Fiesta time! Chef Rick Bayless tours the 'burbs, nation, promoting book

For a chef whose latest book touts entertaining at home, Rick Bayless hasn't been around the house much.

Bayless, chef/founder of three of Chicago's top Mexican restaurants, winner of Bravo's "Top Chef Masters," James Beard Best Chef awardee, humanitarian and proponent of sustainable farming efforts, has been busy promoting his newest book, "Fiesta at Rick's."

He's pitched the book - his first to break The New York Times Best Sellers List - on the QVC online shopping channel, signed books at a Naperville book shop and recently demonstrated a handful of recipes for the wine club at Cooper's Hawk Winery in South Barrington.

He's also in the midst of a five-week "Fiesta" series on Martha Stewart Living Radio (the last two episodes air at 8 p.m. today and Aug. 11 on Sirius XM) and in May cooked for a four-course state dinner at the White House for Mexico President Felipe Calderon.

In "Fiesta at Rick's," Bayless shares more than 150 recipes that guide hosts from a pre-dinner drinks party to a paella extravaganza for the whole neighborhood.

"'Fiesta at Rick's' is a complete departure from any of the other books that I have written," Bayless said. "I wanted to include a timeline, resources, playlists - everything that it takes to throw a great fiesta!"

He said the book is based on an idea he had for season six of his award-winning PBS show, "Mexico - One Plate at a Time."

"We shot the whole series in my back yard - all based around these great parties. I thought it would be a great book," he says. "I love to entertain. I really do. We have people over all the time and to me, that is the most important part of good food - who you share it with."

He said recipes in the book make larger quantities, but are still geared for home cooks.

"Some of the recipes and parties are far-reaching, but I like to include ideas that push people a little to see what they can do!"

Thought you knew guacamole? Think again. Bayless serves up a half-dozen recipes for the iconic dip that incorporate items like smoky bacon, toasted pumpkin seeds or subtly sweet mango purée.

Margaritas are freshened with blood orange or cucumber and gussied up with Champagne for the perfect brunch cocktail. Little tips - for instance, skip the salted rim and shake your sodium directly into the drink - make you look like a fiesta master. And soft drinks made from puckery tamarind, fresh watermelon, or rice and almonds bring Mexico to your backyard.

In chapters arranged by type of dish - for instance, "nibbles" or tapas, or street food - Bayless takes home cooks from basic lime-and-onion ceviche to red chili tuna tartare, from butterflied whole fish marinated in chilies, garlic and soy sauce to a tequila-spiked paella for 30.

Bayless espouses fresh ingredients and painstaking techniques, but aspiring chefs with more dreams than time will appreciate his concession to daily realities with substitutions like frozen tamarind for fresh and recipes such as "easy" mole, made in the slow-cooker.

Full-blown fiesta menus end each chapter, offering step-by-step plans for a party, including the luxury guacamole bar that helped Bayless win the first season of "Top Chef Masters."

With the ink still wet on "Fiesta at Rick's," Bayless has already begun work on his next book that will look at the 25-year history - with recipes, of course - of Chicago's Topolobampo and Frontera Grill.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

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<h1>Recipes</h1>

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<li><a href="/story/?id=398029" class="mediaItem"> Beef and Potato Salad with Smoky Chipotle </a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=398028" class="mediaItem">Crispy Flank Steak Shreds with Crispy Onion and Red Chile Salsa</a></li>

<li><a href="/story/?id=398027" class="mediaItem">Yucatecan Ceviche with Shrimp, Squid and Habanero</a></li>

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<p class="News"><b>What I learned from Rick Bayless</b></p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">For a kid who grew up in Oklahoma, Rick Bayless' knowledge of Mexican cuisine runs deeper than a Yucatán cenote. In his books and at his personal appearances he enthusiastically shares what he's been learning since he was a 14-year-old boy visiting Mexico City.</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Here are some of the things I recently learned from Rick Bayless:</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Adobo sauce: That thick sauce that coats canned chipotle peppers will punch up your favorite barbecue sauce. "Everyone will want you to bring your homemade barbecue sauce."</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Avocados: Ripen on the counter, then put in the fridge until you use it. To determine ripeness, press the bulbous end, since it ripens last.</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Cilantro: Don't worry about pulling the leaves from the stems and don't chop it all to bits, "you'll just get mush on your cutting board." Make sure the herb is dry and then slice from the top of the leafy ends to where the stems get thicker. </p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">White onions: This is the onion used in Mexican cuisine and should not be confused with a yellow onion or a sweet onion. If you rinse the onion off after you've sliced off the ends, the sulfuric acid that causes your eyes to water washes away.</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col">Soup: Broth-based soups are a cornerstone of Mexican meals. "If you don't have soup, you haven't eaten the main meal of the day."</p>

<p class="factboxtext12col"><i>Deborah Pankey</i></p>