Exploring Mexico's Kitchen with Rick Bayless

Pickled red onions are obligatory on any pibil preparations, or fish tikin xic, but Rick also loves them on papadzules, as well as Yucatecan ceviches and tacos. Rick shares the time-tested method he has used in his restaurants for decades.

Rick celebrates Cinco de Mayo by cooking one of Puebla's most classic dishes, Tinga Poblana. Yes, it is typically made with pork, but the flavors are right at home with chicken thighs.

The classic Margarita is a time-honored recipe. It first involves mixing the right ingredients at the correct proportions, as well as choosing a proper orange liqueur, and using tequila that is 100% agave. Then, you can improvise to taste.

Tikin Xic is one of the most delicious, rustic fish dishes in Mexico, one coated with tangy achiote marinade. It is an easy dish if you use fish fillets, and a challenging (yet rewarding) one if you butterfly an entire fish.

Go on, treat yourself. This recipe serves eight 6-ounce drinks for your lucky guests.

Smoky grilled corn on the cob slathered in mayonnaise (or crema) and showered with one of Mexico's bright-tasting garnishing cheeses, spicy powdered chile, and squeezed lime will set your summer afternoon right.

Rick presents Tres Leches Cake in its most traditional form. One bite is all you need to comprehend why this is a classic, yet to this day, nobody knows for certain where the cake originated. The possibilities are endless.

This is an herbaceous green chile adobo that gets slightly unexpected company: luscious crema and mayonnaise. In the end, this is a super-easy, creamy, spicy dip for your vegetable crudite, or an accompaniment to a grilled shrimp platter.

This version of mojo de ajo asado is the simplest yet and is amazing with pasta and vegetables, such as sauteed eggplant or blanched broccolini.

Rick shares a super-easy, super-useful version of classic Red Chile Adobo, that when coupled with the glossy-sweet punch of agave syrup, makes for an impressively easy glazed shrimp dish. Do you need a wok for this recipe? Ideally, yes.

The deep richness and smoldering heat of this Veracruz specialty is just right for adding depth and complexity to simple dishes. It is a perfect glaze for anything off the grill, an addition to your Bloody Mary mix, or your raw oysters.

Rick first tasted chocoflan a few decades ago, and it blew him away to the point that he immediately went on the hunt for the recipe. Now, he shares it with you. Though this recipe may appear daunting, success will taste oh so good.

It is all about the pasilla chile simple syrup. Make it once, and keep it bottled in your fridge for easy access, and, easy cocktails.

You might not believe this, but ancho chile has a lot in common with bourbon and anejo tequila. Rick will explain why as he shares his Tequila Old Fashioned with you.

Go ahead and buy the cooked shrimp at your fish counter. Take those and a few spoonfuls of herby green chile adobo, and you are halfway through one of the quickest, and most special appetizers Rick knows how to make.

This is among Rick's favorite dishes to share with friends and family. The beautifully complex red adobo is amazing on any roasted root vegetables.

The smoky, dark richness of chipotle-spiked salsa negra, coupled with the caramelly deliciousness of roasted eggplant, is a flavor-packed combination, especially when served with a smooth black bean sauce laced with even more salsa negra.

Rich in roasted garlic and sparked by feisty arbol chiles, these frijoles pintos refritos are perfect for smearing on a tortilla or as a side dish with enchiladas.

This recipe has stood the test of time in Rick's family kitchen. His approach began as a grilled pizza that, over time, became a baked one with a thin crispy crust. In the summertime, he loves to scatter on some diced roasted squash.

When peaches are in season, Rick loves to make this cake. Over time, he has revealed several recipes for this cake, but here he shares the deeply rich version.