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Comcast 189
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Comcast 190
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Comcast 191 & 621
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Comcast 192
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More from KQED
Mexico - One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless
When Rick sets out to explore the distinct flavors that animate and define Mexican cuisine, the journey takes him anywhere from the famous chorizo stalls in Toluca to the cliffs of Acapulco to the bustling markets in Mexico City.
Upcoming Broadcasts:
Yucatan Snack-A-Thon (#509)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Who wouldn't like to snack from dawn to dusk on all kinds of Yucatecan specialties? Just ask Rick and Lanie for some noshing tips. They start their adventure on the main square in Merida smack in the middle of the local, nightly dance-a-thon surrounded by food vendors. They both fall under the charms of Marquesitas, a crispy wafer rolled around cheese and cajeta. Rick shares the recipe with us from a confidenciales chair - the unique park bench designed for whispering secrets to your loved one. The journey continues as they indulge in early morning treats including tortas, panuchos and impossible cake (chocolate cake topped with flan) from the Santa Ana market. Inspired, they make Salbutes (corn tortillas topped with tangy shredded chicken) in their home kitchen. At Eladio's, a centro botanero (a lively restaurant that serves small plates) in downtown Merida, they enjoy the dancing and a whole table filled with snacks and Dzik, lime-marinated shredded beef. At home, Rick makes the cold beef salad and spikes it with a little habanero chile before scooping it up onto crispy tortilla chips.
Channels and Airdates:
Modern Mayan (#510)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Rick finds wandering through the ancient Mayan ruins of Uxmal a humbling and inspiring experience. The Mayans built a great civilization with pyramids, temples, plazas and breathtaking expanses. And their spirit lives on - and it's experiencing a rebirth in the Yucatan today - in revitalized food, art and architecture. We get a glimpse of the rebirth at Los Dos, a cooking school in Merida, run by David Sterling, which specializes in classic Mayan food updated for this century. Rick joins David at his beautiful school as he teaches his chilled version of Sopa de Lima topped with a panucho of lime-marinated chicken salad. Then we look at the high-style of the Riviera Maya from the rooftop of the ultra-modern Hotel Basico in Playa del Carmen. Back on the ground in Merida, the cuisine of Nectar Restaurant soars. This ultra-modern dining room with its open-air kitchen is run by two chefs that study with some of the most inventive rule-breaking chefs in the world. Rick samples their Consomme of Cochinita Pibil and Oat Risotto with Recado Negro. Energized by Mexico, Rick takes us behind the scenes at his fine-dining restaurant, Topolobampo, to show us his own thrilling modern Mayan dish, Cilantro Salmon with Smoky Tomato-Habanero Lasagne.
Channels and Airdates:
Tacos Hola! (#710)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
We find Rick and his daughter, Lanie, at the Mexico City's colorful Sonora Market, an emporium of medicinal herbs and the best place in town to buy cazuelas, the beautifully rustic earthenware cooking and serving casseroles that define a whole class of stews and taco fillings. We tend to think of taquerias for their familiar grilled and griddled fillings, like carne asada. But, Rick explains, there's a whole world of stands and shops that have no grill at all and specialize in satisfyingly homey, slow-cooked fillings made in cazuelas with everything from stewed meat to richly flavorful vegetables. Rick and Lanie check out El Guero, a Mexico City institution, popularly known as "Tacos Hola!," that specializes in slow-cooked taco fillings. Back home in Chicago, Rick and Lanie plan a cazuela-taco dinner. Lanie throws together a quick Pork with Smoky Tomato Sauce and Potatoes in the crockpot before heading off to school. By dinnertime, it'll be meltingly tender and richly flavored. Meanwhile, Rick gathers some chard in the garden, offering a quick intro to the care and tending of this hearty, easy-to-grow vegetable. Then, he turns his harvest into a filling of Creamy Braised Chard, Potatoes and Poblanos and also prepares a Veracruz-Flavored Chilled Seafood. The three fillings, mounded in those charming cazuelas from the Sonora Market, form the centerpiece for a cozy dinner with friends and family.
Channels and Airdates:
Paste Sensations (#511)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
How do you transform a simple piece of fresh fish into a gorgeous Yucatecan specialty? It's all in the magic paste, says Rick, as he takes us to the Merida market to explore the region's colorful, aromatic essential seasoning pastes (or recados). These magical mounds of spice blends become the base for grilling rubs, the heart and soul of tamales, the seasoning for all kinds of food wrapped in banana leaves and the flavoring undercurrent for tangy escabeches and slow-simmered stews. We journey from an achiote tree to the commercial grinders for the seeds to Rick's home to understand this aromatic, alluring spice so beloved in the Yucatan. Rick shows us how to make our own Achiote Seasoning Paste, and then use it for Short Ribs Kabik. Then we make the garlicky "Bistec" Seasoning Paste to use in the stunning dish of Grilled Chicken in Escabeche. The journey ends in Manu for a bowl of pavo en relleno negro, a local specialty of turkey and stuffing flavored with the exotic jet-black paste of charred chiles.
