Hi Carlos,
Thanks for watching the shows--glad to know that you are enjoying them. I am not cavalier about eating in Mexico--I follow a few guidelines:
1. Is the place busy? (means that the food is being used, replenished--or it is really cheap)
2. Is it clean? (check out the street stalls--they are wide open to see)
3. I take off the fresh ingredient toppings. I do use the salsa--the red--as they are usually based with a dried chile.
Enjoy the street stalls--they are really wonderful. Just follow a few simple guidelines.


Sincerely,
Rick

Caramelized onions are really easy: slice the onion (I prefer white onions to yellow ones) 1/4 inch thick. Heat some butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Saute the onions until they are beginning to brown, stirring regularly--should take about 7 or 8 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and a little sugar and cook 2 or 3 minutes longer, until richly browned. Drizzle in a little Worcestershire sauce, stir until the liquid is completely absorbed and serve!


Sincerely,
Rick

Hey William
This recipe is a long one but well worth the effort. Make it for your next cookout but try to do the marinate the day before. Even the dye-hard BBQ'ers will love it.
Barbacoa de Borrego, Chivo o Pollo
Red Chile Lamb, Goat or Chicken, Pit-style-with braising juice soup
Serves 6 to 8 (you'll have about 8 generous cups of soup)
8 medium (about 2 ounces total) dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into flat pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
A generous teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
A pinch of cloves, preferably freshly ground
Salt
6 pounds bone-in lamb shoulder roast (cut into 2-inch-thick slabs)
OR 6 pounds bone-in young goat (shoulder pieces of similar size if possible)
OR 2 chickens (about 3 pounds each), cut into quarters
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into -inch cubes
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
5 small (about 10 ounces total) boiling potatoes (like the red-skin ones), halved
1 cup cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans
1 sprig fresh epazote, if available
2 to 3 dried chipotle chiles (optional)
About 30 dried Mexican avocado leaves, plus a few for garnish
Salsa for serving, such as Red Chile-Tomatillo Salsa
1. The chile marinade for the meat or chicken. Toast the chile pieces a few at a time on a dry heavy skillet or griddle heated over medium, pressing them flat against the hot surface with a metal spatula until they are aromatic-about 10 seconds per side. (If the heat is right, you'll hear a slight crackle when you press down the chiles-but you shouldn't see more than the slightest wisp of smoke; when appropriately toasted, the inside surface of the chile will look noticeably lighter than before toasting.) In a bowl, rehydrate the chiles for 20 minutes covered with hot tap water; a small plate on the top will keep the chiles submerged. Use a pair of tongs to transfer the rehydrated chiles to a food processor or blender.
Add the garlic, oregano, black pepper and cloves to the processor or blender. Taste the soaking liquid and, if it is not bitter, add 2/3 cup to the processor or blender; if bitter, add 2/3 cup water. Blend to a smooth puree, then press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl or roasting pan large enough to hold the meat or chicken. Taste and season highly with salt, about 1 teaspoons.
Put the meat or chicken into the bowl or pan and coat it evenly and generously with the marinade. (Though dried chile boasts a lingering color, I suggest you use your hands for this task.) Set aside while you prepare the grill.
2. Setting up the grill and cooking pot. Heat a gas grill to medium-high or light a charcoal fire and let it burn just until the coals are covered with gray ash.
Choose a 12-quart pot about 8 inches deep and 10 to 12 inches across (you're going to be nestling this in the grill, so don't choose your prettiest one). Rub the bottom of the pot with some liquid dish soap (an old scouting trick to make cleaning the pot easier after cooking). Measure in 8 cups of water, then add the carrots, onion, potatoes, garbanzos, epazote (if you have it), chipotle chiles, two or three of the avocado leaves and 2 teaspoons salt. Nestle 3 up-turned custard cups or coffee cups in the liquid around the perimeter (they need to be -inch higher than the liquid) and set a wire grate or rack on them (a small round cooling rack or collapsible vegetable steamer works well here). Cover the grate or rack with about half of the remaining avocado leaves, then lay on half the meat or chicken. Cover with the remaining avocado leaves and remaining meat or chicken.
3. Cooking the barbacoa. When the grill is ready, either turn the burner(s) in the center to medium-low or bank the coals to the sides for indirect cooking. Do not replace the grill grate if using charcoal. Carefully nestle the pot in the middle of the coals or set in the center of the gas grill. Be careful to keep the pot level. Set the grill's cover in place and let it all cook slowly until the meat or chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender-5 to 6 hours for lamb or goat, about 1 hours for chicken. If your grill has a thermometer, aim to keep the temperature at between 300 and 350. To maintain an even temperature with charcoal, add more charcoal regularly (usually a few pieces every half hour or so).
4. Serving the barbacoa. When the meat or chicken is done, carefully remove the pot from the grill. Remove the meat or chicken and pull or cut if off the bone in large, appetizing-looking shreds. Since this is casual fiesta food, I suggest that you line a platter with avocado leaves (you can rinse off those used for cooking or start with new ones), pile the meat or chicken on top, and sprinkle with some salt. Next remove the grate or rack from the pan, take out its supports, ladle off any fat floating on the broth, then taste and season the broth with additional salt if you think necessary. Discard the avocado leaves in the broth.
Serve the broth in small cups. Let each guest make soft tacos of tender meat and warm corn tortillas, splashed with salsa. Savoring spoonfuls of this luscious broth, (consom as it is called in Mexico) punctuated with bites of soft, sassy barbacoa tacos is about as close as you'll get to heaven on earth.
Working Ahead: The chile marinade will keep in the refrigerator for a day or so. The meat or chicken can be coated with the seasoning a day in advance of cooking. Finished barbacoa and the consom reheat beautifully, though I always like my guests to see the "un-earthing."


