Rick Bayless
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| Rick Bayless | |
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| Born | November 1953 (age 54–55) Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States |
| Cooking style | Mexican cuisine |
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Rick Bayless (born November 23, 1953)[1] is an American chef who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is, perhaps, best known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time and the Food Network series Iron Chef America.
Bayless was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, into a family of restaurateurs specializing in the local barbecue. Having begun his culinary training as a youth, he broadened his interests to include regional Mexican cooking as an undergraduate student of Spanish and Latin American culture.
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[edit] Professional career
After hosting the 26-part PBS television series Cooking Mexican in 1978-1979, Bayless dedicated over six years to culinary research in Mexico, culminating in 1987 with the publication of his Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico, which Craig Claiborne described as "the greatest contribution to the Mexican table imaginable."
In 1987, Bayless, along with his wife, Deann, opened the Frontera Grill in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in contemporary regional Mexican cuisine. In 1989 they opened Topolobampo, one of America's first fine-dining Mexican restaurants.
In 1995, he and partners started the successful Frontera Foods line of prepared food products.
He was one of the founding members of Chefs Collaborative, in support of environmentally sound agricultural practices and is active in Share Our Strength, the nation's largest hunger advocacy organization.
Bayless is a restaurant consultant and teaches authentic Mexican cooking throughout the United States. He is a visiting staff member at the Culinary Institute of America and leads cooking and cultural tours to Mexico.
Bayless has written several cookbooks on the subject of traditional Mexican fare, including the best-selling Mexico: One Plate at a Time. He has also contributed to a number of magazines.
Bayless and his staff also began the Frontera Farmer Foundation[1] in 2003. This foundation was set up to support local farmers by offering capital improvement grants. As of 2007, more than $400,000 has been given to local family farms.
In 2005, Bayless competed on Iron Chef America and lost to Iron Chef Bobby Flay on what was the first broadcast episode of season 1, with buffalo as the secret ingredient.
Bayless was also a guest judge in episode 3 of Season 4's Top Chef, judging both the quickfire and elimination challenges.
Bayless is the brother of ESPN personality and sports journalist Skip Bayless.
[edit] Controversy and competition
In 2003, Bayless courted controversy when he signed on to endorse fast-food giant, Burger King. [2] In TV commercials, the grinning chef could be seen "mmm-mmming" over the fast-food chain's line of "low-fat" chicken baguette sandwiches. Because of Bayless' past advocacy of "slow food" and organic ingredients, many dedicated "foodies" were critical of what appeared to be a commercial endorsement.[3]
While Frontera Grill and Topolobampo remain Chicago culinary landmarks, they both face increasing competition from restaurants offering alta cocina mexicana (Mexican haute cuisine), operated by native Mexicans and/or accomplished alumni chefs from his kitchens. Much of the interest in regional and high-quality Mexican food in Chicago, though, was created by Bayless.
[edit] Awards and accolades
- Best New Chef of 1988, Food and Wine magazine
- Best American Chef: Midwest 1991, James Beard Foundation
- National Chef of the Year 1995, James Beard Foundation
- Chef of the Year 1995, International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP)
- Cookbook of the Year, 1996, IACP, for Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen
- Cookbook of the Year, 1996, National Julia Child Cookbook Awards, for Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen
- Cookbook of the Year, 1996, Chicago Tribune, for Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen
- Humanitarian of the year 1998, James Beard Foundation
- Cookbook of the Year in 2001, James Beard Foundation, for Mexico: One Plate at a Time
- Best Chef Midwest (CHICAGO) of 2002, James Beard Foundation
- Who’s Who of American Food and Drink
- Humanitarian of the Year IACP 2007
- Frontera Grill won Outstanding Restaurant from the James Beard Foundation 2007
Frontera Grill was ranked the third-best casual dining restaurant in the world by the International Herald Tribune
[edit] Bibliography
- Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico (1987)
- Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisine (1996)
- Salsas That Cook : Using Classic Salsas To Enliven Our Favorite Dishes (1998)
- Mexico: One Plate at a Time (book) (2000)
- Mexico: One Plate at a Time (television series) (2003 - present)
- Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures (2004)
- Mexican Everyday (2005)
