Rick Bayless

Disney Wants To Own Dia De Los Muertos?

Update at the bottom: It looks like Disney is baking away from its claims to Dia De Los Muertos. First posted at 12:38 p.m. It's bad enough that white folk have taken over our land (the Southwest), our food (we're looking at you, Rick Bayless) and our women (Salma Hayek, sort of). Now you want the ... More >>

Here's Your Chance To Own A House-Sized Tamale

We know you love your Mexican food, you Rick Bayless-worshipers. So here's your chance to really prove your dedication to all things south-of-the-border. Here's your chance to own a house-sized tamale. Really:

More Events: Food Tour, Cookbook Signing Kids' Harvest Workshop

A Taste of Santa Monica Destination Food Tours will lead a three-hour food tour of Santa Monica with samples from participating restaurants. Some of the restaurants on the tour agenda include Border Grill, Hosteria del Piccolo, M.A.K.E. and N'ice Cream. WHAT: A Taste of Santa Monica WHEN: Friday, M ... More >>

Top 4 Weekend Food Events: Jar's Taco Party, Rick Bayless at Red O, El Coyote Firefighter Salsa Contest Vegan Chili Cook-Off

Taco Party at Jar Suzanne Tract's WeHo steakhouse is taking inspiration from L.A. street food this Thursday with a special menu featuring things like char siu pastor with roasted pineapple and lobster tacos with lobster butter. Plus, free shot samples of Peligroso tequila will be served at the bar. ... More >>

The State Department Unveils the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership

We thought we were going to a small reception at the State Department. It was day 3 of the Association of Food Journalists annual conference, this year held in Washington D.C. As we stood in line to undergo the rigorous security clearances needed to enter the building (we had been asked to provide d ... More >>

Ruth Bourdain's Comfort Me With Offal: From Twitter to Your Local Bookstore

If you've spent the last two years laughing over the comic genius of Ruth Bourdain, you'll need no reminder that her eagerly (to some) awaited book has just come out from Andrews McMeel Publishing. If you are not among the initiated, here's a thumbnail sketch: In March of 2010, a hilarious Twitter f ... More >>

Love the Beans, Hate the Beaner: Even White Supremacists Can't Resist a Good Burrito

Diana Kennedy Holds Book Signing at LACMA

Have you checked out Diana Kennedy's 2010 cookbook Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy? Because if you have, and you really should, you'll notice it feels a little more academic than most cookbooks: It was commissioned by a governor of Oaxaca in order to catalog the state's regional cuisine. Oax ... More >>

Top 6 Weekend Food Events: Rick Bayless at Red O, Tequila Dinner, Rabbit Dinner, Mole Tour, Salsa 101 Design-n-Dim Sum Bike Tour

Rick Bayless at Red O On the occasion of Red O's second anniversary, chef Rick Bayless stops by during Street Food Social Hour to mingle and sign his latest cookbook, Fiesta at Rick's. Then he's in the kitchen during dinner, offering the strawberry shortcake gratis with each meal. WHAT: Rick Bayless ... More >>

Twitter Feud of the Week: The Great Squash Blossom Debate

This week's Twitter war began innocuously enough: On May 8, Portland-based food blogger and restaurateur Nick Zukin, who owns a Mexico City-style snack shop called Mi Mero Mole in PDX, inquired via Twitter where to find jarred flor de calabaza (squash blossoms) on a recent trip to Orange County. Wh ... More >>

The Wednesday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

You can't replace the feeling of lounging on the couch with a scrunched-up newspaper. But with the web, at least you don't need to worry about getting ink on your hands and bagel. Here's a roundup of some food-related stories from our country's newspapers this week. Lucky for us, it's mostly free. F ... More >>

Chefs' Worst Kitchen Injuries: More Fun Behind the Stoves

Cooking can be dangerous, as anyone who has spent much time in a kitchen can attest to. Now consider the hazards of a career surrounded by flames, super heated liquids and sharp objects. So we queried some notable area chefs (Ricardo Zarate! Michael Voltaggio! Eric Greenspan!) for the stories behin ... More >>

Cascabel: Rick Bayless is Starring in a Play!