Sincerely,
Rick

Hi Martha,
So you like the "Devilish Shrimp". We actually have the recipe posted on our Frontera Kitchens website. Just follow the link below. Careful it's Spicy!
http://www.fronterakitchens.com/cooking/recipes/devilish_shrimp.html


Sincerely,
Rick

Sorry Omi,
I plan to stick to Chicago for my restuarants...thanks!


Sincerely,
Rick

Hi,
This recipe is from the book that I did with my daughter...it is sooooo good! Let me know how it turns out. Rick
French Profiteroles
Serves 8 with enough cream puffs to serve about 6 againstore in freezer

For the puffs:
cup water
cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt
5 ounces (1 sticks) butter
1 cup (5 ounces) all purpose flour
5 large eggs
For the chocolate sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon molasses (L: strong-- can replace with extra tablespoon corn syrup)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
For finishing the profiteroles:
1 quart vanilla ice cream (L: I LOVE mocha or coffee ice cream, too)
DO THIS FIRST

Butter: Cut into 8 pieces.
Flour: Measure out and set by stove.
Eggs: Break into measuring cup. Beat with fork until almost smooth. Pour off and discard anything over 1 cup.
Chocolate: Chop into small pieces.
Oven: Position racks in upper third and lower third of oven. Turn on to 400.

1. Cook cream puff base. Measure water, milk, sugar and teaspoon salt into small (3- to 4-quart) saucepan. Add butter. Set over medium heat. When mixture begins to boil, stir continually until butter melts. Just when butter is melted, add flour and stir until mixture becomes a rough-looking ball and comes free from sides of pan. Continue to stir for 3 or 4 minutesuntil paste looks quite shiny. As you stir, smear out paste slowly over bottom of pan, then collect into ball, smear out again, etc.
2. Add eggs to base. Scrape mixture into food processor. Secure top and turn on. Slowly pour eggs through feed tube in steady stream. (L: takes about 45 seconds) Run machine until mixture becomes smoothabout 15 seconds longer. Remove bowl. Pull out blade. Use rubber spatula to scrape mixture off blade, back into processor bowl.
3. Form puffs. Spray or lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or line them with parchment paper. Use tiny (1 -inch wide) ice cream scoop or 2 soup spoons (one to scoop up batter, the other to scoop batter off spoon) to scoop out 48 tablespoon mounds. Place mounds about 2 inches apart on baking sheet. (Dip clean spoon in water and use to smooth top of mounds if ragged looking.)
4. Bake puffs. Place 1 sheet on each oven rack. Bake 8 minutes. Have pot holder in hand, then open oven and quickly reverse upper and lower sheet. Bake 8 minutes longer. Turn off oven and set timer for 10 minutes. When timer goes off, prop open oven door slightly with metal spoon or spatula and set timer for 15 minutes. Remove puffs from oven.
5. Make chocolate sauce. In medium-size (4- to 6-quart) saucepan, combine heavy cream, corn syrup and molasses. Set over medium heat. Let come to a simmerstir occasionally. Add chocolate and remove from heat. Stir frequently until all chocolate has melted. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla. (If not using right away, rewarm over low heat before serving.)
6. Assemble profiteroles. Cut cream puffs in half crosswise and set 3 or 4 on each dessert plate. Scoop a small ball of ice cream onto each base. (R: we like the little scoop used for puffs2 level little scoops in each puff) Set top of puff over ice cream. Spoon, ladle or pour warm chocolate sauce over each puff.




Sincerely,
Rick

Hi Mike,
Thank you for watching. That is a beautiful platter we got from a great Ceramics and Jewelry designer. Her work is sold at Neiman Marcus but you should check out her website.
www.emiliacastillo.com


Sincerely,
Rick

HI Ron,
It is the sauce that is with the canned chipotles. You can buy them at most any grocery store.


Sincerely,
Rick

Hi Naomi,
I am happy to hear about your successes with the recipes. If you are a beginner cook, then I recommend my latest cookbook, Mexican Everyday. If you are up to other challenges (but not too tough) then try One Plate. Authentic Mexican (my first book that I wrote 20 years ago!) and Mexican Kitchen are master classes. Definitely work up to those. Have fun and let me know how you are doing.


Sincerely,
Rick

Hi Omar,
Actually all of my 6 cookbooks have a mole recipe in them. I think if you are interested in making one from scratch, you should try the moles in my first cookbook, Authentic Mexican--now 20 years old! Have fun and enjoy the creating of these fabulous sauces.



Sincerely,
Rick

Hi Shany,
This was a real simple ceviche recipe that the fisherman was showing us. I have included a classic ceviche recipe here for you to try.

Ceviche Clsico

Classic Ceviche

Makes about 4 cups, enough for 8 as an

appetizer, 12 as a nibble


1 pound fresh, fresh skinless snapper, bass, halibut or other ocean fish fillets (the fish I listed I like because they have a large flake or meaty texture), cut into -inch cubes or slightly smaller
1 cups fresh lime juice
1 medium white onion, chopped into -inch pieces
2 medium-large (1 pound total) tomatoes, chopped into inch pieces
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 2 to 3 serranos or 1 to 2 jalapeos), stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few leaves for garnish
1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives (choose manzanillos for a typical Mexican flavor)
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin (optional but recommended to give a glistening appearance)
Salt
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
OR teaspoon sugar
1 large or 2 small ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
Tostadas, tortilla chips or saltine crackers for serving
1. Marinating the fish. In a 1 -quart glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the fish, lime juice and onion. Youll need enough juice to cover the fish and allow it to float somewhat freely; too little juice means unevenly cooked fish. Cover and refrigerate for about 4 hours, until a cube of fish no longer looks raw when broken open. Pour into a colander and drain off the lime juice.
2. The flavorings. In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, olives and optional olive oil. Stir in the fish, then taste and season with salt, usually about teaspoon, and orange juice or sugar (the sweetness of the orange juice or sugar helps balance some of the typical tanginess of the ceviche). Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.
3. Serving the ceviche. Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado, being careful not to break up the pieces. For serving, you have several options: set out your ceviche in a large bowl and let people spoon it onto individual plates to eat with chips or saltines; serve small bowls of ceviche (I like to lay a bed of frise lettuce in each bowl before spooning in the ceviche) and serve tostadas, chips or saltines alongside; or pile the ceviche onto chips or tostadas and pass around for guests to consume on these edible little plates. Whichever direction you choose, garnish the ceviche with leaves of cilantro before setting it center stage.
Working ahead: The fish may be marinated a day in advance; after about 4 hours, when the fish is cooked, drain it so that it wont become too limey. For the freshest flavor, add the flavorings to the fish no more than a couple of hours before serving.



Sincerely,
Rick

All the music in the show is written and performed by Patrick Belding.
I don't know if he has any CDs available.


Sincerely,
Rick

Hi Gene,

Thanks for the kind words...Of course you can meet me and get a signed picture. Just let the front desk know when you are coming in to the restaurant and they will let me know! See you soon,


Sincerely,
Rick

Dear Carlos,
CA is too far for me! I like having my two restaurants here in Chicago. Come and visit us when you can!


Sincerely,
Rick

Oscar Y Lalo's e of the restuarnt.


Sincerely,
Rick