The first thing I made from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday cookbook was
brilliant. The second was inedible. The third is, IMHO, nonsensical.

Aside from being bland, the recipe is impossible. It's called Red
Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans. Basically you brown four
chicken breasts, then chop it up. Now, in the same pan, cook a cup of
rice ten minutes "at medium-low" heat until it's half done. Take the
top off, mix in the chicken and a can of beans. "Re-cover and cook 12
minutes longer."

You know what happens to half-cooked rice that's had room-temperature
beans and chicken mixed into it? NOTHING. Twelve minutes later it's
lukewarm and still half-cooked.

Am I missing something? The chicken and beans totally overwhelm the
rice. Where's the part where all this stuff gets hot and the rice
starts cooking again?

I know I'm making a lot out of a little, but I'm totally confounded by
this apparently impossible recipe.

> wrote in message
oups.com...
> The first thing I made from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday cookbook was
> brilliant. The second was inedible. The third is, IMHO, nonsensical.
>
> Aside from being bland, the recipe is impossible. It's called Red
> Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans. Basically you brown four
> chicken breasts, then chop it up. Now, in the same pan, cook a cup of
> rice ten minutes "at medium-low" heat until it's half done. Take the
> top off, mix in the chicken and a can of beans. "Re-cover and cook 12
> minutes longer."
>
> You know what happens to half-cooked rice that's had room-temperature
> beans and chicken mixed into it? NOTHING. Twelve minutes later it's
> lukewarm and still half-cooked.
>
> Am I missing something? The chicken and beans totally overwhelm the
> rice. Where's the part where all this stuff gets hot and the rice
> starts cooking again?
>
> I know I'm making a lot out of a little, but I'm totally confounded by
> this apparently impossible recipe.
>

I agree, that doesn't make much sense. It would make more sense to brown
the chicken, remove the chicken, add the rice in the remaining chicken fat
(but it's gonna stick badly, so I'd use some butter in there, too, or oil or
something), add the juice of the beans to the rice, add the water of canned
tomatoes or Rotel (nowhere in this recipe does it say tomatoes, but to me
it's just plain asking for it!), cook the rice completely, THEN add your
chicken, beans and tomatoes.

I dunno, what do you guys think?

kili

>*It would make more sense to brown
>*the chicken, remove the chicken, add the rice in the remaining chicken fat
>*(but it's gonna stick badly, so I'd use some butter in there, too, or oil or
>*something)

That's the technique. There was still oil left from the chicken, so it
didn't stick.

>*add the juice of the beans to the rice, add the water of canned
>*tomatoes or Rotel (nowhere in this recipe does it say tomatoes, but to me
>*it's just plain asking for it!)

There's an onion in it, some garlic, chile powder and 1 1/2 cup chicken
broth. THAT'S IT. Really, very boring flavor, aside from the whole
uncooked-rice-and-chicken scare. (When he said to brown the chicken
breasts 3 mnutes on each side, did he think that'd COOK them?)

The chicken broth was gone before the rice had cooked FIVE minutes, let
alone twenty. I put in probably double the amount of broth to get the
stuff cooked, and then it was (a) burnt, and (2) gummy.

>*cook the rice completely, THEN add your
>*chicken, beans and tomatoes.

Thanks! I might actually try this again. Maybe with tomatoes (you're
right -- Rotel sounds perfect) and a better blend of chile powder (IMHO
the thing's desperate for chipotles) it'd be good.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>It would make more sense to brown
>the chicken, remove the chicken, add the rice in the remaining chicken fat
>(but it's gonna stick badly, so I'd use some butter in there, too, or oil
or
>something)

That's the technique. There was still oil left from the chicken, so it
didn't stick.

>add the juice of the beans to the rice, add the water of canned
>tomatoes or Rotel (nowhere in this recipe does it say tomatoes, but to me
>it's just plain asking for it!)

There's an onion in it, some garlic, chile powder and 1 1/2 cup chicken
broth. THAT'S IT. Really, very boring flavor, aside from the whole
uncooked-rice-and-chicken scare. (When he said to brown the chicken
breasts 3 mnutes on each side, did he think that'd COOK them?)

The chicken broth was gone before the rice had cooked FIVE minutes, let
alone twenty. I put in probably double the amount of broth to get the
stuff cooked, and then it was (a) burnt, and (2) gummy.