If you're going to be in Chicago sometime before April 29th, and want to earn some very esoteric food snob points, you cannot miss Rick Bayless making his acting debut in Cascabel at The Lookingglass Theater Company. Yes, chef Rick Bayless, author, restaurateur and champion of Mexican regional cui ... More >>

Red O's $100 Margarita is Cheap: If You Do the Math

Michael Clifford PhotographyRed O's $100 margarita​That $100 margarita they've come up with at Red O is a bargain -- really. Order a shot of just one of its components, Gran Patrón Burdeos añejo tequila, and you'll pay $75. Toss in another $25, and you'll get a whopping 16-ounce glass rim ... More >>

Chef Jonathan Waxman: KCRW Guest DJ Set

The latest chef to step behind the virtual turntable at KCRW is Jonathan Waxman, who returns to his Southern California roots in his set for the radio station's Guest DJ Project. Waxman, the chef/owner of Barbuto in New York City and author Italian My Way, has a short but diverse list that includes ... More >>

Battle Pot de Crème: Mark Peel vs. Suzanne Goin a Recipe from the Winner

C. LeVasserThe duo of pots de créme.​We, and maybe you, continue to spend the majority of our time cooking at home, rather than eating out. Learning how to make things like New Orleans-style boudin blanc, and Sardinian malloreddus, seems to bring us a good bit more joy these days. So today, w ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 9/6-9/9

Flickr/Lauren Manning​ In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "The restaurant occupies one of the best spots in Little Tokyo, right next to the perpetually megacrowded ramen shop Daikokuya, and is as bright and modern as its blaring 1970s rock is not -- I'm no ... More >>

Battle Sangria: Rick Bayless vs. Susan Feniger & Mary Sue Milliken a Recipe from the Winner

C. LeVasserJamaica sangria by Rick Bayless​Some of us have been going out a lot less these days. But rather than unnecessarily spending twenty dollars on a rare gueuze at Father's Office, we've been throwing our money at things like Scharffen Berger chocolate, or imported speck from Alto-Adige ... More >>

Eat Real Fest: Photo Gallery

Round up the usual suspects. Anyone who's been to a certain Los Angeles food festival can be forgiven for feeling a certain déjà vu at this weekend's Eat Real Fest, held at the Helms Bakery complex in Culver City. The vendor list read like it was cribbed from Artisanal LA: Cast Iron Gourmet, C ... More >>

Ask Mr. Gold: Señor Bayless Where To Eat Regional Mexican Food in L.A.

Anne Fishbeinthe invisible restaurant critic​ Dear Mr. Gold: Chef Rick Bayless has continuously told the media that he thinks L.A. is a "timid" food city and that we do not have as good regional Mexican cooking as what he can find in Chicago. He seems to think that we only have "California" Me ... More >>

Top 5 Weekend Food Events: Farmageddon, Food Trucks, Beer, Oysters

Farmageddon - Movie Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo. Farmageddon This documentary featuring farmer/activist Joel Salatin focuses the escalating fight for food rights in America and the suspect motives (can anyone say corporate-driven farm subsidies?) of the government's food safety "experts." ... More >>

Los Angeles, a Major Global City Owned And Run by Outsiders?

Mark Luethi / LA Weekly Flickr poolLooking in.​Is this worldly town -- America's gateway to Asia, the second-largest media market in America, the Latino capital of the United States -- really owned and controlled by outsiders? It's a question posed by local expert and author D.J. Waldie at Zo ... More >>

Street Food Mondays Brings Antojitos de mi Abuelita to Angeli Caffe

Guzzle & NoshA pambazo from Antojitos de mi Abuelita.​ The first time we met Street Gourmet LA blogger Bill Esparza, we were about to dig into one of Antojito de mi Abuelita's bright red, guajillo chile-dipped pambazos with its guts of chorizo, potatoes, shredded lettuce and crumbled cheese n ... More >>

