EXCLUSIVE: Chef Richard Blais Talks Rio Olympics, Mexican Food & More

Celebrity chef Richard Blais may be known for his liquid nitrogen ice cream, but if given the choice, it’s Mexican food all day.

Turns out, the former Top Chef contestant has more Latino connections than some of your distant cousins. “Part of it comes from my family – so, my wife is Honduran, and my wife’s mother taught high school Spanish for twenty-something years,” he recently told us. “So I would show up to their house for the holidays and there would be fried yucca and all sorts of tamales. And the other side is, I live in San Diego. So, I basically live in Mexico,” he added, with a chuckle. 

Blais currently runs three restaurant concepts, each with their own nod to Latin cuisine – such as baby corn esquites at Juniper & Ivy, Mexican poutine at The Crack Shack, and a Oaxaca burger at FLIP Burger Boutique.

“Living in San Diego, I could throw a rock and it would land in Mexico, and some of my staff at Juniper Ivy actually lives in Mexico, so it’s kind of fascinating – to me, southern California and Mexico are one and the same. And the flavors are just great,” he added.

Despite Blais’ innumerable Mexican influences, he made sure to tell us that he doesn’t claim to be an “authentic” example of Mexican dining. Such is the Blais way. His 2013 cookbook, Try This At Home, is filled with recipes that are easy enough for the home chef, yet eccentric enough for an adventurous eater. Potato chip omelet, anyone? Still, the chef’s Instagram account proves that he can get down with “boring” food, too. (If breakfast tacos are boring, that is.) [pagebreak]

When Blais isn’t running the show at one of his restaurants, he’s cooking, hanging, and doing normal dad stuff with his wife and two daughters. “She managed front of the house. So she helps me run my business,” he said of his wife, Jazmin, who proudly declares her “married to a chef” status on Twitter. “You’ll probably see her on television soon doing a few projects with me. The dynamic is basically she runs front of the house and staff training, beverage menus, wine lists, design. And I do most of the cooking. But she’s the boss – that’s the truth!” the chef admitted.

Blais is reclaiming some of his cooking chops, however, for the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics. The chef has teamed up with the U.S. Olympic Committee for a cooking series with several Olympians. The series, titled “Cooking with Team USA”, gives an inside look into preparing meals for star athletes.

“It’s truly the biggest honor to get to share the stage with some of the world’s most elite athletes,” said Blais. “Spending time with them and sharing some of my culinary insights at the U.S. Olympic Training Center was a dream come true. Whether you’re an athlete training for Rio or just looking to elevate your food game, I’m really excited to share these recipes and the amazing athletes’ stories.” The chef has already made “the perfect tostada” with track and field star Emma Coburn, and pork chops with paralympian Chuck Aoki.