Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless

The 19th Century was the golden age of the Mexican hacienda. Today, a handful live on as luxury resorts. Join Rick and his wife Deann in "hacienda heaven" at Hacienda San Jose in the Yucatan, as well as for a dinner party at the Bayless's.

Rick reveals how to plan a fiesta for 25 people that is both big and gourmet featuring Mexican takes on Spanish classics. Rick will also show you how to construct a simple outdoor brick fire-pit built for an enormous three-foot paella pan.

With a little imagination, Rick and his family create a Mexican seaside nirvana in their own backyard, and the food is as inviting as the mood, because it all comes from the grill, starting with Rick's Grilled Garlic and Orange Guacamole.

With a houseful of weekend guests Rick, and his daughter Lanie, whip up a special brunch buffet that turns Sunday morning into a mini-Mexican vacation. Throughout the preparations and the party, Rick provides myriad entertaining tips.

Tacos are Mexico's favorite mini-meal, and it turns out they are also a perfect party food. Rick and his daughter, Lanie, plan a backyard taquisa, and in the true spirit of a taquisa, Rick makes fresh corn tortillas on a hot griddle.

To celebrate a friend's birthday, Rick reinvents the ice cream social where everyone brings a batch of homemade ice cream. Inspired by the infinitely varied frozen treats and sweets of Mexico, Rick prepares three fresh takes of his own.

Who says cocktail parties must be dressy, mood-lit affairs? Rick's menu on this summer Sunday afternoon is all about seafood and ice-cold drinks. His themes are simplicity, fun, and freshness, inspired by Mexican deep-sea fishing trips.

Tamales are Rick's idea of the perfect party food. In Mexico, when family and friends get together for a tamalada, the cooking is as much a part of the celebration as the eating. Rick shows viewers how to pull off a tamalada for a crowd.

To beat the heat, Rick leaves the kitchen for a cookout a la Mexicana, inspired by one of his world-favorite meat eateries: El Canelo, near Guadalajara. Rick also provides a quick lesson in setting up a home grill for wood-fired cooking.

The Baylesses love to feed a crowd, and one of their favorite ways to do so is by firing up the Mexican-style barbecue pit they built in their backyard, one inspired in part by the 3,000-seat Arroyo restaurant they adore in Mexico City.

Rick's having people over for a relaxed evening of parlor games, and he has set himself a challenge: in one hour, with one bag of groceries, he must prepare a big-flavored spread of Mexican party food. The secret is all in the ingredients.

Rick is on a mission to tell the world about tequila, beginning with a party for 25 at home. Rick hopes to open people's minds and palates to the complexities of Mexico's smooth, super-premium, artisanal tequilas made from 100% blue agave.

After providing a quick on-location crash course in Mexican street food, Rick gets an idea: why not create a one-night-only Mexican street-food stall right in his Chicago home kitchen as the centerpiece of an unforgettable cocktail party?