>cook the rice completely, THEN add your
>chicken, beans and tomatoes.

Thanks! I might actually try this again. Maybe with tomatoes (you're
right -- Rotel sounds perfect) and a better blend of chile powder (IMHO
the thing's desperate for chipotles) it'd be good.

--------------------

Yeah, I was thinking it needed some peppers or something. How in the world
did this get published?

kili

kilikini wrote:
>
> --------------------
>
> Yeah, I was thinking it needed some peppers or something. How in the world
> did this get published?
>
> kili
>
>

I've made a couple of Rick Bayless' recipes in the past, including his mole'
sauce and they were all inexplicably bland.

I gave up on him.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!

"The Bubbo" > wrote in message
...
> kilikini wrote:
> >
> > --------------------
> >
> > Yeah, I was thinking it needed some peppers or something. How in the
world
> > did this get published?
> >
> > kili
> >
> >
>
> I've made a couple of Rick Bayless' recipes in the past, including his
mole'
> sauce and they were all inexplicably bland.
>
> I gave up on him.
>

Well, there you have it. I've heard of him, but never tried any of his
recipes.

kili

wrote:
> The first thing I made from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday cookbook was
> brilliant. The second was inedible. The third is, IMHO, nonsensical.
>
> Aside from being bland, the recipe is impossible. It's called Red
> Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans. Basically you brown four
> chicken breasts, then chop it up. Now, in the same pan, cook a cup of
> rice ten minutes "at medium-low" heat until it's half done. Take the
> top off, mix in the chicken and a can of beans. "Re-cover and cook 12
> minutes longer."
>
> You know what happens to half-cooked rice that's had room-temperature
> beans and chicken mixed into it? NOTHING. Twelve minutes later it's
> lukewarm and still half-cooked.
>
> Am I missing something? The chicken and beans totally overwhelm the
> rice. Where's the part where all this stuff gets hot and the rice
> starts cooking again?
>
> I know I'm making a lot out of a little, but I'm totally confounded by
> this apparently impossible recipe.

Pre-cook the rice.

And add a bit of olive oil to keep it from drying out and sticking.

Om

kilikini wrote:
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> It would make more sense to brown
>> the chicken, remove the chicken, add the rice in the remaining
>> chicken fat (but it's gonna stick badly, so I'd use some butter in
>> there, too, or oil or something)
>
> That's the technique. There was still oil left from the chicken, so
> it didn't stick.
>
>> add the juice of the beans to the rice, add the water of canned
>> tomatoes or Rotel (nowhere in this recipe does it say tomatoes, but
>> to me it's just plain asking for it!)
>
> There's an onion in it, some garlic, chile powder and 1 1/2 cup
> chicken broth. THAT'S IT. Really, very boring flavor, aside from
> the whole uncooked-rice-and-chicken scare. (When he said to brown
> the chicken breasts 3 mnutes on each side, did he think that'd COOK
> them?)
>
> The chicken broth was gone before the rice had cooked FIVE minutes,
> let alone twenty. I put in probably double the amount of broth to
> get the stuff cooked, and then it was (a) burnt, and (2) gummy.
>
>> cook the rice completely, THEN add your
>> chicken, beans and tomatoes.
>
> Thanks! I might actually try this again. Maybe with tomatoes (you're
> right -- Rotel sounds perfect) and a better blend of chile powder
> (IMHO the thing's desperate for chipotles) it'd be good.
>
> --------------------
>
> Yeah, I was thinking it needed some peppers or something. How in the
> world did this get published?
>
> kili

You are so funny, kili! You don't like peppers of any kind!

