Rick Bayless is chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, creator of Frontera gourmet foods, cookbook author and host of Mexico - One Plate at a Time.


From the Kitchen of Chef Rick Bayless

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Questions from February 2009

From Robin Hamilton Evans:

Dear Rick,
I am a big fan of your recipes and your tv show. My question is about a Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que of OKC staple. What was in the stuffed pickles? As a child I LOVED them and I read that you sometimes fix them for your family.
Thanks in advance.

Hi Robin,

This was a recipe invented by Rick's dad and it happens to be one of Deann (Rick's wife) favorites.  The recipe is in "Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures" cookbook.  The pickles are stuffed with shredded cheese, mayo and pimento.  Rick describes it as like stuffed celery, but made with dill pickles.  Enjoy!

Deb

From Chris Kirtley:

Rick, I understand you take your staff to Mexico for a field trip every July. Do you ever take patrons on a similar trip? My wife and I have been to Frontera dozens of times, and can't think of anything we'd rather do than spend a few days wondering around Mexico's markets with you. Many thanks, CK

Hi Chris,

Actually, we do bring one couple with us on our staff trip every year.  The opportunity to join us is a silent auction item at the evening benefit dinner for the Frontera Farmers Foundation.  This year's event will be held on Sunday, June 14th.  If you're not familiar with the foundation you can get more information on our web site.  Should you have the winning bid this year, you can join us for the 2010 trip. 

Deb

From Christy Fagan:

We are so envious of your avocado scooper/masher tool. We have searched the internet and all sources are sold out. Any idea how we might find one? Or, is there a chance that you might be offering such gadgets in your Frontera line?

Thanks,
Christy

Hi Christy,

I’m sorry to say that the avocado scoop is no longer being manufactured.  It's a long and convoluted story, but the short version is that our partner for this specialty line was Copco/Wilton and in the 1 ½ years that the line was available, the company was sold several times.  During the last sale, the decision was made to no longer market our product line.  We’re in the process of looking for a new partner, so that products like the avocado scoop and the chile roaster will be available again.   

Deb

From Dana:

Sadly, my local PBS station does not carry your show (funny, because we are only 4 hours from Chicago)! Is there anywhere online where we could catch it?

Hi Dana,

At this point, we haven't posted any of our shows on line, but we're looking into it.  However, I'm sending you this link to the CREATETV web site which also carries our show.  On their website you can check to see if our show is carried on one of their local TV channels. The station locator drop down menu is on the left side, middle of the page.  You can also contacting your local PBS station to let them know that you'd like them to start airing the show. Local PBS stations make decisions on which programs to buy based on what their viewers have expressed an interest in.  Thanks for taking the time to write us.

Deb

 

http://createtv.com/CreateProgram.nsf/ScheduleLookup?ReadForm

Deb

From Silvia:

Who makes the fancy outdoor gas/charcoal grill with the heavy cast iron grates and smoker drawer you're using on one of your shows. Is this custom?

Hi Silvia,

This is a question that we get a lot because the grill looks so amazing.  It's made by Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, but there's more to this grill than just good looks. The one that's installed in Rick's backyard (Model 900HB) is their hybrid grill, which can use either charcoal, wood or gas. There's many options available, so check out their web site for more information. 

http://www.kalamazoogourmet.com/

Deb