Channels and Airdates:
Show Me The Honey (#512)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Yucatecan honey is renowned for its glorious color and rich flavor. Rick finds it everywhere from the Merida market stalls to the breakfast buffet at an upscale hotel where the whole honeycomb slowly drips its amber syrup for ladling over fruit and cereal. At home, Rick uses the golden syrup in his Mexican-Style Granola and in the pasilla chile-spiked glaze for a sublime Grilled Rack of Lamb. On the Riviera Maya, we visit Xcaret, a nature park, for a look at the hollow-log hives of the native stingless bees so beloved by the Maya for their honey. At Hacienda Vista Alegre in Merida, honey is the main ingredient in a honey-anise liqueur called Xtabentun. Rick leads us through the liqueur-making process then goes home to make a fabulous White Chocolate Ice Cream flavored with the liqueur.
Channels and Airdates:
Hacienda Renaissance (#513)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
The story of the Mexican hacienda sounds like it came from mythology - like one of those morality tales about the fleeting nature of wealth and glory. It begins with the feudal system where generations of Maya worked the fields for wealthy Spanish landowners. The era peaked in the Yucatan in the late 19th century with the world's demand for henequen - or sisal - made from a local agave plant. Today, the hacienda is being reborn - as museums for a glimpse into the past, as production facilities for fine rums and liqueurs and as luxury hotels. We join Rick on a field trip through the golden era of the haciendas and then go to his home kitchen to make the classic Mayan-Spanish-European fusion dishes Yucatecan Black Bean Dinner and Capered Chicken. Hacienda San Jose, a luxury resort, inspires Rick's rendition of Achiote-Seared Shrimp.
Channels and Airdates:
Return to Hacienda (#601)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
The 19th Century was the golden age of the Mexican hacienda, and today, some of these great plantation estates live on as luxury resorts. Rick and his wife, Deann, stayed in one of them, Hacienda San Jose in the Yucatan, and we get a glimpse of the lush grounds, beautifully restored buildings, rustic-elegant furnishings, and hearty, hacienda cooking. Tonight, Rick's hosting a dinner party in Chicago-a reunion with the two other couples who joined them at the hacienda-with a menu and mood designed to bring home the flavors and memories they shared. The dining room is transformed with tropical flowers and candles, and the party begins with Champagne Margaritas, Rick's luxury take on Mexico's favorite cocktail. Then, the guests sit down to a soulful yet sophisticated menu, starting with a creamy Roasted Chile-Potato Soup with Greens and Chorizo, followed by Braised Short Ribs with Arbol Chiles, White Beans, Mushrooms and Beer garnished with a delicate frisee salad. And for dessert, there's the seemingly impossible Pastel Imposible-also known as Chocoflan-a chocolate cake and custard confection whose layers magically reverse themselves in the pan during baking. It's a dinner party that's extra-special, but not extra-fancy-and every bit as magical as the evenings Rick and his friends enjoyed in "hacienda heaven."
Channels and Airdates:
A Whole New Enchilada (#711)
Duration:
26:48 CC Stereo TVG
Rick's out to dispel the notion that an enchilada is all about smothering tortillas in sauce and gooey cheese. At Cafe Azul y Oro in Mexico City, he shows us the iconic Mexican version of the dish: a corn tortilla in a red mole sauce and rolled around a light, simple chicken filling. From that classic formula things can, of course, get more inventive and Rick shares with us one of the more unusual, though still classically grounded enchiladas on Chef Ricardo Munoz-Zurita's menu: an enchilada of jamaica, or dried hibiscus flowers that tastes like a cross between pickled beets and cabbage. From there he takes us to Cafe Tacuba, a Mexico City Institution since 1912, where the signature Enchilada Especial is a comforting concoction with a chicken, spinach and poblano chile filling, bathed in veloute sauce and browned under the broiler. It's so good, he can't resist showing us how to make his one Cafe Tacuba-Style Creamy Chicken Enchiladas in his home kitchen in Chicago. Back in Mexico City, he brings us to another hallowed enchilada eatery, the Casa de las Enchiladas, for a lesson in the four "pillars" of enchilada construction: the tortilla, the filling, the sauce, and the garnish. Here, diners get to build their own enchilada by choosing from several options in each category. That gives Rick an idea: in the kitchen of his fine-dining restaurant, Topolobampo, he challenges his chefs to design a new enchilada special for the restaurant - each choosing a "pillar" to work on. In a fast-paced, reality-style race to the finish, the chefs create a surprising dish, proving in the process that a "whole enchilada" is greater than the sum of its parts.
Channels and Airdates:
A Man, A Pan, Paella! (#602)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
A lot of people know how to have a few guests over for a gourmet meal. And a lot of people know how to feed a big crowd a not-very-gourmet meal. Rick shows you how to plan a fiesta that's both big and gourmet. And he focuses on the Spanish influence on Mexican culture with a spectacular menu for 25 that features Mexican takes on Spanish classics. For starters, there's a sparkling Sangria Mexicana accented with lime juice. Then along comes a chilled Roasted Poblano Gazpacho with fresh garnishes that's made ahead and assembled at the last minute so the vegetables stay nice and crisp. Then, it's a Mexican accent on that most iconic Spanish main dish of all, Mexican Paella with Shrimp, Mussels and Chorizo, and it's not just the main course, it's the party entertainment. First he shows how to construct a simple outdoor brick fire pit, custom-built for an enormous three-foot paella pan. Then into the pan go pound after pound of chicken, seafood, rice, roasted chiles and chorizo, which simmer slowly over the embers as the guests gather around the fire. For dessert, there's a creamy "Cafe de Olla" Flan with the clever, Mexican-inspired addition of spiced coffee. Rick shares helpful entertaining tips every step of the way, from how to do salad for a crowd (hint: avoid the baby greens) to choosing olive oil. From the cooking to the meal itself, this paella party gives a whole meaning to "entertaining."
Channels and Airdates:
Beach Blanket Barbecue (#603)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
It's a barefoot-on-the-beach dinner party cooked, served and eaten outdoors. But the catch of the day is ... there's no beach! Instead, Rick and his family create a little Mexican seaside nirvana right in their Chicago backyard, complete with a cabana improvised from billowing white curtains, muslin draped overhead, white table linens, sparkling Mexican candles and orchids. And the food is as inviting as the mood, because it all comes from the grill, starting with Rick's Grilled Garlic and Orange Guacamole, which gets its smoky flavor from flame-seared onions, garlic and jalapenos. Then come Grilled Mussels, cooked right on the grill grates, topped with tomatillo salsa and served as a passed appetizer. The main event is succulent Grill-Roasted Whole Fish Adobado marinated in sweet-spicy ancho chile adobo, grilled and served whole and sizzling, with a potatoes and onions, cooked in a "hobo-pack" right on the grill. Even the dessert gets the "beach-barbecue" treatment-it's homemade Grilled Cornmeal Pound Cake toasted on the still-warm grill and served with ice cream and fresh fruit salsa. Rick even provides a playlist of Latin favorites to match the mood. Conclusion: with a few good recipes and a little imagination, a Mexican seaside fiesta is just a barbecue and a boombox away.
Channels and Airdates:
Let's Do Brunch (#604)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
With a houseful of weekend guests, Rick and his daughter, Lanie, whip up an extra-special brunch buffet that turns Sunday morning into a mini Mexican vacation, inspired by the relaxed breakfasts they've enjoyed all over Mexico. Just for fun, they set up a hotel-style omelet station, complete with a propane burner, in the dining room-a great way for the host to join in the party-where Rick makes individual Chorizo and Chile Omelets to order as the guests sip orange juice. The buffet also includes Chilaquiles, a comforting casserole of crispy tortillas, softened in a rich, brothy chile sauce with shredded chicken and sour cream. And because it wouldn't be brunch without coffee, Rick serves his press-pot version of Cafe de Olla, coffee sweetened with Mexican brown sugar and perfumed with spices and orange zest. It's the perfect accompaniment for a Caramelized Mango Tart with Mexican Chocolate and Pepitas, an easy free-form fruit tart with a wrap-around pastry crust. Throughout the preparations and the party, Rick gives all kinds of helpful entertaining tips on everything from buffet-table tricks and making omelets for a crowd to cool Latin tunes to go with the menu.
Channels and Airdates:
Taquisa for Ten (#605)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
From street stalls to bustling taquerias and morning to midnight, tacos are Mexico's favorite mini-meal-a few blissful bites of something thrillingly savory, wrapped in a soft, fragrant tortilla. And it turns out they're also a perfect party food. Rick and his daughter, Lanie, plan a backyard taquisa-a taco buffet centered around one of the greatest taco fillings of all, Michoacan-Style Pork Carnitas, chunks of pork, slowly simmered in oil until they're crisp and golden on the outside and succulent inside. Rick shows us how it's done in Mexico in giant copper cauldrons, and then brings that idea home with the help of a surprising, cooking device-a turkey fryer. For pre-party nibbles, he shows how to turn salad-bar veggies into Mexican "Crudite" Platter, with the addition of a little store-bought chicharrones (pork cracklings) and chamoy, a sweet-sour apricot hot sauce-flavors that go perfectly with his beer and hot sauce Micheladas. In the spirit of a true taquisa, Rick makes fresh corn tortillas on a hot griddle. To round out the buffet, there are black beans, Guacamole flavored with sun-dried tomatoes and salsa, and everyone tucks into their tacos at little tables set up around the yard, taqueria-style. The meal ends with another street-food favorite, homemade Fruit "Mojito" Ice Pops made with fresh lime juice, mint and berries.
