SEASON 8: ASTONISHING BAJA!
For the eighth season of Chef Rick Bayless’s highly-rated cooking and travel show, we’re taking our viewers from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas to explore the cuisine and culture that makes Mexico's astonishing region of Baja California completely irresistible.
The mere mention of Mexico’s sun-soaked Baja peninsula makes us dream. Flanked by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Sea of Cortez to the east, Baja really is Mexico’s undiscovered “West,” with its stark desert landscapes, secluded coves and striking mountains.
Recently, some of Mexico’s most talented chefs have fostered a dazzling “Baja Med” cuisine in the restaurants of Tijuana and Ensenada. In addition, the wineries of Baja California Norte are producing world-class, award-winning wines. Paired with the region’s phenomenal seafood, the cuisine of Baja ranks among Mexico’s finest.
Taste
- A taco tour of Tijuana: The source of much national pride
- Off the beaten path restaurants in Los Cabos featuring the real cuisine of Mexico
- The Baja peninsula is home to some of the world’s most amazing seafood
Adventure
- Sustainable fishing with local fishermen in Punta Abreojos
- Sea of Cortez for kayaking, snorkeling with sea lions and fishing with the locals—most experts agree that these waters have greater oceanic diversity than anywhere in the world
- Small-batch wine making in the Valle de Guadalupe at the coolest wine school in Mexico
Markets
- Ensenada’s fish market, one of Mexico’s most beautiful and lively; the crispy-battered fish tacos are legendary
- Tijuana market for artisanal and organic cheeses
- La Paz market for fresh fruits and vegetables
Artisan Cuisine
- Making olive oil from some of Mexico’s oldest olive groves, using a 150-year-old crushing wheel
- High-tech wine making at Casa de Piedra, a very sophisticated winery
- An incredible organic garden in Tecate, run by one of Mexico’s most visionary gardeners
- Cooking cactus the old-fashioned way with one of Baja’s most renowned cooks
- Boutique cheese-making in the Valle de Ojos Negros
- Tecate Brewery: Inspired by the beaches and landscape of Baja California Norte
Cooking
- Rick will cook with Baja’s finest chefs, home cooks, and market vendors
- At his Chicago home kitchen, viewers will see how Rick translates the dishes from Baja’s most progressive cooks into everyday enjoyment
- Rick will teach viewers how to purchase local seafood and to host a fish taco party at home
- Rick cooks for some of Mexico’s top winemakers in the beautiful kitchens of Adobe Guadalupe
Join Rick in Baja California: View all episodes of Behind the Scenes Baja!
Episode Descriptions
Season 8 Resources
Behind the Scenes Baja
Find a Station
Sponsors
Program Credits
Acknowledgements
Archived Seasons