Rick Bayless Taco-Blocks Local Blogger

Chicago-based chef Rick Bayless, who graciously introduced Los Angeles to authentic music right after introducing us to authentic Mexican cuisine, doesn't want a certain Los Angeles blogger to know what he's doing. The blogger in question is Bill Esparza of Street Gourmet LA, who savaged Red O in ... More >>

And Now, A Brief Message From Rick Bayless

screenshot of Rick Bayless's Twitter page​

Rick Bayless Does a Star Turn at Red O

B. HansenRick Bayless at Red O, with Edgar Vazquez (left) and Victor Torres (right)​Red O was jammed the other night, but for the real action, you had to have an invitation to the tequila lounge. The highlight of the party in there was an appearance by Rick Bayless, who had flown from Chicago ... More >>

Top 10 Food Fights of 2010: Jonathan Gold, Rick Bayless, Whales More

Finger Food/L.A. Weekly Flickr Pool​Whether it involved whales vs. sushi chefs, critics vs. chefs or Jonathan Gold vs. "fill in the blank", 2010 was huge for food fights in Los Angeles. Here are the 10 most memorable tiffs of the year, the ones that set the Twitterverse afire. 1) The Cove Tea ... More >>

The Other Red O: The Original Red Onion

Parking is plentiful. There are no bouncers to prevent you from entering before your allotted hour. Here, the unwashed masses are welcome. With the much hyped and much criticized opening of posh Mexican restaurant Red O, we thought it was time to take a look at the other Red O, the one that doesn't ... More >>

Rick Bayless Introduces Los Angeles to Authentic Music

Courtesy of KCRW.Chef Rick Bayless.​Now that chef Rick Bayless has succeeded in finally introducing Los Angeles to authentic Mexican cuisine, he's introducing us to authentic music. The controversial Chicago chef behind (well sorta kinda behind) recently opened upscale Mexican restaurant Red ... More >>

What's in Season at the Farmers Markets: Reed Avocados

Felicia FriesemaReed avocados from Rancho Santa Cecilia at the Hollywood market​ On a trip to Los Angeles earlier this year, before all the Red O brouhaha and even before Red O itself, Rick Bayless tweeted his amazement at seeing so many different avocado varieties available at the farmers ma ... More >>

Only Boneheads Oppose the Subway to the Sea

Red O: Back to Bayless

Bringing Mexican to L.A., With Mixed Results

Plate Spinning: Listings From the Past Week

Some food for thought from local, national and international news sources from this past week: -- Clifton's Cafeteria Being Taken Over by The Edison's Andrew Meieran. [blogdowntown] -- Fall Is for Food (Event) Lovers. [Chow Balla] -- Glenn Beck mocks Michelle Obama's healthy food drive at Right ... More >>

Q & A With John Sedlar: Retirement, The Food Network Where Are Our Latino Chefs

A. ScattergoodJohn Sedlar of Rivera, with lamp​ John Rivera Sedlar, who opened his downtown restaurant Rivera a year and a half ago, has been one of Los Angeles' best chefs for decades: before Rivera, before the chef "retired" for 15 years, before the Museum Tamal, back to when he ran St. Est ... More >>

Happy Birthday Mr. President: Secret Service Vetoes Birthday Cake

Washington SceneThe Obamas celebrating in 2003​ Happy Birthday, Mr. President. President Obama turns 49 years old today (CNN Developing News: "I have a more gray hair"), and is celebrating the event by, well, working. According to the White House, he will finish his day by heading to Chicago i ... More >>

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

SapphireBlue22stack of newspapers​What's the country reading today food-wise? Here's a roundup of some of the food-related stories from other newspapers, many of which print their food sections mid-week. And remember, even if you don't actually buy papers these days (or not; this paper is free ... More >>

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

SapphireBlue22stack of newspapers​What's the country reading today food-wise? Here's a roundup of some of the food-related stories from other newspapers, many of which print their food sections mid-week. And remember, even if you don't actually buy papers these days (or not; this paper is free ... More >>