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
> kilikini wrote:
> > > wrote in message
> > ups.com...
> >> It would make more sense to brown
> >> the chicken, remove the chicken, add the rice in the remaining
> >> chicken fat (but it's gonna stick badly, so I'd use some butter in
> >> there, too, or oil or something)
> >
> > That's the technique. There was still oil left from the chicken, so
> > it didn't stick.
> >
> >> add the juice of the beans to the rice, add the water of canned
> >> tomatoes or Rotel (nowhere in this recipe does it say tomatoes, but
> >> to me it's just plain asking for it!)
> >
> > There's an onion in it, some garlic, chile powder and 1 1/2 cup
> > chicken broth. THAT'S IT. Really, very boring flavor, aside from
> > the whole uncooked-rice-and-chicken scare. (When he said to brown
> > the chicken breasts 3 mnutes on each side, did he think that'd COOK
> > them?)
> >
> > The chicken broth was gone before the rice had cooked FIVE minutes,
> > let alone twenty. I put in probably double the amount of broth to
> > get the stuff cooked, and then it was (a) burnt, and (2) gummy.
> >
> >> cook the rice completely, THEN add your
> >> chicken, beans and tomatoes.
> >
> > Thanks! I might actually try this again. Maybe with tomatoes (you're
> > right -- Rotel sounds perfect) and a better blend of chile powder
> > (IMHO the thing's desperate for chipotles) it'd be good.
> >
> > --------------------
> >
> > Yeah, I was thinking it needed some peppers or something. How in the
> > world did this get published?
> >
> > kili
>
> You are so funny, kili! You don't like peppers of any kind!
>
> Jill
>
>

No, but most people do. :~)

kili

On 30 Apr 2006 11:12:46 -0700, wrote:

>The first thing I made from Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday cookbook was
>brilliant. The second was inedible. The third is, IMHO, nonsensical.
>
>Aside from being bland, the recipe is impossible. It's called Red
>Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans. Basically you brown four
>chicken breasts, then chop it up. Now, in the same pan, cook a cup of
>rice ten minutes "at medium-low" heat until it's half done. Take the
>top off, mix in the chicken and a can of beans. "Re-cover and cook 12
>minutes longer."
>
>You know what happens to half-cooked rice that's had room-temperature
>beans and chicken mixed into it? NOTHING. Twelve minutes later it's
>lukewarm and still half-cooked.
>
>Am I missing something? The chicken and beans totally overwhelm the
>rice. Where's the part where all this stuff gets hot and the rice
>starts cooking again?
>
>I know I'm making a lot out of a little, but I'm totally confounded by
>this apparently impossible recipe.

I'd say that the best way to cook this would be to do it like a
Mexican risotto. Chop up the chicken and onion and THEN brown them and
add the beans... then put the rice and liquid into the HOT pan and
there's enough heat in there to get the whole lot cooking nicely. Add
more liquid as necessary and cook until the rice is done and it's
goopy...

Or alternatively, make sure that the chicken goes into the rice pot
while it's still hot (or alternatively at least half-cooked) so that
it doesn't lower the temperature too badly...

But if this is Mexican food, where's all the spice? This sounds like a
recipe my husband would choose (not really a compliment to the recipe
:P )

"kilikini" > wrote in message
.. .
>
> "The Bubbo" > wrote in message
> ...
>> kilikini wrote:
>> >
>> > --------------------
>> >
>> > Yeah, I was thinking it needed some peppers or something. How in the
> world
>> > did this get published?
>> >
>> > kili
>> >
>> >
>>
>> I've made a couple of Rick Bayless' recipes in the past, including his
> mole'
>> sauce and they were all inexplicably bland.
>>
>> I gave up on him.
>>
>
> Well, there you have it. I've heard of him, but never tried any of his
> recipes.
>
> kili
>
I had recently put his "Everyday" book on my "books to buy" list because
they all looked so simple and delicious and not a lot of planning, and most
of the ingredients were easy to find or I have them on hand.

I usually decide what price I'm willing to pay for a book -- unless it's a
'must have.' But this one I'll be sure to take another look at. Thanks all,
Dee Dee

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 16:28:00 -0400, Karen AKA Kajikit
> wrote:

>>
>>You know what happens to half-cooked rice that's had room-temperature
>>beans and chicken mixed into it? NOTHING. Twelve minutes later it's
>>lukewarm and still half-cooked.
>>
>>Am I missing something? The chicken and beans totally overwhelm the
>>rice. Where's the part where all this stuff gets hot and the rice
>>starts cooking again?
>>
>>I know I'm making a lot out of a little, but I'm totally confounded by
>>this apparently impossible recipe.

I would just let the rice cook til it's done..and not go by any
particular time.

Christine

> But if this is Mexican food, where's all the spice? This sounds like a
> recipe my husband would choose (not really a compliment to the recipe
> :P )

Thanks guys! This cookbook really isn't very good: there are five or
six basic ingredient combinations and all the recipes are derived from
them. The good one was tomatillos with canned jalapenos and their
juice. The miserable one was canned tomatoes, jalapenos,
worchestershire and cinnamon. Eeesh. I made a double batch and
discovered I couldn't finish a bowl of it.

