Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless
The critically acclaimed Public Television series, Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless, brings to life the foods, the flavors, the stories, and the fun of Mexico.
The Whole Enchilada
The word "enchilada" means "in chile," and in Mexico, the most beloved version is a street snack: a corn tortilla dipped in chile sauce that are a far cry from the limp, stuffed tortillas swimming in red sauce and molten cheese in the U.S.
Let's Talk Tacos
Gleefully dispelling the notion that tacos are crispy shells jammed with ground beef and shredded lettuce, Rick takes us on a journey in search of the real thing.
The Straight Cheese on Quesadillas
Accompanied by his 8-year-old daughter, Lanie, Rick pays homage to the magic of melted cheese.
Sopes and Gorditas: Masa Appeal
Every culture has its small bites–sushi, dim sum, tapas, mezze. But in Mexico, these flavorful tidbits fall into a different kind of category: "antojitos," the foods you crave.
Tacos from the Ground Up
Homey tacos de cazuela–soft corn tortillas rolled around fillings simmered slowly in earthenware pots–are the soul of Mexican comfort food. And nothing makes them more appealing than just-baked tortillas.
Ceviche in the Limelight
Rick is out to prove a tasty point about ceviche, the traditional Mexican seafood salad marinated in lime and chiles: it's so ancient, so elemental and so easy, you don't even need a kitchen to make it.
Green Sauce and Tomatillos: Mexican Vine Dining
Rick takes us out to the garden to discover just what a tomatillo is and isn't (hint–it's not very closely related to a tomato), with tips on how to grow tomatillos, what to look for when buying them and how to judge their ripeness.
A la Mexicana: The Soul of Mexican Dining
Call it coincidence or call it fate, but Mexico's national colors–red, white and green–wind up at the center of a whole family of emblematic, home-style "comfort food" dishes, known simply as "a la Mexicana."
Fruit, Aguas, Ices & Paletas: The Ripe Stuff
Fruit is everywhere in Mexico–sweet, colorful and refreshing. And it's sold ripe, so the lush smell of tropical fruit is always in the air.
Rice to the Occasion
Rice is everywhere in Mexico: as the second course in traditional comida, as a beautiful accompaniment to seafood, and more. But it was not always this way. Join Rick as he traces the history of this relative newcomer to the Mexican diet.
Caldo de Pollo and Tortilla Soup: The Super Bowl
Every culture has its soothing, soulful soup, and in Mexico, it's Caldo de Pollo, a light chicken broth flavored with aromatic vegetables and herbs.
Chiles Rellenos and Other Cool Stuff
What makes these stuffed chiles in a golden souffle batter so special? Rick takes us into the Frontera kitchen to show us firsthand.
Fish a la Veracruzana: How to Fish for Compliments
Rick takes us to the port of Veracruz for a look at the city's most famous contribution to Mexican cooking, a fittingly Mediterranean fish preparation known simply as "a la Veracruzana" that features a whole fish baked in a tangy sauce.
Carne Asada: The Great Steak Out
How do you turn a backyard cookout into a party to remember? At Rick's place, you raise the stakes and get the guests involved in the cooking.
Adobo: Chiles Cut and Dried
Chiles are the hot, spicy peppers that are used solely to make Mexican food so incendiary, right? Wrong. Rick deftly debunks the most common myths about the role of chiles in Mexican cooking.
Beans Inside and Out
An exploration of the deceptively complex and varied world of beans, one of Mexico's most ubiquitous staple foods.
Barbacoa and Cochinita Pibil: Down to Earth Cooking
Succulent meat, slowly cooked in pits lined with smoldering embers is the stuff of barbecue dreams.
Mojo and Esacabeche: The Light Fantastic
Authentic Mexican food is fresher, more complex, and especially lighter than most Americans realize. Case in point: two classic Mexican preparations, Mojo and Escabeche.
Three Hot Tamales
Tamales are sold by the steamer-full on street corners and plazas, prepared by the hundreds for parties, eaten as a morning or evening snack, and universally loved. And when it comes to rolling your own, making tamales is easier than you think.
Seafood Stew: The Perfect Warm-Up
It's a total-immersion introduction to seafood stew, as Rick takes us from Chicago's Maxwell Street Mexican Market to the seafood stalls and restaurants of Veracruz where Rick shops for seafood, giving all kinds of helpful tips along the way.
Beyond Chips & Salsa
There's nothing like crispy, warm, homemade tortilla chips, fresh from the fryer. And fresh-made chips deserve fresh-made salsa.
Holy Mole: Mexico City
Richly complex, shrouded in mystery and misconceptions, mole is widely regarded as the crowning achievement of Mexican cooking. Its origins are the stuff of myth and magic and the flavors and techniques come together with remarkable depth.
Chocolate: The Magic Ingredient
Mexico is the birthplace of chocolate, and to the Aztecs, it was the original food of the gods.
Green Mole & Pipian: Lessons of the Mayoras
A tangy, tomatillo-based sauce thickened with toasted pumpkin seeds, pipian verde is served with everything from chicken to fish and seafood in the most sophisticated restaurants and the most humble market fondas.
Cajeta & Flan: Plaza Sweets
Join Rick as he makes goat's milk cajeta, classican Mexican vanilla flan, and more in this master lesson in confection-making.
Pozole: The Life of the Party
Pozole, the slow-cooked stew of corn and pork, is Mexico's number-one party food. Rick shows that preparing pozole is an all-day affair.
