Mouthing Off

Rick Bayless

Top Chef Masters winner and Chicago-based champion of Mexican food Rick Bayless can now add Order of the Aztec Eagle to his list of accolades, which include Food & WineBest New Chef (1988) and three awards from the James Beard Foundation. The Mexican government honored Bayless with this latest distinction—the highest decoration awarded to foreigners—for his work promoting the cuisine throughout America via books, television shows and restaurants like his flagship, Frontera Grill. To get a taste of Bayless’s multi-award-winning cooking, we suggest his Chicken-Stuffed Tamal. The savory pie has the tender texture and rich corn flavor of tamales but takes much less time to put together.

Related: More Recipes from Rick Bayless
Fantastic Mexican Recipes
Savory Pies and Tarts

© Kirsten Strecker / Roast Chicken

Today, the New York Times profiled Maria Gandara, a woman whose pesto looks ordinary but “might as well [be] some rare liquid drug.” Her company, Buddhapesto, which she and her husband run out of their Woodstock farmhouse, makes just one product—basil pesto—but her customers are devout and, as the piece implies, possibly addicted. To try a different kind of pesto, we recommend this delicious basil-free version. Made with arugula, walnuts and Manchego cheese, the easy condiment is perfect with roast chicken, but will also upgrade a sandwich, pasta or sliced steak.

Related: Delicious Basil Recipes
Fantastic Roast Chicken
Cooking with Herbs

© Anson Smart / Grilled Chicken

In this week's “Foodie Underground” column on EcoSalon, writer Anna Brones expounded on why she believes food tastes better when it's prepared and eaten outside. For Brones, it’s not just the view or the fresh air, it’s about simplification. “We take down all the walls that our everyday routines require us to put up, and we enjoy food for food’s sake,” Brones writes.

Australian chef Pete Evans is also a fan. On a surfing trip to Indonesia, he discovered this recipe for Balinese Grilled Chicken cooked over an open fire and now makes it for guests at his Sydney apartment by the beach. While we're sure the experience is extra special when the dish is served by the hunky chef overlooking the ocean, the chicken's simple marinade combining turmeric, chiles and ginger makes for a delicious meal whether you eat inside or out.

Related: Fantastic Grilled Chicken Recipes
Campfire Cooking
Cookout Party Recipes

© John Kernick / Coronation Chicken

Over the weekend, Queen Elizabeth II started celebrating 60 years as England's monarch. Festivities for the Diamond Jubilee began Saturday with the Derby at Epsom Racecourse and will continue through tomorrow, when the Queen will wave to her public from a balcony at Buckingham Palace. To honor Elizabeth, we suggest making a light dish served at a royal luncheon the day she was crowned on June 2, 1953. This curried Coronation Chicken Salad pays tribute to her lengthy rule, but is spiced up for the current generation with minced hot chiles and chunks of sweet mango.

Related: Terrific Chicken Salads
Classic British Dishes
British-Inspired Drinks

© Lucas Allen / Chicken Flautas

There’s one thing that food lovers worldwide can get behind: crispiness. In The Chronicle Review yesterday, anthropologist John S. Allen wrote a thoughtful piece about why humans love crispy foods, even going so far as to say the deliciousness of a crispy crust, with its concentrated flavors, helped spread the practice of cooking. Additionally, Allen points out that crackling and crunchy sounds heard while chewing enhance the eating experience: “Obviously, when we eat, we use our senses of taste and smell, as well as the sense of touch as we assess the texture and "feel" of the food both in our hands and in our mouths. An under-appreciated component of the eating experience is sound.” Grace Parisi's Crispy Corn Tortillas with Chicken and Cheddar (flautas) have another sensory bonus: shredded cheese mixed into the easy filling gets hot and melty-gooey when the tortillas are fried.

