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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From Jon:

Rick,
I saw you on Chefs Story today on PBS. I am interested in growing a small garden like you described you have at your home. Any good books or websites you can point me to?
Thanks!

Jon
A lot of it is trial and error, because intensive gardening like I do relies a lot on the particular soil, the amount and angle of the sun and the varieties you're growing.  I learned a lot by reading everything John Jeavons has written.  He's the master of intensive gardening. Check out http://www.johnjeavons.info/.  A little easier to grasp on a smaller scale is Mel Bartholomew's square foot gardening (http://www.squarefootgardening.com/).

Sincerely,
Rick
From Guerita:

Dear Rick,
Mexican Everyday is the only cookbook that I use frequently enough to warrant it falling apart - thanks! My husband is from Espita in the Yucatan, and I have been learning to make some traditional dishes from our satellite Mayan family living here in San Francisco. I notice that often meat is boiled - I am assuming a reminder of the days before refigeration. I am hoping that grilling the meat will add to the flavor, but do I need to adjust anything to compensate for moisture/texture?
Thanks,
Shelley
Many places in the world, meat is customarily cooked--boiled, stewed, braised--until it is well done. Cooks are accomplishing two things: they're ensuring that the meat is safe to eat (prolonged exposure to higher temperatures will eliminate most health concerns)and they're ensuring tenderness (even tough meat usually yield to tenderness after a long gentle simmer).

When the meat you're cooking with is both tender and safe to eat less than well done, you can adjust the recipe. Just know two things: the sauce that's created during the simmering will need to be made with a good broth (to replace the delicious flavor left behind by long-simmered meat) and the meat needs to be either browned in a skillet or grilled. Usually, rather than just grilling the meat and serving it with the sauce, I put the meat in the sauce for a few minutes to create a more harmonious flavor. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Rick
From smaguro:

Now that I've found a nearby mexican grocery where I can get chorizo and lard I need to know how to store them. (The lard and chorizo that is...not the grocery.) The lard comes in qt. containers. Way more than my husband and I will be able to quickly use up. How long will it last in the frig? Same with the chorizo...and can it be frozen?
The answers to your questions are easy: Lard will last in your refrigerator for several months (after 6 months it's still edible, but will begin to taste old). But you can easily freeze it. Depending on exactly how the chorizo is made, it should last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. It, too, can easily be frozen, and probably should be if you know that you're not going to get to it right away.

Sincerely,
Rick
From saksun1:
Hi Rick and Happy New Year! Will you be hosting the Wednesday night menu dinners again this year? Due to our schedules, my fiance and I couldn't attend any last year. We really hope you'll be offering them again in 2008! Oh and we finally found that delicious Mezcal locally! Thanks! Sharon
Yes! Of course we will be doing our Wednesday Wine Dinners--they are so popular that we continue to do them at the beginning of each year. Check out our home page news item at www.rickbayless.com and you can get the dates, prices and all the info that you will need to make your reseravtions. Don't forget that I will be doing a demonstration prior so plan to get to the restaurant by 6pm. See you then!

Sincerely,
Rick
From Chris:

Rick, When does your new season 6 air for this year, 2008 ? I don't see it on PBS at all, it only shows repeats. Also, do you have any other appearances scheduled? Thanks.

Season 6 will begin rolling out nationwide in March of this year.  Until then, PBS is showing repeats of Season 5.  This coming season we are focusing on parties--inspired by Mexico and shot in Chicago. 

As far as other appearances--I just got back from San Francisco where I did an appearance at our newest Frontera Fresco in the Macy's at Union Square.  I will try to list my appearances in the NEWS section on the home page.

 

Thanks again!



Sincerely,
Rick
From kirsten:

Hi Rick,
What brand of blender do you use on "One Plate at a Time"? I noticed it was really powerful when you made a salsa and I need to replace ours soon. Thanks!

