Cookbook Shelf: Frontera Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks

Chef Rick Bayless has transformed and uplifted the image of Mexican food in the United States. In 1987, he opened Frontera Grill, which remains as one of Chicago’s most popular restaurants. In 1988, Food & Wine Magazine named him “Best New Chef of the Year.” After the success of Frontera Grill, Bayless opened Topolobampo in 1989, which is considered one of America’s only fine dining Mexican restaurants.  In 1991, he won the James Beard Award for “Best American Chef: Midwest” and in 1995 won the “Chef of the Year” award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.  Bayless has also authored a number of award winning cookbooks. Among them are Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen: Capturing the Vibrant Flavors of a World-Class Cuisine, which won the IACP Julia Child Cookbook of the Year award and Rick Bayless Mexico One Plate At A Time, which was the companion to the first season of the PBS series by the same name that also won the James Beard Award for Best International Cookbook. 

Bayless’ latest cookbook, Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles, and Snacks, shares 60 easy to follow recipes from his restaurant's most requested offerings: margaritas, guacamoles and snacks.  The book celebrates his love of tequila with 35 margarita recipes for every taste, budget and season from the classic margarita and fruit and herb-based variations to modern tequila cocktails and dessert drinks.  Channel your inner mixologist with recipes for the Quintessential Strawberry Margarita, and more seasonal creations like the Tangerine Spice Margarita for winter, and the Black Currant-Rhubarb Margarita for spring.  In addition all of the margarita recipes feature a useful “pitcher recipe” for those looking to multiply the ingredients to mix enough drinks for a fiesta.

Bayless also provides innovative guacamole recipes for each month of the year, such as apple fennel guacamole, brown butter guacamole with porcini and crab and a watermelon ginger guacamole, which is perfect for summer.  As an added bonus, he suggests a number of agua fresca cocktails, made with fresh fruit juices of apple, tamarind, watermelon, cucumber, orange and passion fruit to name a few.  Rounding out the book are a few of Bayless’ snacks, like green chile pumpkin seeds, spiced cashews and even a recipe for how to prepare corn nuts from scratch.

Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles and Snacks is quite the party book and a wonderful expression of the lively Mexican spirit.  It’s perfect for those looking to add some Mexican flair to their own happy hour.  And a must-have for the cocktail aficionado who can’t resist the undeniable pleasure of the perfect margarita. To celebrate the release of his new cookbook, Bayless shared some of his favorite margartia and appetizer recipes with TLK. 

Strawberry Margarita

Apple Habanero Margarita

Get the full recipe.

Meyer Lemon Margarita

• 1 1/2 cups Meyer Lemon Tequila
• 1 cup Meyer lemon juice (4 to 5 lemons)
• 3/4 cup Triple Sec
• 1/2 cup Meyer lemon simple syrup
• 6 cups ice
• 8 lemon twists, for garnish

Get the full recipe.

Tomatillo Guacamole with Chicharrón