Channels and Airdates:
Chorizo Made Easy (#712)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Chorizo, the succulent pork sausage seasoned with chiles, spices and a touch of vinegar, is the "bacon of Mexico" - the perfect accompaniment for eggs and, like bacon, a versatile ingredient for cooking that can give any dish a serious head start on flavor. At his neighborhood Mexican grocery in Chicago, Rick shows us fresh-made chorizo sold at the butcher counter and talks about how it is made. Buying a batch of the sausage to take home, he quickly turns it into a Caramelized Onion and Chorizo to use for a taco filling. Then he transforms that full-flavored mixture into a dressing for a Chorizo Spinach Salad with jicama, a Mexican-style take on the classic wilted spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. At the Medellin Market in Mexico City, he introduces us to green chorizo, a popular 20th-century innovation from the town of Toluca, made with fresh herbs and cilantro, now enjoyed all over Mexico. In the U.S., it's not easy to find. So, in his home kitchen, Rick shows how to make it from scratch, and then puts it to use in a classic way: Green Queso Fundido, a warm fondue-like melted cheese dip. Then it's back to Mexico City and the high-style Paxia restaurant where we get a look at the chef's whimsical, thoroughly modern reinterpretation of chorizo and eggs: tiny quail eggs served on dollops of light, frothy chorizo mousse. That prompts Rick to share with us his own "chorizo revisited" signature at his fine-dining restaurant, Topolobampo -Seafood Chorizo, a delicate poached seafood sausage, seared and served over a tangle of salad greens.
Channels and Airdates:
Ice Cream Social Skills (#606)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
To celebrate a friend's birthday, Rick reinvents a tradition from his Oklahoma childhood: the ice cream social, where everyone brought a batch of homemade ice cream, right in the hand-churned freezer in which it was made. Inspired by the infinitely varied frozen treats and sweets of Mexico, Rick prepares three fresh takes of his own. First, there's a Mexican Chocolate Chile Ice Cream, with a one-two punch of creamy-coolness and spicy heat. Then he makes Watermelon-Raspberry Raspado, Mexico's version of shaved ice, with the refreshing addition of fresh mint from his herb garden, served over a splashy tropical fruit salsa. And just for fun, he throws in a third concoction, Ate con Queso Ice Cream, a tribute to the flavors of fruit and cheese that's as easy as stirring Mexican quince paste into store-bought vanilla ice cream. He even makes his own homemade Ice Cream Cones. And along the way, he provides a party playlist of some of his favorite Latin music discoveries, as well as tips on setting up the buffet and keeping everything well-chilled. It's a birthday ice cream social a la Mexicana. And that makes for one cool party.
Channels and Airdates:
Seafood Cocktail Party (#607)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Who says cocktail parties have to be dressy, mood-lit affairs? Rick's decided to reinvent cocktails with friends as an informal outdoor party. His menu, on this summer Sunday afternoon, is all about seafood and ice cold drinks. And his themes are simplicity, fun and freshness, inspired by Mexican deep-sea fishing trips where your catch is transformed into the ultimate ceviche right on the beach. Rick brings that feeling home with a Mexican raw-bar menu that includes a Roasted Tomato Shrimp Cocktail, and two ceviches: a simple Tropical Beach Ceviche made with scallops, and a Yucatecan-inspired Salt-and-Pepper Ceviche. And since no raw bar would be complete without oysters, he shows viewers how to buy, shuck and serve Fresh Raw Oysters, complete with his favorite hot sauces. Musing that beer and mojitos would be the perfect drinks to go with this beach-casual menu, he combines the two in an inspired bit of mixology he calls Tecate Mojitos. Along the way, his creative serving tips-like using votive holders as individual serving cups or making dramatic ice molds that look cool and keep the food well chilled-and do-ahead shopping, chopping and prep strategies make this fresh take on the cocktail party as easy as a walk on the beach.
Channels and Airdates:
The Whole Tamalada (#608)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Tamales are Rick's idea of the perfect party food: little gift-wrapped packages of light fluffy masa dough with a whole fiesta's-worth of sweet and savory flavors inside. And in Mexico, when family and friends get together for a tamalada-a tamal-making party, the cooking's as much a part of the celebration as the eating. After a look at how tamales are hand-made in a traditional shop in Puerto Vallarta, Rick shows viewers how to pull off a tamalada for a crowd, where the guests roll up their sleeves and take part in the filling, the wrapping and best of all, the feasting. There are Fresh Sweet Corn Tamales made with sweet corn and butter, and two kinds of classic Savory Tamales filled with red chile pork and green chile chicken. As these bundles steam and fill the house with fantastic aromas, the guests enjoy Apple-Tamarind Cooler or, with the addition of some beer, a Mexican Snakebite, and Rick serves up bowlfuls of Caldo de Camaron, a spicy made-ahead shrimp soup with potatoes and dried pasilla chiles. This tamalada is as much about cooking together as it is about eating together. And that's one great packaged deal.
Channels and Airdates:
Summer and Smoke (#609)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
It's a hot, Midwestern summer day. The mood is slow and easy, and the garden's in overdrive. So Rick decides to beat the heat and get out of the kitchen with a mostly made-ahead backyard cookout a la Mexicana, inspired by one of his world-favorite meat eateries: El Canelo, near Guadalajara. It's a sprawling outdoor restaurant with dirt floors and strolling Mariachis, where slabs of succulent pork, lamb, goat and beef roast slowly on spikes in a walk-in wood-fired pit. And it's wood, not charcoal, that gives the meat its unforgettable smoky flavor, so Rick gives us a quick lesson in setting up a home grill for wood-fired cooking. The menu is as casual as it is mouthwatering. For starters, there's an Heirloom Tomato "Carpaccio" with tomatillo, avocado and fresh herbs-a salad made with tomatoes grown in "Earth Boxes" (part of a groundbreaking educational program that teaches sustainable practices to kids all over the world) . And then, there's the cookout: sizzling Carne Asada Brava-rib eye steak marinated with serrano chiles and lime juice, seared over wood embers, sliced and served with homemade Salsa Huevona, fresh tortillas and beans. For dessert, Rick combines two of summertime's greatest treats-ice cream and corn-to make a Sweet Corn Ice Cream with berry salsa, inspired by some of his favorite ice cream shops in Mexico. And since this fiesta's all about simplicity, he shows how easy it is to set the mood with music, offering a playlist of some of his favorite Latin "finds." It's an irresistible take on summertime entertaining: shorts and T-shirts, robust flavors, and plenty of relaxed fun-for the guests and the host.
Channels and Airdates:
Liquid Gold (#713)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Rick and his daughter, Lanie, check out a fabulous fish fillet at a neighborhood restaurant in Mexico City, and then, at a seafood street stall, they get rapturous over a plate of succulent garlicky prawns that rivals the best scampi in the world. The common denominator of these two dishes? It's one of the cornerstones of Mexican cooking, Mojo de Ajo (literally, "bath of garlic") - a sauce made by slowly simmering garlic in olive oil and seasoning it with lime and chiles. Back home in Chicago, Rick shows us how he plants, grows and cures this flavorful garlic variety, then uses some to make a big batch of Mojo de Ajo - a jar of "liquid gold" to keep on hand for enhancing just about anything. First, he uses some of it to make Mixiotes of Woodland Mushrooms with Slow-Cook Garlic and Mexican Herbs, bathed in mojo and baked in parchment. Then Lanie uses a little more to make her favorite snack, fresh-popped Garlicky Popcorn with Mexican Queso Anejo "buttered" with mojo and sprinkled with chile powder. Now it's Rick's turn to whip up a quick Seared Fish Fillets in Fruity, Nutty, Garlicky Mojo. And finally, Lanie helps him make a favorite family specialty: Garlicky Linguine with Seared Shrimp, Chipotle and Mexican Aged Cheese. It all adds up to this: a splash of mojo de ajo can be the Midas touch that turns just about any ingredient into culinary gold.
Channels and Airdates:
Barbacoa Block Party (#610)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
The Baylesses love to feed a crowd. And one of their favorite ways to do it is firing up the Mexican-style barbecue pit they built in their Chicago backyard, inspired in part by the 3,000 seat Arroyo restaurant in Mexico City, where the pit-cooked lamb and pork make every meal a carnivore's carnival ride. At Arroyo, we catch a glimpse of barbacoa-lamb wrapped in maguey leaves, slowly roasted in a massive brick pit. And with that mouthwatering memory in mind, Rick and his daughter, Lanie, prepare a block party for 25, featuring Oaxacan-style Barbacoa-lamb marinated with red chiles, wrapped in avocado and banana leaves and slow-roasted in the smoldering pit. To welcome the lucky friends and neighbors, there are refreshingly simple Watermelon Coolers and freshly made Tlayudas Oaxaquenas, Oaxacan-style grilled tostadas, topped with chorizo, guacamole and fresh cheese. Then there's the moment of truth, as the pit is opened, the leaves are peeled back, and the guests applaud the unveiling of the fragrant, juicy meat. It's served up buffet-style along with black beans, salad and warm tortillas. And for dessert, there's Lanie's easy Mexican Fresh Lime Ice-and a band of strolling mariachis to make the celebration even sweeter.
