger audience. The show revolves around Emeril cooking for people sitting at a counter. Nicotra, along with Pfc. Shoshona Johnson and country music singer Trace Atkins were the guests of honor.
Also at the counter was a cluster of Jambalaya MREs with Nicotra’s postcard.
The next day, Sept. 26, Emeril and his entourage showed up for the Black Hawk flight. His crew from the 1st Battalion, 150th General Support Aviation Battalion was pilot Chief Warrant Officer 4 Chris Millevoi, co-pilot Capt. Ryan Kelley, and crew chief Sgt. Eric Chambers. Once airborne, Emeril taped his introduction.
The show aired Nov. 16.
All this goes to prove that all it takes is one letter to "kick things up a notch."
| Date Taken: | 09.27.2003 |
| Date Posted: | 08.13.2025 08:32 |
| Story ID: | 545012 |
| Location: | NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 5 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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