Related: Crispy Fried Chicken
Delicious Fried Foods
Terrific Mexican Dishes

© John Kernick / Indian BBQ Chicken

It's time for a bit of Kitchen Trash for pop culture obsessives. On this week's Keeping Up with the Kardashians, reality star Kim Kardashian stirred up controversy amongst viewers when she called Indian food “disgusting.” According to the Los Angeles Times, Kim K. responded to yesterday's Twitter criticisms on her website, explaining that her comment was not intended to offend, but she just does not like Indian food...or anything that contains cilantro for that matter. For a subtle introduction to the amazing cuisine, we suggest that she try this Indian Barbecue Chicken, which combines healthy chicken breast and a tamarind-infused barbecue sauce that happens to be cilantro-free. The sweet-and-tangy flavors will appeal to naysayers and barbecue lovers looking for a delicious upgrade.

Related: Fantastic Indian Dishes
Terrific Grilled Chicken
Recipes for Chicken Breasts

© Lucy Schaeffer / Ginger Chicken

Today, Michelle Obama's American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America hits shelves across the country–with proceeds going to the National Parks Foundation. The first lady's first book not only details the progress of her garden, but also includes advice on raising a healthy family. In an interview on NPR's Morning Edition, Obama discussed some of her family diet rules: infrequent desserts, lots of vegetables and no white rice–only brown. While a home garden inspired by Obama's work at the White House will take time to flourish, you can implement some of her tips tonight by making Ginger-Marinated Chicken with Onions and Peppers. Served over brown rice, the healthy chicken and vegetables get an added layer of flavor from a touch of honey.

Related: F&W's Garden Guide
Healthy Kid-Friendly Dishes
Presidential Indulgences

© Reed Davis / Grilled Chicken

Requiring just a bit of forethought and nil active time, marinades are an ideal way to prep grilled foods to become ultra flavorful and juicy. An overnight marinade is key to Mississippi chef John Currence’s Grilled Chicken with Sweet Mustard Barbecue Sauce. He covers quartered birds in a rich blend of molasses, olive oil, port wine, mustard, soy sauce, pepper, Worcestershire and minced shallot. Before grilling, Currence brushes the prepped chicken pieces with a barbecue sauce made with sweet, fragrant, hot and tangy ingredients like brown sugar, coffee, Tabasco sauce and that cookout staple, yellow mustard.

Related: Make-Ahead Grilling
Adam Perry Lang's Grilling Tips
Delicious Grilled Chicken

© Tina Rupp / Mustard-Glazed Chicken

Today, Bravo announced the fourth season lineup for Top Chef Masters, premiering on July 25 at 10 p.m. ET. Twelve talented contestants will include nose-to-tail enthusiast Chris Cosentino of L.A.'s Incanto, NYC master of Mexican cuisine Sue Torres from Sueños, and Takashi Yagihashi, an F&W Best New Chef 2000 who owns Takashi and a new yakitori joint called Slurping Turtle in Chicago. A force to be reckoned with, Yagihashi often applies classic French techniques to Asian ingredients as in his Mustard-Glazed Chicken with Arugula and Bok Choy. While Yagihashi's original recipe called for cooking the bok choy in butter and generously dressing the salad, F&W’s healthier version cuts the amount of fat used for the bok choy and features a light and flavorful salad dressing combing oil, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.

Related: Great Japanese Recipes
Top Chef Dishes
Healthy Chicken Recipes

© Reed Davis / Chicken Wings

Pounding on the end of a glass ketchup bottle in an attempt to score the last of the Heinz may soon be a thing of the past. A team of mechanical engineers at MIT developed a new substance called LiquiGlide that may pave the way to effortless ketchup application. PhD candidate Dave Smith explained the coating to Fast Company: “It’s rigid like a solid, but it’s lubricated like a liquid.” Fascinating. When bottles are coated with the slippery substance, thick sauces like ketchup slip out with ease, leaving absolutely nothing clinging to the bottle. If the technology is adopted by companies, consumers will need to know how to use up all that extra ketchup. We suggest Ray Lampe’s Chicken Wings with Sweet-and-Spicy Pantry Sauce made with ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar.

Related: Delicious Chicken Wings
Great Condiment Recipes
Pantry Staples