Channels and Airdates:
Fiesta in the Fast Lane (#611)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Rick's having people over for a relaxed evening of parlor games. He doesn't want to spend all day cooking. But still, he wants it to be special. So he's set himself a challenge: in one hour, with one bag of groceries, he'll pull off a big-flavored spread of Mexican party food. The secret is starting with great prepared ingredients and combining them to make something exciting and new. That means finger-food like little Tuna in Jalapeno Escabeche filled with good-quality canned tuna, quickly warmed with vinegar, onions and pickled jalapenos. It means using canned chipotles to transform ordinary nuts into spicy-smoky Chipotle Roasted Nuts, and doctoring tortilla chips with lime juice and seasonings, and then baking them to make Garlicky Black Pepper Tortilla Chips. And it means an ultra-easy Wild Mushroom Queso Fundido, a hot cheese dip made extra-flavorful with a splash of beer. From a few avocados and a handful of grocery store ingredients, Rick whips up a sweet-spicy Mango Guacamole and a nutty Pumpkinseed Guacamole. And for drinks, he shares his restaurant's classic recipe for Topolo Margaritas with fresh lime and blanco tequila. It's a race to the finish-a one-bag fiesta that's fun, flavorful and, best of all, fast.
Channels and Airdates:
Tacos Hola! (#710H)
Duration:
26:46 Stereo TVG
We find Rick and his daughter, Lanie, at the Mexico City's colorful Sonora Market, an emporium of medicinal herbs and the best place in town to buy cazuelas, the beautifully rustic earthenware cooking and serving casseroles that define a whole class of stews and taco fillings. We tend to think of taquerias for their familiar grilled and griddled fillings, like carne asada. But, Rick explains, there's a whole world of stands and shops that have no grill at all and specialize in satisfyingly homey, slow-cooked fillings made in cazuelas with everything from stewed meat to richly flavorful vegetables. Rick and Lanie check out El Guero, a Mexico City institution, popularly known as "Tacos Hola!," that specializes in slow-cooked taco fillings. Back home in Chicago, Rick and Lanie plan a cazuela-taco dinner. Lanie throws together a quick Pork with Smoky Tomato Sauce and Potatoes in the crockpot before heading off to school. By dinnertime, it'll be meltingly tender and richly flavored. Meanwhile, Rick gathers some chard in the garden, offering a quick intro to the care and tending of this hearty, easy-to-grow vegetable. Then, he turns his harvest into a filling of Creamy Braised Chard, Potatoes and Poblanos and also prepares a Veracruz-Flavored Chilled Seafood. The three fillings, mounded in those charming cazuelas from the Sonora Market, form the centerpiece for a cozy dinner with friends and family.
Channels and Airdates:
Tequila Flights and Bites (#612)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Rick's on a mission to tell the world about tequila, and he's starting with a party for 25 at home. But it's not about doing shots and licking salt off your hand. He wants to open people's minds and palates to the complexities of Mexico's smooth, super-premium tequilas made from 100% blue agave-artisanal products on a par with the world's great brandies. So he's planned a tasting with tequila flights and plenty of fun, satisfying food to match. In the town of Tequila, Rick gives us a firsthand look at the production process, from the harvesting and roasting of the agave hearts to fermentation, distilling, and aging. Back in Chicago, he and his daughter, Lanie, get started on what's often called the Mexican party food: a big, bubbling vat of Classic White Pozole, a hearty stew of corn and pork that goes perfectly with the flavor of Tequila. As the Pozole simmers away, Rick and Lanie prepare the rest of the menu: a Help-Yourself Tostada bar with three toppings to welcome the guests, and luscious Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars for dessert. Rick treats his guests to a lively and informative introduction to the essentials of great tequilas. Then everyone gets served a steaming mug of Pozole, topped with all the traditional trimmings, from pork cracklings to homegrown oregano. Put two of Mexico's greatest hits-Tequila and Pozole-together, and you've got a fiesta that really takes flight.