The blender that I am totally in love with is the Vita-Mix (Professional Series) with variable speed. It is unbelievable when it comes to making difficult-to-grind mixtures for mole. And because of the variable speed option, you can use it for small batches of salsa (being able to adjust to a slower speed gives you more control with small batches). It also comes with a blender jar and stir-stick that allows you to grind dry ingredients and spices--though you'll need to do fairly large quantities of both to get an even grind. And it--unfortunately for most of us--comes with a pretty high price tag. In our restaurant, we use the Turbo-Blend version, which doesn't have the variable speed, since we're always working in the larger quantities; they are much less expensive. Check out the offerings at amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-4644254-3286303?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=vita-mix



Sincerely,
Rick
From Eddie Arias:

Rick,
In your episode on taking on food outside the resorts you were in Puerto Vallarta, My family's hometown. How in earth did you happen to find all my favorite street vendors? The shrimp burgers and al pastor location "el carboncito" are two locations I never miss going to when I visit and here you are eating there. You rock!!!!

Keep up the good work. You are taking our cuisine beyond the taco and burrito culture in america.
To find those locations (since I am not native to the area, like you), I did what I always do: I asked people working in shops, restaurants and hotels where they eat tacos, etc. If you speak Spanish and if you talk with them long enough--especially if you're talking to a couple of people at a time--they usually get really excited that you're looking for the real food of the area. And they tell you everything. Usually with huge smiles on their faces. That's when I know I've got the good stuff. I'm glad you liked the show!

Sincerely,
Rick
From cm-oak:

Rick - I have seen your video on the FiveStar website demonstrating their sealed 21K burner range. We are looking for a 6-burner 36" rangetop with sealed burners and a large sear-to-simmer range. My wife seems to be locked on to Wolf, admittedly an impressive product with a reputation for reliability. The FiveStar, however, shares many of the same design features while theoretically providing superior cooking potential with 6 higher-output burners that can all hold a simmer. I realize you have an endorsement arrangement with FiveStar, but I wanted to know if you could candidly comment on the cooking capabilities, ease of use, and reliability of their range. Although there are dealers here in the SF Bay Area who carry FiveStar, no one has the new ranges or rangetops on display, and really no one seems to know anything about them. Thanks for your reply which I would be happy to take directly if think that posting them to the website might compromise your relationship with FiveStar. Regards...Chris
I have owned a FiveStar Range for 12 years, long before they chose to underwrite our Public Television series. I bought it because, after researching for some time, I thought it had the most to offer. Mostly in terms of burner temperature range. What I learned later is that FiveStar is the "gourmet" division of a moderately small, family-owned company in Tennessee, and that those ranges are very carefully and lovingly designed and hand-built (I've seen the plant). I've never regretted my original purchase. Though I've had a couple of problems with temperature regulation in one of the ovens over the years, I have always been able to get repairs done easily. As to the closed vs. open burners: I have had both and, while the closed burners are certainly easier to clean, it has been my experience that the closed burners don't go quite as low as the open burners and don't have quite as even heat distribution. But I quibble. I love my FiveStar range.

Sincerely,
Rick
From Mexman:

Hi, just wondering what kind of bread you use at frontera fresco at macy's,it is unbelieveable! It is a very light yet airy/crispy bread and was wondering if you could be kind enough to point me in the right direction on where to find something similar. Thanks Rick!
I wish I could tell you exactly where to find it, but we're having it made specifically for us by Labriola bakery, the wonderful artisinal bakers on the south side of Chicago. They're not doing that bread (and certainly not that traditional telera shape) for anyone else. But if you ask really sweetly--and we have enough of a supply--I'm sure you can buy a few. PS I'm wild about that bread, too, especially the way it crisps when we make the tortas!

Sincerely,
Rick
From travis takahashi:

Aloha Chef,

What ingredients do you use when making Churros??? Some recipes that I have seen call for eggs, some don't.

Mahalo,

Travis Takahashi

The street vendors in Mexico don't use eggs in the recipe. Try this recipe for that style.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, add 1 cup flour and stir until everything comes together into a smooth ball.

That's it. Cool it down and press it through a churro press into hot oil and you've got golden churros.



