- Michael Gebert
- Rick Bayless presenting at Modern Mexican
“What is the relevance of the Mexican pantry in modern cuisine?” asked Rick Bayless of a crowd of about 60 or 70 people assembled lecture-hall-style in front of a test kitchen area at Kendall College on Saturday morning. The chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo was leading an all-day session on Mexican cuisine in fine dining called Modern Mexican, or Mod Mex for short, an adjunct event to the upcoming Chicago Gourmet festival in Grant Park at the end of the month. The goal is to widen understanding of how to integrate Mexican flavors into American cooking—and to raise money for the Frontera Foundation’s scholarship programs.
He cooked pork jowl sous vide and integrated it into an upscale version (complete with swoosh on the plate) of a traditional dish involving a pepian (pumpkinseed) sauce, pineapple vinegar, peas, and a prickly pear gastrique.
Another adjunct event to Chicago Gourmet I’ll mention in passing just because I’ll be one of the judges on behalf of the Reader’s sibling the Sun-Times: the Friday night Hamburger Hop competition for local chefs making burgers. The Hamburger Hop is sold out, but there are still tickets for the party afterward.
