si.

It’s Cinco de Mayo, and as those of us who know us well would expect, Uncle Crappy and The Wife are celebrating by eating and drinking.

The eating part is pretty simple: take out from Rey Azteca, Butler, Pennsylvania’s finest — and, uh, pretty much only — Mexican establishment. We stuck with a couple of our regulars. The wife is fond of their carne asada — thin strips of grilled steak with veggies, beans and the restaurant’s excellent chunky pico de gallo wrapped in a warm tortilla. Uncle Crappy’s favorite? A simple pork burrito – roasted pork (maybe quick-fried to slightly extra-crispy?), wrapped in a huge tortilla and covered with a seriously spicy tomatillo sauce and a little cheese.

And we’re full now.

I shouldn’t pass on the chance to tell you about the margarita, either. The Wife found a Rick Bayless recipe for a champagne margarita she wanted to try. Here’s what Mr. Bayless recommends:

The finely grated zest (colored rind only) from 1 lime

1 cup fresh lime juice

1 cup Cointreau

1 cup silver tequila (I like El Tesoro and Partida)

Superfine sugar, if needed for added sweetness

1 lime, cut in half, for serving

Coarse (Kosher) salt, for serving

1 bottle Champagne or other sparkling wine

Directions

In a pitcher, combine the lime zest, lime juice, Cointreau, tequila and sugar if you are using it. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour). Just before serving, strain the mixture to remove the zest, and pour enough salt into a saucer to cover the bottom. Rub a lime half over the rim of each champagne glass and upend into the salt to crust it lightly. Pour about 3 ounces of the tequila mixture into each glass, fill the rest of the way with Champagne or sparkling wine and hand to one of your lucky guests.

She couldn’t find “superfine sugar,” so she used a little regular sugar when she was mixing ’em up. She didn’t add much, though. The first glass was a little tart — not in a bad way, but there was a little more pucker than I was expecting. We added a little extra sugar — maybe a half-teaspoon — to the second glass, and the pucker was gone. without making the drink too sweet.

I’d like to try this using The Wife’s original measurements but replacing the champagne with something a little sweeter, like maybe prosecco. That might add the balance this drink needs. And even if you don’t bother — I’d recommend this highly.

5 thoughts on “si.”

  1. Sounds yummy all around.

    Giant Eagle usually carries superfine sugar, but you can also whip some up yourself — literally — by putting white granulated sugar in a blender and setting on high for a minute.

    It mixes in drinks more quickly, and is particularly nice for an Old-Fashioned or for making a sugar rim for a fruit Margarita.

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  2. UC –

    Dirtmerchant and I often freqented a fine establishment in the Republic of Boulder that had a 3 drink limit on its margaritas – ‘The Rio’ – they say the recipie is a secret, but DM claims to have come up with the secret – we’ve made it, and even it is not the same one, it’s a good one – (DM – let me know if I get it wrong) –

    It’s all in proportions – you’ll need Jose Cuervo Gold, Rosies Lime, Triple Sec and Apple Juice – mix 1 part Jose with 1/3 parts of the rest – pour over lots of ice. Sip. Enjoy. Before long, you’ll have found the Island of Margaritaville (always found at the bottom of bottle of Jose).

    I think I need to have a Margarita party soon now.

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  3. Apple juice? That sounds like something I’ll have to try. We celebrated Cinco de Mayo all weekend. On Friday night we were at a neighbor’s house who has a margarita machine. The perfectly ground ice is what makes those drinks so good. Then Sunday, we spent a good six hours at the beach with the same neighbors…apparently this beach, or 150 yards of sand that we happened to be on, is where you go if you are male, in your 20s and gay. I have no problem with this what-so-ever but with children there….hmmm? So, we drank and chose to look the other way (from the 20-somethings doing gymnastics).

    Then on Monday, we ate the ONLY dinner that all five of us will actually eat…tacos.

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  4. Cindy: My usual process for drinking liquor at home involves pouring bourbon or Irish whiskey over ice. It’s good to know where we can get the proper supplies next time, though.

    Kewyson: The Wife and I have been to a bar in Tempe that made a prickly-pear margarita — delicious and strong enough to warrant the three-drink limit.

    E: The gymnastics would at least have been entertaining, right?

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  5. here’s a righteous drink that will make the Sarah Jessica Parker pucker, but I love it!

    Make a Cosmopolitan but substitute tequila for the vodka. Yummaliscious!

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