Hopefully you love your dad.
But maybe working with him would just offer up a bit too much father-child quality time.
Not so for Rick Bayless and his daughter Lanie Bayless. Both are chefs, and their kitchens certainly aren’t far apart, no matter what city they’re in. Dad Rick is a Bravo’s Top Chef Masters winner and also runs Chicago favorites Frontera Grill, the Michelin-starred Topolobampo, XOCO Bar Sótano and Tortazo, which opens another branch this fall in New York. And Chef Lanie works directly with her dad to lead the beverage program at Tortazo, and also at Bar Sotano in Chicago, located behind their restaurant Xoco.
Both father and daughter are inspired by the cuisine of Mexico. “We have a shared vision,” Rick Bayless tells InsideHook. “And Lanie was more or less raised in our restaurants, so I know she sees what I see: the orchestrated elements of service, subtle adjustments to the ambiance, the pace of meals for our guests and cultivating a joyful experience. Making all of that work in harmony requires a team that’s dialed in.”
As for their differences, “Lanie and her friends are more accustomed to carryout, whereas I’m a little more carryout averse,” says the elder Bayless. “Although the COVID era has opened me up to the incredible opportunities for well-executed carryout food.”
For Father’s Day, Rick and Lanie (with her husband and child in tow) plan to spend Father’s Day together at an outdoor party where everyone is contributing food and drinks. Since we weren’t invited, we asked the duo for a food and cocktail pairing, as you’ll see below.
Shrimp Cocktail
Coctel de Camaron
1 lb. peeled and deveined smallish shrimp (I prefer ones that are 41/50 count to a pound)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 medium white onion, chopped into ¼-inch pieces, plus extra for garnish
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, thinly sliced, plus several sprigs for garnish
2 to 4 tbsps vinegary Mexican bottled hot sauce (like Tamazula, Valentina or Búfalo, the latter being on the sweet side)
2 tbsps olive oil (optional but recommended to smooth out sharpness)
1 cup diced, peeled cucumber or jícama (or ½ cup of each)
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
Salt
Bring one quart of heavily salted water to a boil. Scoop in the shrimp, cover and let the water return to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat, set the lid askew and pour off all the liquid.
Replace the cover and let the shrimp steam off the heat for a few minutes if they are not cooked as much as you would like. Spread them out to cool completely or, for the crispest texture, immediately dunk the shrimp into an ice bath.
Into a medium bowl, measure all the ingredients. Mix in the cooled shrimp. Taste and season with salt if it needs it. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately. Spoon the shrimp cocktail into sundae glasses, martini glasses or small bowls; garnish with a little chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips or saltines. Serves 4-6.
Cilantro-Tequila Tonic
A handful of cilantro sprigs
A crosswise slice or two of fresh serrano or jalapeño chile, seeds and veins removed
.5 oz fresh lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup
1 oz fresh grapefruit juice
2 oz blanco tequila
Tonic water
Muddle 8 to 10 leaves of cilantro along with the chile, lime juice and simple syrup in a shaker. Add the grapefruit juice, tequila and about 8-10 ice cubes and shake well. Muddle a few more leaves of cilantro in a 10-ounce highball glass and strain the contents of the shaker into the glass. Add fresh ice, top with tonic water and stir.
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