I Love Rick Bayless!

This is going to be a bit of a cookbook endorsement/review.

About three months ago, I picked up a copy of Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless. And it's quickly become a sort of centerpiece in our kitchen.

The three of us love Mexican cooking and we were already using quite a few Mexican recipes and seasonings and techniques in our kitchens, but this book is a really useful tool for someone who wants to get started or even just up their game.

What he's done is take a lot of standard Mexican recipes and pare them down to simple core recipes, the bare essential minimum the recipe could be and still be both tasty and what it's supposed to be. He has also substituted in time-saving ingredients in some places (canned beans and tomatoes for example) although you are absolutely free (and encouraged) to use your own from scratch.

Most of the items are still fresh produce and fresh meat, etc., but the objective is to create recipes you can cook on the average busy week night without too much trouble.

Now, the reason I love this book so much. It gives me a book full of core recipes I can easily leap off with and expand on to create my own version, and he does suggest riffs to tweak every recipe for variations. So if you want tortilla soup, there is a basic, simple tortilla soup - easy and good enough on its own, but if you feel it needs something, well go ahead, the recipe has plenty of room to be modified without having to worry that you're going to interrupt the balance somehow. They're all like that.

So it's sort of something for everyone, especially if you want to get into Mexican and start playing with it on your own but weren't sure where to start.

Oh, and I also love it because there is a whole section on salads with a list of easy vinaigrettes. My husband likes all of them, and he hates salad dressings. These have him actually packing green salads as his lunch meal - something I never thought I'd ever see him do voluntarily.

Bayless is awesome. You might also want to check out Diana Kennedy- "The Essential Cuisines of Mexico". I never owned a copy. I just checked one out from the library until I memorized all of the recipes

a reply to: the owlbear

I'll have to check that out ...

a reply to: ketsuko

Well, thanks so much for making my mouth water. I love Mexican food. I had a Mexican girl friend and she spoiled me on Mexican food. Her tamales and enchiladas were to die for. She even made her own salsa and used a grinding stone to make it. After that, I couldn't eat taco bell.
Anywho, I'll have to see if I can get my hands on his book. I've been missing good Mexican food.

a reply to: Skid Mark

Well there's no tamale recipe in there, but there are a ton of different taco fillings. But, to make a proper tamale, you aren't doing it in a quick evening cook.

a reply to: ketsuko

I know. It took my girlfriend all day practically to make tamales. Then again, she made them by the dozen. I like tacos so that works.

Rick Bayless is the best. I am half Mexican. So I have had some great homemade authentic Mexican food in my life. But Rick Bayless is my absolute favorite Mexican food cook. I think I have seen every episode of Mexico one plate at a time.

When I was too young to appreciate it, I ate at his restaurant Frontera, when he was still actually cooking there. I have since been there many times as an adult. But he does not cook there anymore. If any ATS travelers out there ever have a layover at O'hare airport. He has a restaurant in the airport.

Rick is the best "gringo" cook of ACTUAL traditional Mexican cooking I know. Central American too...I learned my plantain balls recipe from him 20 years ago. ..snf






a reply to: ketsuko

a reply to: ketsuko

He won a Food Network competition among four master chefs at Getty House in Malibu, CA in case you want to watch that archived show.

His molle sauce was the kicker that put him in first place. The judges were experts and accurately determined the fair winner. It takes a long time to make and buy 30 ingredients, but after succeeding a batch you are really rewarded.

originally posted by: Granite
a reply to: ketsuko

He won a Food Network competition among four master chefs at Getty House in Malibu, CA in case you want to watch that archived show.

His molle sauce was the kicker that put him in first place. The judges were experts and accurately determined the fair winner. It takes a long time to make and buy 30 ingredients, but after succeeding a batch you are really rewarded.

Any Rick fans should watch this. Not only was he a superb cook, he was a superb PERSON.

originally posted by: Granite
a reply to: ketsuko

He won a Food Network competition among four master chefs at Getty House in Malibu, CA in case you want to watch that archived show.

His molle sauce was the kicker that put him in first place. The judges were experts and accurately determined the fair winner. It takes a long time to make and buy 30 ingredients, but after succeeding a batch you are really rewarded.

If you are talking about the Top Chef Masters season, my husband and I watched the whole season. He always seemed like a genuinely nice guy throughout, but it's hard to tell with reality TV. He made the Oaxacan black mole though if it's the competition you are referring to. It looked really super.

a reply to: ketsuko

There are so many identical shows these days it is difficult to remember precisely. Getty Mansion was definitely the location though...I live in Socal and worked on Getty Museum during construction.
The only Oaxacan restaurant in Socal is near LA airport on Sepulveda cross street is Inglewood Blvd. Been there 30 times...I rate it 11 out 10...food is incredible. A Oaxacan girl makes fresh tortillas in the dining area. Let's girls make their own.
Full bar too.
Teresa's Mosaic Cafe.
ETA it closed a year ago.

a reply to: Granite

Yelp report's it has closed a year ago...