How, you might ask, can there be any rationale for combining Mexican, Moroccan, French, Thai, and Oklahoma down-home recipes in one cookbook? The answer is family. The Rick Bayless family in this case, he of the PBS cookings, of Chicago's Frontera Grill fame, and author of the enlightening Authentic Mexican, Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen, and Mexico One Plate at a Time.

Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures is the combined kitchen and culinary wisdom of a father/chef and daughter/teenager who has grown up in restaurants (much as her dad grew up in a barbecue restaurant in Oklahoma) and has traveled with her parents throughout the world, meeting chefs, exploring markets, tasting exotic treats. Some of those treats were rejected in ways only children can reject foods. Others came home and were folded into the foods a family calls its own and serves again and again. So, the first thing to keep in mind about Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures is that it is family-tested as well as home kitchen tested.

There are two voices in this book: Rick's (a modulated voice of authority) and Lanie's (the teenage voice of reality). And there are five basic sections that reflect the travels and broad culinary interests of the Bayless Family: Mexico, France, Morocco, Thailand, and Oklahoma. You'll find Huevos Rancheros in Mexico and Dutch Babies in France; Chicken Pie in Oklahoma, and Beef or Lamb Kebabs in Morocco. The Red Curry with Duck (Pork or Chicken) brought home from Thailand looks like a winner. These are do-together recipes, as in work together in the kitchen. Bayless sets apart the do-ahead tasks, then presents the recipe instruction in simple blocks. This dance has been well-choreographed. And what's a dance without a little music. You'll find suggestions for playlists while cooking, as well as suggestions for special treats to find while you are shopping in ethnic markets, things you might otherwise overlook. And then there are the stories. You can taste this cooking experience, and you can read about the life experience, through both the father's and the daughter's lens, of traveling and cooking together. It's the together part that makes this cookbook so special and so encouraging. --Schuyler Ingle

From Publishers Weekly
Of the myriad lessons to be found here, the most resounding is this: to be the teenage daughter of an internationally known chef is a very good thing. Proud papa Bayless takes his family to Mexico, the land that launched his culinary success via cookbooks (Mexico: One Plate at a Time, etc.) and a PBS series; to his Oklahoma barbecuing roots; and farther afield, to France, Morocco and Thailand. Both writers prepare each recipe, though rarely together, and commentary from the two highlights the pleasures of cooking from the opposite perspectives of seasoned master and joyful rookie. W.C. Fields disliked performing with children for fear of being upstaged, and Mr. Bayless might be wise to take heed. His travelogues are at best ho-hum next to Lanie's, which brim with brutal honesty. "Morocco is a spectacle of wind-swept deserts," he proclaims, while for Lanie, "It was kind of like everywhere else we visited. Except that you had to wash your hands in front of everyone." Recipes for Kebabs and Paella arise from this trip. In Thailand it's Red Curry with Duck and Street Vendor Pad Thai. Dad and daughter tackle Red Mole with Chicken in Oaxaca, assuring readers that multiple ingredients don't always make for a complex challenge. "I really don't know what the big deal is," says Lanie. Photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up - A glossy, beautifully designed book by the star of a PBS cooking series and his teenage daughter. The volume is organized by region, with almost every continent covered. Each section begins with a few personal stories from the authors. Rick tends toward an infectious enthusiasm and a sense of elegant simplicity; Lanie is often refreshingly honest (she's a big fan of air conditioning in Mexico and the Fashion Channel when she's visiting Paris). The recipes range from ultrasimple, such as "The Simplest Fried Beans" to elaborate, such as "Chinese Celebration Hot Pot," which involves several exotic ingredients and numerous steps. Throughout, there is an approachable tone that is helped by Lanie's notes on her experiences with the recipes and her various likes and dislikes, some of them typically adolescent (no strong cheese, for instance). "Do This First" boxes will keep novice cooks organized. Nutritional information is not included, and Lanie's fairly regular use of current slang may quickly date this book (and grate on some adult ears). Overall, though, this is a volume filled with delicious recipes that are not necessarily all easy - but are always described in a way that is easy to follow. Recommended for Bayless fans, of course, and also for more sophisticated kids who like to cook with friends and/or parents. - Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description
Renowned chef, author, and television personality Rick Bayless has prepared gourmet meals for his share of celebrities. But when asked about his most memorable cooking experiences, he immediately answers, "with my family and friends, at my home or theirs-whether around the block or around the globe." Lanie Bayless has grown up cooking and eating with her chef-dad in their restaurant, at their home, and in other people's homes from Oklahoma City to Tokyo-with stops in Mexico, Morocco, France, Thailand, and Peru along the way. But her perspective is different from his. He's the celebrated chef with decades of cooking and traveling experience, and she's a teenager with ideas of her own. Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures is a lively, multigenerational dialogue between two not-always-like-minded cooks. Each brings a unique outlook to the wide variety of flavors, cooking techniques, ingredients, and travel experiences they shared during the four years they worked on this book.For Rick, sharing a meal is one of the most powerful catalysts for common understanding between parents and kids, friends and families, and people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This unique cookbook of more than 100 international classics (as well as down-home American favorites) offers simple, step-by-step recipes that will draw everyone to the table. Here the wisdom and experience of a famous chef are transformed into the everyday advice of an at-home dad. AUTHOR BIO: RICK BAYLESS is the chef-proprietor of Chicago's hugely successful Frontera Grill and its elegant neighbor, Topolobampo. He has been named Chef of the Year by the prestigious IACP and the James Beard Foundation. He is the author of four best-selling cookbooks and has produced and starred in two public television series, the second of which is in its fourth season. LANIE BAYLESS grew up in a restaurant-literally. She has a room just above the Frontera Grill's kitchen. Lanie learned a lot of what she knows about food and cooking from her parents. CHRISTOPHER HIRSHEIMER is the photographer of Authentic Vietnamese Cooking, The New Irish Table, and Fried & True.