After Topolobampo

Rick Bayless brings his Chicago Mex to Red O

May Roundup of Restaurant Openings and Closures

While vegan/raw food restaurants are popping up around LA, a large casual dining chain files bankruptcy--closing 10 of its local restaurants. And as downtown gained a new, glitzy eatery, First & Hope--and Rick Bayless' highly-anticipated Red O opened last night in West Hollywood--41-year-old Anna's ... More >>

Red O Opening Next Week: Rick Bayless Comes to L.A., Sort Of

A. Scattergoodinterior of Red O​ Red O, the new Mexican restaurant with food by Rick Bayless, will finally be opening for dinner next Wednesday night, May 26th. This is the first restaurant outside of Chicago for Bayless, although it should be noted that Red O is not owned by Bayless, nor wil ... More >>

2010 James Beard Finalists Announed: Suzanne Goin, Matt Molina, Michael Cimarusti, Jonathan Gold, Patric Kuh Nominated

James Beard​Twitter is at it again. The 2010 James Beard Award Finalists were announced this morning via the foundation's Twitter account. L.A's Suzanne Goin, of Lucques, AOC Wine Bar, Hungry Cat and Tavern was nominated for Outstanding Chef, while Matt Molina of Mozza and Michael Cimarusti of ... More >>

Rick Bayless Report: Calm Down, It's Just a Consulting Gig

Rick Bayless​Over the last few months there have been a lot of rumblings about Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Top Chef Masters) coming to Los Angeles. So, from the chef's Twitter account, as Bayless runs his own Twitter feed, we have this: @Rick_Bayless: The restaurant will be cal ... More >>

Want to Go to Cooking School? Get a Scholarship

Want to go to culinary school but don't have the tens of thousands of dollars it takes to pay for it? (Making consommé and Boeuf Bourguignon is much less fun when you're doing it from inside Sallie Mae's debtor's prison.) The Culinary Trust is accepting applications for scholarships for the 2010-20 ... More >>

100 Words For Foodies: CliffsNotes For The Gourmand

Amazon.com​Tired of trying to Google culinary terms when you're right in the middle of an episode of Top Chef or, I don't know, reading your favorite food blog? Well the editors of American Heritage Dictionaries have come out with a book for you: think CliffsNotes for food people. Six bucks to ... More >>

Get Drunk in Hollywood This Weekend: Ketel One and Ilan Hall Will Feed You For Free Send You Home in an SUV

If you're planning a night of partying this weekend, you might consider picking bars in Hollywood. Like as close to Cahuenga and Hollywood as you can conveniently get. Because once you've had your share of Manhattans and gin fizzes, you can wander over to the Ketel One Canteen, eat free food cooked ... More >>

Rick Bayless Wins Top Chef Masters, If You Had Any Doubt He Would

Rickbayless.comTop Chef Master​The folks at Bravo tried to keep up the tension, putting the final three chefs through some awkward silences before the judges table. But when Rick Bayless won, was it really much of a surprise? I'd have been more surprised if he'd packed his mocajete and gone ho ... More >>

A Night of Top Chef Programming on Bravo: Pack Your Knives First, Please

Photo credit: BravoTom & Padma​If you're a fan of Top Chef, you will be staying at home tonight, breathlessly munching on dishes you've perhaps cooked from one of Rick Bayless's books. Or Huber Keller's or Michael Chiarello's. Or maybe Tom Colicchio's or even Padma Lakshmi's (yes, two of them) ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 8/9 - 8/14/2009

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "Designing a menu for Mars is simply a scientific problem to be solved like any other." This is not Buzz Aldrin's Astronaut Food. "We should be able to live largely disease-free lives until we are well into our 90s and ... More >>

Political Palates: Obama's Taste for Kine Grindz

And McCain's preference for poorly regarded Tex-Mex

¡Ask a Mexican! Pretension Headache