Channels and Airdates:
Street Fare Tonight! (#613)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
After giving viewers a quick on-location crash course in Mexican street food, Rick gets an idea. Why not create a one-night-only Mexican street-food stall right in his Chicago home kitchen as the centerpiece of an unforgettable cocktail party? And with that, he shows how to pull off three authentic Mexican street snacks. There are Molotes Poblanos-miniature blue corn masa turnovers with a choice of fillings: mushroom, potato-chorizo, and roasted poblano chiles with cheese; mouthwatering Tacos de Bistec con Nopales with juicy griddled steak, strips of nopal cactus and a drizzle of spicy tomatillo-arbol salsa; and Huaraches-griddled masa flatbreads, topped like pizzas with chorizo and tomatillo salsa. Rick mixes up some Agua de Jamaica-a bright red hibiscus-flower elixir that's refreshing on its own and a perfect base for Mexican Cosmopolitans-and sets out some cut-up veggies, sprinkled with lime and chile, street vendor-style. And then, he transforms the stove and countertop into a street stall, complete with lights and decorations. The guests mingle in the kitchen (which, after all, is everyone's favorite place to hang out), as Rick finishes the food on the griddle. And the irresistible combination of that made-to-order immediacy and great cocktails makes for a fiesta with some serious Mexican street cred.
Channels and Airdates:
Eat, Drink and Be Merida (#501)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
At one time, the henequen trade made Merida, the capital of the Yucatan, one of the richest cities in the world. Today, its lovely white stuccoed buildings remind us of its opulent past. A horse and carriage ride down the Paseo Montejo will help you understand why Merida was once known as "The Paris of Mexico." Rick takes us on a journey through the Merida market stalls for a look at the blending of Mayan traditions with the Spanish influences. Dishes such as Sikil Pak, a pumpkinseed dip with habanero is totally Mayan, yet still part of Merida's meals today. The market's meat stalls jump-start Rick's surprising roller coaster ride through Merida's food history from simple Pork Picadillo to the baroque Queso Relleno (stuffed cheese) found in all the classic Yucatan restaurants. Along the way, we explore the Lebanese influence on this colonial city where thousands of locals dance in the town square nearly every night of the week.
Channels and Airdates:
Fresh Chiles, Hot & Cool (#502)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
There are days when you want to take it easy and enjoy your favorite comfort food. Others, you just have to turn up the volume. For Rick, that means breaking out the chiles - everything from the Yucatan's beloved habanera with its one-two punch of flavor and heat, to the tamer hot yellow xcatic chiles. Rick turns a bumper crop of habaneros into Vinegary Hot Sauce, Tomato Frito and Xnipec Salsa and then shows how they all pair well with grilled fish! We visit the Merida market for a fresh chile lesson, explore the limestone fields where the habaneros thrive and then hold our breath for a spicy tour of a habanero hot sauce factory. At the Bayless home, chiles are just as likely to show up on scrambled eggs as they are in pot roast. Rick makes a mouthwatering version of Pot-Roasted Pork with yellow chiles, plantains and a hint of brown sugar. Good morning, Yucatan!
Channels and Airdates:
Mysteries of the Deep (#503)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Water is a precious source of life - especially in the Yucatan jungle where there are no rivers or lakes. Rick goes deep, underneath the limestone bedrock, to show us the underground rivers and cenotes (sink holes) found throughout the peninsula. For the Mayans, these holes were freshwater wells they considered sacred. Today, we can explore them up close and personal with a bit of snorkeling gear. Being in all that water makes Rick hungry for one thing - seafood. So he goes topside to deep-sea fish and then enlists the help of a local fisherman to turn his catch of the day into a beachside Ceviche. When deep-sea fishing is not in the cards, Rick takes us to the Merida market for a tour of the prepared seafood offerings including Shrimp a la Vinagreta. To complete his inner beach vacation, we enjoy spiny lobster on the Riviera Maya at the beachside restaurant Oscar y Lalo's. The journey ends in Rick's backyard grill for stunning version of Lobster with Smoky Garlic Mojo.
Channels and Airdates:
A Whole New Enchilada (#711H)
Duration:
26:46 Stereo TVG
Rick's out to dispel the notion that an enchilada is all about smothering tortillas in sauce and gooey cheese. At Cafe Azul y Oro in Mexico City, he shows us the iconic Mexican version of the dish: a corn tortilla in a red mole sauce and rolled around a light, simple chicken filling. From that classic formula things can, of course, get more inventive and Rick shares with us one of the more unusual, though still classically grounded enchiladas on Chef Ricardo Munoz-Zurita's menu: an enchilada of jamaica, or dried hibiscus flowers that tastes like a cross between pickled beets and cabbage. From there he takes us to Cafe Tacuba, a Mexico City Institution since 1912, where the signature Enchilada Especial is a comforting concoction with a chicken, spinach and poblano chile filling, bathed in veloute sauce and browned under the broiler. It's so good, he can't resist showing us how to make his one Cafe Tacuba-Style Creamy Chicken Enchiladas in his home kitchen in Chicago. Back in Mexico City, he brings us to another hallowed enchilada eatery, the Casa de las Enchiladas, for a lesson in the four "pillars" of enchilada construction: the tortilla, the filling, the sauce, and the garnish. Here, diners get to build their own enchilada by choosing from several options in each category. That gives Rick an idea: in the kitchen of his fine-dining restaurant, Topolobampo, he challenges his chefs to design a new enchilada special for the restaurant - each choosing a "pillar" to work on. In a fast-paced, reality-style race to the finish, the chefs create a surprising dish, proving in the process that a "whole enchilada" is greater than the sum of its parts.