About the Author
RICK BAYLESS is the chef-proprietor of Chicago's hugely successful Frontera Grill and its elegant neighbor, Topolobampo. He has been named Chef of the Year by the prestigious IACP and the James Beard Foundation. He is the author of four best-selling cookbooks and has produced and starred in two public television series, the second of which is in its fourth season. LANIE BAYLESS grew up in a restaurant-literally. She has a room just above the Frontera Grill's kitchen. Lanie learned a lot of what she knows about food and cooking from her parents. CHRISTOPHER HIRSHEIMER is the photographer of Authentic Vietnamese Cooking, The New Irish Table, and Fried & True.

FROM OUR EDITORS

This lively book serves as a forum for dialogues between TV chef Rick Bayless and his teenage daughter Lanie. Swapping recipes and critiques, father and daughter present two distinct outlooks on cooking techniques, ingredients, and culinary traditions. Rick and Lanie also exchange stories about the family's adventures in Japan, Mexico, Morocco, France, Thailand, and Peru.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Renowned chef, author, and television personality Rick Bayless has prepared gourmet meals for his share of celebrities. But when asked about his most memorable cooking experiences, he immediately answers, "with my family and friends, at my home or theirs-whether around the block or around the globe." Lanie Bayless has grown up cooking and eating with her chef-dad in their restaurant, at their home, and in other people's homes from Oklahoma City to Tokyo-with stops in Mexico, Morocco, France, Thailand, and Peru along the way. But her perspective is different from his. He's the celebrated chef with decades of cooking and traveling experience, and she's a teenager with ideas of her own. Rick & Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures is a lively, multigenerational dialogue between two not-always-like-minded cooks. Each brings a unique outlook to the wide variety of flavors, cooking techniques, ingredients, and travel experiences they shared during the four years they worked on this book.For Rick, sharing a meal is one of the most powerful catalysts for common understanding between parents and kids, friends and families, and people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This unique cookbook of more than 100 international classics (as well as down-home American favorites) offers simple, step-by-step recipes that will draw everyone to the table. Here the wisdom and experience of a famous chef are transformed into the everyday advice of an at-home dad.

Author Bio: RICK BAYLESS is the chef-proprietor of Chicago's hugely successful Frontera Grill and its elegant neighbor, Topolobampo. He has been named Chef of the Year by the prestigious IACP and the James Beard Foundation. He is the author of four best-selling cookbooks and has produced and starred in two public television series, the second of which is in its fourth season. LANIE BAYLESS grew up in a restaurant-literally. She has a room just above the Frontera Grill's kitchen. Lanie learned a lot of what she knows about food and cooking from her parents. CHRISTOPHER HIRSHEIMER is the photographer of Authentic Vietnamese Cooking, The New Irish Table, and Fried & True.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly