But the sitcom disaster did not seem to slow Lagasse down or shake his spirit.

CNN: Celeb chef stirs up a passion for food

But in fact, recessions tend to shake out the old, slow and bloated that masked their decline in flusher times.

FORBES: The Incredibly Uneven Recovery

Most are victims of their own success in recent years, forced into slow growth or even price declines as a way to shake out a market that's come a little too far, too fast.

FORBES: Where To Worry About Real Estate