Rick Bayless

Rick Bayless

Chef Rick Bayless giving a cooking demonstration at Macy's in downtown San Francisco in January 2008.
Born (1953-11-23) November 23, 1953
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Education University of Oklahoma (B.A.)
University of Michigan (doctoral work, Anthropological Linguistics)
Children Lane Ann Bayless
Website rickbayless.com

Culinary career

Cooking style Mexican cuisine

Rick Bayless (born November 23, 1953)[1] is an American chef who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is widely known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time.

Early life and education

Bayless was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, into a family of restaurateurs and grocers specializing in the local barbecue. He is the younger brother of sports journalist and television personality, Skip Bayless. Having begun his culinary training as a youth, Bayless broadened his interests to include regional Mexican cooking as an undergraduate student of Spanish and Latin American culture. After finishing his undergraduate education at the University of Oklahoma, he did doctoral work in anthropological linguistics at the University of Michigan and, from 1980 to 1986, lived in Mexico with his wife, Deann, writing his first book, Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico.[2]

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." Bayless continues to host his PBS television series, Mexico: One Plate at a Time, now entering Season 11, produced entirely on the Baja peninsula.

Before opening his own restaurant, Bayless began his professional career in 1980 as the executive chef at Lopez y Gonzalez, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. In 1987 Bayless and his wife Deann opened Frontera Grill in Chicago, Illinois, specializing in contemporary regional Mexican cuisine, with special emphasis on the varied cuisines of the Oaxaca region. In 1989 Rick and Deann opened Topolobampo, one of Chicago's first fine-dining Mexican restaurants. As of 2015, Topolobampo has 1 Michelin star.

In 1995, Rick and partners started the Frontera Foods line of prepared food products. Frontera Foods was sold to ConAgra Foods in 2016. Bayless remains involved as a product-development advisor to the brand. The 'Frontera' restaurants were not included in the deal.[3]

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. Often his TV shows emphasize responsible use of foodstuffs with focus on sustainable farming and cooking.

Rick 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. Fluent in Spanish, Bayless favors coastal (seafood) fare, and dishes that feature very traditional Mexican and pre-Columbian Incan, Mayan and Aztecan ingredients native to Mexico like chocolate, peppers, and vanilla bean.

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[4] in 2003. This foundation was set up to support Chicago-area 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 by one point to Iron Chef Bobby Flay on what was the first broadcast episode of season 1, with American bison meat as the secret ingredient.

In December 2007, Bayless opened Frontera Fresco restaurant in San Francisco.[5]

Bayless appeared as a guest judge in episode 3 of Season 4's Top Chef, judging both the quickfire and elimination challenges. He later went on to become a contestant in episode 3 of the first season of Top Chef Masters, winning that episode and advancing to the Champion's round. In the championship round he won the title of Top Chef Master on August 19, 2009.

In 2008, Bayless was widely considered to be a serious contender for the position of White House Executive Chef under the administration of Barack Obama.[6]

In 2010, after having spent significant time at local Mexican dining spots, Bayless made his LA debut running the kitchen at the Red O.[7]

Bayless was guest chef for the May 19, 2010 White House state dinner honoring Mexican President Felipe Calderón and his wife Margarita Zavala.[8][9][10]

In 2012, Bayless ventured into the world of theatre, partnering with Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago to put on the play "Rick Bayless in Cascabel", which Bayless created along with Tony Hernandez and Heidi Stillman. The show opened on March 21, 2012 to favorable reviews and ran through April 29.[11][12]

Also in 2012, Rick Bayless secured his first Daytime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host for his work on Season 8 of Mexico: One Plate at a Time.

Current restaurants

Awards and accolades

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "''Rick Bayless: winning awards, accolades and appetites - Interview'' by Carolyn Walkup". Findarticles.com. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  2. ↑ Rick Bayless biography - Frontera website
  3. ↑ Channick, Robert (26 September 2016). "Rick Bayless' Frontera Foods sold to ConAgra; chef's brand staying in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  4. ↑ "About Frontera Farmer Foundation: Frontera Farmer Foundation - Rick Bayless | Frontera". Rick Bayless. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  5. ↑ "Frontera Fresco". Frontera Fresco. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  6. ↑ Piazza, Jo, "Chef Executive: Three cooks in the running for Obama's top White House kitchen post", New York Daily News, Sunday, November 9, 2008
  7. ↑ Odell, Kat (January 5, 2010). "Confirmed: Rick Bayless Coming to LA! Heading Kitchen At Both Forthcoming Red Onions". Eater.com.
  8. ↑ "Rick Bayless brings Mexico to the White House kitchen, by way of Chicago" (Christian Science Monitor, May 19, 2010)
  9. ↑ State dinner chef tweets about 'day of creation' (AP, May 19, 2010) Archived May 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ "Rick Bayless' recipe for state dinner black mole" (AP, May 19, 2010)
  11. ↑ "Rick Bayless in Cascabel | Lookingglass Theatre Company". Lookingglasstheatre.org. Retrieved 2012-02-20.
  12. ↑ "Lookingglass Theatre Extends CASCABEL Through April 29". Broadway World. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Golden Beet Award winners announced" (Chicago Tribune, April 14, 2011)
  14. ↑ Wells, Patricia (January 17, 1994). "The Top Ten". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
  15. ↑ Culinary Hall of Fame Induction
  16. ↑
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