For all the Rick Bayless aficionados, there is good news again, since the Chicago chef has put another feather to his cap by winning the finale of ‘Top Chef Masters‘ aired on Wednesday night on Bravo T.V.The much-lauded culinary artist who has authored the popular book ‘Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking From The Heart Of Mexico’ which is a prominent contribution to the introduction of Mexican recipes to the American world, won $100000 which he will use for Frontera Farmer Foundation.

Bayless is owner-cum-chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo who said “I don’t believe this” rather humbly “I am just totally elated ….Viva Mexico!.” Prior to him Chicago’s Stephanie Izard has won the title in the past.

When asked to serve something based on first-food memoirs he made barbecue quail served with smoked hickory sauce that his parents fed him in his early years. When asked which dish made him confident and proud as a chef he came up with mole-sauce on ahi tuna in combination with plantain tamale and grilled nopales.

He cooked Achiote- Marinated Cochinita Pibil, his own invention for ‘what he would have on the platter for a supposed opening of his first restaurant’. Lastly, and perhaps the most dicey recipe came in the final course under ‘Future Endeavours In Food Tactics’ for which he over-cooked shellfish which the judges liked least among his four presentations. The 55 year old had experimented with a seafood dish called Arro A La Tumbada with tomato-jalapeno broth and chorizo “air”. So much for fancy cooking!

Bayless is a graduate from University of Oklahoma now living in Chicago.