I’m curious sailingmind, what recipe of Bayless’s were you going to try to attempt that involved “Roasted” Peppers? Were there no other recipes in the book that would have been more adaptable to your situation? I find that there is usually a suitable local binary to most “exotic” mexican ingredients or a substittute to a native technique. But I do kind of feel you short changed him in the ease of preperation department, that’s one of the things I enjoy about Rick’s recipes, they are usually very concise, plainly descriptive, and eminently easy to follow, he has truly made traditional Mexican cooking accessible.
Also, you seem to be under a misimpression, roasting fresh hot peppers and then steaming, does not release noxious fumes, neither does dry toasting, deseeded, dried chiles for few seconds a side in a hot skillet.
I don’t even remember which recipe. It’s water under the bridge now. I was so shocked at the vitriol displayed by Mr. Bayless, that he would personally take time out of his busy life to search me out and flay me for posting a (positive) review…I just lost interest. I am now an anti-fan of Rick Bayless and Mexican cuisine. I am a big fat idiot in his eyes and should never have read his cookbook in the first place. My little review didn’t seem to derail his Great Career, though, did it?
This is probably a dumb question, but… are you sure it was really Rick Bayless? It seems odd that he’d find your site (admittedly maybe you’re a Hugely Famous Food Blogger) and take the time to write himself, especially with such venom. Could it have been a nutter fan of his?
I picked up a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking at Target yesterday for $28. It includes the 1983 edits; for one thing, the food processor “made fast work work of routine dog work like mushroom dicing, cheese grating, bread crumbing and onion slicing.”
It’s a pleasure to read the introductory stuff. I may get around to actually making some recipes…
Neither does Canada, but interestingly enough, I can get my hands on all sorts of obscure Indian ingredients with a minimum of fuss. However, if I want the kinds of chilies I need to make authentic Mexican a-la-Bayless, I have to trek halfway across town to find them - and even then, I’ll only be able to get the dried ones, not fresh.
And that’s in Toronto, which is one of the most multicultural cities in the world (though, granted, we have significantly more citizens with Indian ancestry than we do with Mexican).
Anyway… the point I’m trying to make is that if I have trouble finding said ingredients, is it really a surprise that the average family in, say, suburban Minnesota or rural Connecticut might find it a little difficult to get their hands on anything beyond generic chili powder?
I don’t know if it was Rick Bayless. His primary concern was that not only was I too stupid and lazy to cook his recipes, but I would scare off potential book customers by implying his recipes were too complicated and esoteric for the average joe to prepare. Anyway. Water. Bridge. … Julia Child wouldn’t have been such a bitch! SHE would have been encouraging, I just know it. Someday I hope to make something of hers, but I’ll keep it to myself!
And perhaps Rick Bayless isn’t either, since you have no idea whether it was really him or not. Still, while he doesn’t come across as that sort of person, it wouldn’t necessarily surprise me. Either way, it’s a bit of an overreaction on your part to become an “anti-fan” of Mexican cuisine because of what an author may or may not have wrote in response to a book review posted on the internet.
No, and I can’t imagine how it slipped through my radar in the first place, to be honest. I even read back over the damn thing to check for spelling and punctuation.
Bridget I do apologize if you felt in any way hurt, insulted, or belittled by my response. It certainly wasn’t my intention–I meant only to discuss your post, not your personality.