Sincerely,
Rick
From Ida:

Hi Rick: I live in Miami but I enjoy your show very much. While in Chicago last summer I visited your restaurants. Any plans to expand to other locations?
Yes, we're expanding ... But only by a few feet.  In the fall we're opening a little place on the corner of our block--simple and quick, built with all green materials and LEED certified.  It'll feature Mexican-style hot chocolate (made from chocolate that's ground right in front of you--won't that smell good?), espresso drinks,  fresh-made crisp-crunchy churros, those Mexican sandwiches they call tortas (warmed and crisped in a wood-burning oven) and homemade ice creams. Name still to be determined.

Sincerely,
Rick
From jackblack:

I live in san antonio texas and want to find some epizote, any suggestions as to where i can get it?
Epazote grows wild in lots of places (you can find it all over Chicago and just about every other city that I've lived in).  But you can find it in many of Mexican groceries as well (especially if the owners are from central or southern Mexico--not the north).  If you can't identify it growing in the wild or locate any in Mexican groceries, then my suggestion is that you scatter some seeds somewhere and grow your own.  It likes full sun, not-too-rich soil, not much moisture--in fact, it likes to be kind of stressed as it grows (the most vigorous epazote that comes up in my yard every year comes sprouts between cracks in the sidewalk).  A good source for seeds is johnnyseeds.com or seedsofchange.com.  Epazote does well in pots, too.  Just be warned that when it goes to seed, hundreds of seeds will scatter through your yard.  They will sprout in the spring, whether you live in Texas or North Dakota. 

Sincerely,
Rick
From nevarezfresno:


I've been looking for a recipe that my late mom use to make, use to make candie out of the fruit quince I remember her making it and put in a tin pie pan and it was great I found quince jam but it's not the same do you know how too make it.and I would love a recipe to make green enchilada sauce, I'm kinda of tired using can sauce but would love to make it out of scratch can you help me out if so that would be great,I'm trying to show my daughters how to cook from scratch, Thank You Mr. Bayless

The quince dessert was probably ate de membrillo, and, while it is do-able at home (as your mother proved), it requires a certain knowledge of how to work with the natural pectin (the gelatin-like substance in the quince that sets up the dessert)and of sugar-fruit cooking stages. A little more than I can go into here. I can help you with the enchilada sauce recipe, though: Boil or roast under a broiler 1 1/2 pounds husked tomatillos until they are soft. Blend with 3 garlic cloves, as much chile (serrano or jalapeo) as you like, and a handful of cilantro. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium-high, then add the tomatillo puree and cook until thick and reduced, stirring nearly constantly. Add 2 cups chicken broth and simmer over medium-low for a few minutes. Season with salt. Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of cream if you'd like.

Sincerely,
Rick
From Daniel:

hi! I just want to let you know that I'm very happy that someboy is trying to keep our heritage alive. Im from Merida Yucatan but I live in Texas and you are doing an awsome job with the recipies. thanks for bringgin me a piece of Merida. you need to grow sour orange!!!!
Thanks for the nice note.  I LOVE the Yucatan--rich history, delicious food, great music, beautiful beaches.  I had a great time shooting Season 5 of Mexico: One Plate at a Time in the Yucatan.  But I live in Chicago ... Not exactly the right climate for growing sour oranges.

Sincerely,
Rick
From connie:

Where can I find chihauhau cheese? I live in Augusta, N.J. Please know that we have a new Yucatan restaurant. So you have caught on in this area. Love your food and enthusiasm..Connie
Chihuahua cheese is a melting cheese that originally came from the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, where Mennonite settlers made it popular around a century ago.  Now it is commercially made all over Mexico, in a style that resembles a good brick or Monterey Jack cheese (that's a little different from the Mennonite version, which is a bit more mild-cheddar like).  In the United States, only one company holds the trademark to make Chihuahua cheese:  the Chicago company V&V Supremo, distributed mostly in the Midwest.  Other companies make comparable cheese and typically call it some variation on "quesadilla cheese" or "asadero cheese."  If you can't find any of those, simply substitute a good-quality brick or Jack cheese.

Sincerely,
Rick

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