Channels and Airdates:
A Pig, A Pit and a Plan (#504)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Cochinita pibil, Yucatan's slow-cooked, banana leaf-wrapped pork specialty that never ceases to inspire Rick, whether he's made it in his slow-cooker, home oven or restaurant kitchen. For Season 5 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time, Rick takes the inspiration to its pinnacle: he digs a pit in his urban backyard, lines it with bricks, builds a big fire, then slow-cooks a whole pig the old-fashioned way. Good thing he invited the neighbors for dinner! We start out with a visit to the small town of Tixkokob to learn the secrets from Silvio Campos, a local pit master known for his Slow-Roasted Achiote Pork. Hint: Don't forget the banana leaves and be sure to cover the pit well. At home, Lanie Bayless lets us in on her secret weapon (a food processor) to easy Pickled Red Onions and Roasted Habanero Salsa. Once the heavy labor is finished, Rick marinates his pig with plenty of achiote and lime juice before he buries it in the backyard. The guests arrive in time for some typical Yucatecan appetizers and margaritas, and then they feast on the tender pork wrapped in fresh tortillas.
Channels and Airdates:
Savoring Citrus (#505)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
There's nothing like a tall glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice -naranjada - it's called in Mexico. Rick takes us on a citrus groove to learn the ins and outs of fresh juice in savory, lip-smacking dishes throughout the Yucatan. We journey to the huge citrus market in Oxkutzkab for a sweet and sour lesson on the lime family tree -from limon to lima, the classic aromatic citrus fruit used to make Sopa de Lima (Classic Yucatecan Lime Soup with crispy tortillas). Lanie teaches Rick a thing or two about the local avocados - from the Noche Buena variety to the Lagunero. At home, they make an Avocado-Mango Salad with a fresh lime juice and pumpkinseed dressing. Then Rick takes us to Tutul Xiu Restaurant in the small town of Man# for their renowned Poc Chuc - quick-grilled thin pieces of pork marinated in sour orange and served with all kinds of crunchy garnishes. At home, Rick roasts whole sweet onions in the embers and then grills the pork over mesquite for a savory citrus dinner that never fails to enchant.
Channels and Airdates:
Tropical Sweet Tooth (#506)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
By now the secret is out: Rick has a sweet tooth for everything from ripe fruit to homemade candies to luscious pies. And when he travels to Mexico, he's on the prowl for it all - lucky for us. We visit 100% Natural, a favorite stop in Playa Del Carmen for tropical fruit juices, creamy yogurt shakes and exotic fruit plates. At home, Rick transforms Mexican papaya into a surprising dessert he calls Caramelized Papaya with Mexican Cheese - think of a tropical version of apple pie with cheddar cheese. Which brings us to pie! Rick reminisces about (and enjoys a piece of) the coconut pie at Alberto's Continental Patio Restaurant in Merida. These days he gets his coconut fix from a fast version of the classic sweet candy Cocadas Horneadas using frozen shredded coconut. In Tixkokob, a local cook teaches us her ethereal version of sweet baked meringues which brings us back to pie. Rick whips up a Mango-Lime Meringue Pie sure to inspire cooks everywhere. If not, do what Rick and Lanie do - sample a bunch of tropical fruit ices at Dulceria de Colon in Merida for the ultimate sweet tooth satisfaction.
Channels and Airdates:
Rick & Jacques: Two Chefs at Playa (#507)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
More people visit the Yucatan peninsula than any other region of Mexico. They mostly come for the fun and the beaches while Rick comes for the cool angle, the story behind the story, the local food and the people. The adventure begins in Playa del Carmen when Rick hooks up with our other favorite Public Television chef, Jacques Pepin. Jacques invites Rick to cook in his vacation home in Playa, but first they enjoy a bite to eat at Jacques' favorite breakfast spot. Then they head to the beach in search of really fresh fish and to debate the merits of barracuda. After a stop at Jacques' favorite local market for produce and chiles, the cooking begins. Rick prepares a salad of grilled cactus, chaya leaves and arugula to top red chile-seared mahi mahi. Jacques sprinkles cumin and Mexican oregano over his pargo (red snapper), grills it whole, and then serves it with his version of a chopped tomato and avocado salsa. The cooking duo join their wives for dinner and lively conversation on the rooftop while the sunsets over a great food day in Playa.