As for this chicken recipe, it specifies "ancho chili powder" -- which
I thought must be really good, really special chili powder. Uh-huh.
It's the dullest chili powder you can buy, which dooms this recipe.

Karen, the Mexican risotto seems like the way to go, along with some
kind of chili kick.

wrote:

> Aside from being bland, the recipe is impossible. It's called Red
> Chile Chicken and Rice with Black Beans. Basically you brown four
> chicken breasts, then chop it up. Now, in the same pan, cook a cup of
> rice ten minutes "at medium-low" heat until it's half done. Take the
> top off, mix in the chicken and a can of beans. "Re-cover and cook 12
> minutes longer."
<snip>
> Am I missing something? The chicken and beans totally overwhelm the
> rice. Where's the part where all this stuff gets hot and the rice
> starts cooking again?

Try this: Follow the recipe up to the point where you add the chicken and
beans. Then raise the heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer, lower the heat
back to medium-low, THEN re-cover and cook 12 minutes more.

To enliven the flavors I'd add lime juice and cilantro just before serving.
Maybe some chopped raw onion, too. It's clearly not supposed to be a spicy
dish; if you wanted to spice it up, you could add chopped jalapeños at the
same time you add the beans. If you have epazote, you could add that at the
same time as the beans, too.

Bob

> Try this: Follow the recipe up to the point where you add the chicken and
> beans. Then raise the heat to medium-high, bring to a simmer

The problem is, there's no liquid left at this point! We should spin
off a thread for worst cooking disaster, because that's mine. These
rice-and-whatever dishes that run out of liquid before the rice is
cooked. I think the only solution is to quickly bring another pot of
broth up to a boil and add that, because just cranking up the heat to
try and get another head of steam will *definitely* burn the thing
(voice of experience talking).

> *If you have epazote, you could add that at the same time as the beans, too.

Ten points! That's a recommended garnish (that I couldn't find, even
though I went to three Hispanic markets. They didn't have chili powder
or enchilada sauce either, so who knows what the hell they cook around
here).

On 30 Apr 2006 14:18:12 -0700, wrote:

>> But if this is Mexican food, where's all the spice? This sounds like a
>> recipe my husband would choose (not really a compliment to the recipe
>> :P )
>
>Thanks guys! This cookbook really isn't very good: there are five or
>six basic ingredient combinations and all the recipes are derived from
>them. The good one was tomatillos with canned jalapenos and their
>juice. The miserable one was canned tomatoes, jalapenos,
>worchestershire and cinnamon. Eeesh. I made a double batch and
>discovered I couldn't finish a bowl of it.
>
>As for this chicken recipe, it specifies "ancho chili powder" -- which
>I thought must be really good, really special chili powder. Uh-huh.
>It's the dullest chili powder you can buy, which dooms this recipe.
>
>Karen, the Mexican risotto seems like the way to go, along with some
>kind of chili kick.

I'm a lazy cook so I make as many one-pot meals as I can... it saved
me a lot of effort when I realised that you could put the rice/pasta
straight into the pot and cook it with the meat instead of needing a
seperate container... I think it tastes better too because it soaks up
the flavour of the sauce.

wrote:
> As for this chicken recipe, it specifies "ancho chili powder" -- which
> I thought must be really good, really special chili powder. Uh-huh.
> It's the dullest chili powder you can buy, which dooms this recipe.
>
If you were expecting ancho chili's to be hot, it's no wonder you were
disappointed. Ancho's are smoky in taste but have very little heat.
Personally, I like the taste. I'm not one of those who has to have hot,
hotter, hottest when associated with the word pepper. I like kick; I like
spice. But I don't like my food being overwhelmed by my inability to taste
anything because the pepper (sauce, powder, whatever) burned off the end of
my tongue

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
>> As for this chicken recipe, it specifies "ancho chili powder" -- which
>> I thought must be really good, really special chili powder. Uh-huh.
>> It's the dullest chili powder you can buy, which dooms this recipe.
>>
> If you were expecting ancho chili's to be hot, it's no wonder you were
> disappointed. Ancho's are smoky in taste but have very little heat.
> Personally, I like the taste. I'm not one of those who has to have hot,
> hotter, hottest when associated with the word pepper. I like kick; I like
> spice. But I don't like my food being overwhelmed by my inability to
> taste
> anything because the pepper (sauce, powder, whatever) burned off the end
> of
> my tongue
>
> Jill
>

