Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures

by Rick Bayless, Lanie Bayless

The award-winning chef-proprietor of Chicago's Frontera Grill and his teenage daughter present a multi-generational dialogue on how to bring out a variety of flavors using a range of personalizing techniques and ingredients, in a collection of more than 100 international classical recipes complemented by reminiscences about their shared family and travel experiences.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Rick Bayless has written six cookbooks, including Mexican Everyday and Fiesta at Rick's. His product line of prepared foods is sold coast to coast. With his wife Deann he owns and operates Chicago’s casual Frontera Grill, named “Outstanding Restaurant” by the James Beard Foundation, and the four-star fine-dining Topolobampo. XOCO, a Leed-certified quick-serve restaurant, opened in 2009. He is the host of the public television series Mexico—One Plate at a Time.

Reviews

[Jane Dugger · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very pretty book. The recipes aren't anything I'd make.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read, with lots of interesting-sounding, but approachable recipes.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I hear the name Rick Bayless I immediately think of Mexican food. This book written with his daughter Lanie contains not only Mexican recipes but also other recipes from the Bayless family's traveling cooking adventures and some of the recipes Rick grew up with in his home state of Oklahoma. Not only is this a fun book to cook from it's also a foodies dream book to read. Both Lanie and Rick give their take on how they remember the cooking adventure. At the beginning of each recipe each of them gets a turn to tell you about that particular recipe. Besides Mexico with a side trip to Peru you get recipes and stories from Oklahoma, France with side trips to Italy and Ireland, Morocco - starting in southern Spain, and Thailand with side trips to Japan and Hong Hong.


When I got this book I could barely put it down until I'd read it from cover to cover. Even the introduction is fun to read. In the intro you learn how they came to write the book and that it took several years to finish. As they traveled to many countries they cooked with families and ate in restaurants. When they tried to recreate the recipes at home they kept in mind ingredients that were easily found in the US. For recipes used in the book they used ones family and friends really liked. They also wanted the recipes to be clear enough so that almost anyone could recreate them in their own kitchens. There is also a note from Lanie about the pros and cons of growing up in a restaurant and having a famous world chef as a father. From Rick there is a sidebar about cooking with teens.

I love the ways the recipes a laid out. Titles of the recipes are in colored ink then the notes and recipes are in black ink. Each recipe starts off with Rick and Lanie giving you their thoughts about the recipe. Next you get a green box with white ink telling you what to do first. After that are the instructions and on the side the ingredient list. In each section you get things like cool things to buy in the type of store the section is about, music to play at parties you might have featuring recipes from that section, and tips and hints about using some ingredients from that particular country that might be new to you.

This book would be excellent for teens, beginning cooks, experienced cooks who want to try some new to them cuisines, fans of Rick, and foodies who love to read about traveling and cooking. For my first recipe I decided to make the Huevos Rancheros from the Mexican section. I'd always wanted to try these and figured this would be a good recipe to start with. It was delicious. I have many more recipes since then and also still have more marked to try.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Bayless is awesome. A very down to earth kind of guy that takes Mexican cooking to a new level. Not just about the food, it's about the experience and the time you spend with family and what brings you all together.
He shares some great family recipes in this book that have nothing to do with his usual Mexican fare. He shares soem recipes from his parents old restraunt called the Hickory House (I think that's the name). Baked beans, BBQ sauce, biscuits, sour slaw and Rick's Favorite Chocolate Birthday Cake.
How can you not trust a guy as cool as Rick Bayless?

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cookbook has a lot of fun recipes, some are complicated and many are quite easy. Rick Bayless knows how to make good flavors!

I like having both his and his daughter's commentary on the recipes, some she likes prepared differently than he does, and at times I think I agreed with her (good to know my substitutions or omissions would work).

I borrowed this from the library, I think I'd like to own it!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter and I have enjoyed watching these 2 work together over the years on his PBS show. This cookbook has plenty of stories to go along with the recipes. It isn't just Mexican food. It is fully international. My favorite chapter is recipes from his parent's smokehouse restaurant in Kansas(?) where he grew up.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rick Bayless and his daughter Lanie make it out of Mexico and across the globe. There are some good family-style recipes in the book with Rick and Lanie's comments. The Bayless Family Pesto (with goat cheese) and Lanie's World's Greatest Chile were both really good.

[Lynnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easiest recipes of Rick Bayless books. I love the potato chorizo tacos out of this book.

[Dora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of variety in the recipes. I really like the stories that go with the recipes.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really Really love this cookbook. the excerpts from the teenage daughter really tell it like it is.

[Julie]

Great book about a parent and a child exploring food and cooking together. It has some family friendly recipes, although not low in calories.

[Mirek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and very informative book about various national cuisines. Beautiful photographs and simple recipes.

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but does not give total time to complete a dish. Tried a few recipes with a smile.

[Shira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Bayless knows how to cook and knows how to write good food porn.