For nearly 40 years, Rick Bayless has been one of the country’s best-known chefs, a phenomenally successful restauranteur, and an acknowledged master of Mexican cuisine.

His restaurants, including Chicago’s Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, have become legendary for their well-researched yet consistently innovative Mexican cuisine. And his television series, Mexico: One Plate at a Time, is now entering its 10th season on PBS.

We caught up with Bayless at the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago, where he talked about the benefits of making salsa with a traditional mortar and pestle, the convenience of steaming vegetables in a microwave oven, and his love of induction burners.