Poblano is one of my favorite chilies. Fresh, it is used for stuffing and
for rellenos. It is not a high-heat pepper, but IMO a pepper used for his
flavor-nuance. Dried, it is called ancho.
An acquired taste, possibly. (like cilantro (:-)))
Dee Dee

wrote:
>> Try this: Follow the recipe up to the point where you add the
>> chicken and beans. Then raise the heat to medium-high, bring to a
>> simmer
>
> The problem is, there's no liquid left at this point! We should spin
> off a thread for worst cooking disaster, because that's mine.

Been there, done that. At nearly 10 years of reading and posting to rfc,
you'll find some really funny cooking disasters. Yours is really the least
of them since adding liquid is a pretty common-sense thing to do if there is
no liquid left

We like to make fun of my Sis, Nancy Young, who baked a canned ham without
first realizing it was wrapped in plastic.

I attempted to make some polenta one afternoon after having imbibed a bit
too much wine. Not sure I reported this one here but I was having my oldest
brother and his wife over for dinner. They mistook this cornmeal mush for
couscous. His (now ex-) wife exclaimed, "Couscous! I love couscous!"
Uh... yeah, whatever you say. Please pass the wine. <wink>

Jill

Dee Randall wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> ...
>> wrote:
>>> As for this chicken recipe, it specifies "ancho chili powder" --
>>> which
>>> I thought must be really good, really special chili powder. Uh-huh.
>>> It's the dullest chili powder you can buy, which dooms this recipe.
>>>
>> If you were expecting ancho chili's to be hot, it's no wonder you
>> were disappointed. Ancho's are smoky in taste but have very little
>> heat. Personally, I like the taste. I'm not one of those who has to
>> have hot, hotter, hottest when associated with the word pepper. I
>> like kick; I like spice. But I don't like my food being overwhelmed
>> by my inability to taste
>> anything because the pepper (sauce, powder, whatever) burned off the
>> end of
>> my tongue
>>
>> Jill
>>
>
> Poblano is one of my favorite chilies. Fresh, it is used for stuffing
> and for rellenos. It is not a high-heat pepper, but IMO a pepper used
> for his flavor-nuance. Dried, it is called ancho.
> An acquired taste, possibly. (like cilantro (:-)))
> Dee Dee

I hate cilantro (that genetic tastes like soap thing) but I appreciate a
nice but not hot pepper. I think the OP set herself up thinking this was
going to be a hot spicy dish. I also think the OP mistakenly assumes all
Mexican cuisine is hot and spicy. That's simply not true.

Jill

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 18:46:16 GMT, The Bubbo >
wrote:

>kilikini wrote:
>>
>> --------------------
>>
>> Yeah, I was thinking it needed some peppers or something. How in the world
>> did this get published?
>>
>> kili
>>
>>
>
>I've made a couple of Rick Bayless' recipes in the past, including his mole'
>sauce and they were all inexplicably bland.
>
>I gave up on him.


A Mexican cookbook written by a guy named Rick Bayless, maybe that's
the problem!


Tom

>> I gave up on [Rick Bayless].

> A Mexican cookbook written by a guy named Rick Bayless,
> maybe that's the problem!

You're right: it's like using a French cookbook written by a chick
named Julia.

Mr. Bayless is allegedly a specialist in Mexican cooking. This book
collects some of his quicker recipes -- the usual variety start with
planting chipotle seeds -- so I was looking forward to it. (Yes, I
know there's no such thing as chipotle seeds.)

I have a few cookbooks by actual *ethnic* people, but they're generally
not my favorites. Either the recipes are grease-fests, or the
quantities are in metric, or they use things I've never heard of and
don't particularly want to (think "asafoetida" here).

On 1 May 2006 15:05:50 -0700, "Bailey Legull" >
wrote:

>... This book
>collects some of his quicker recipes -- the usual variety start with
>planting chipotle seeds -- ...

LOL! Beware any "quick" recipe involving planting seeds !!

"This quick recipe takes only 62 days to make..."




Tom