Fiesta!

In terms of which tequila to use, you don't need a premium tequila but don't use the bargain brand either. White or gold tequila doesn't matter.

Except for premium tequilas, most "gold" tequilas get their distinctive hue from caramel coloring, not aging. Ordinary gold tequila is a marketing technique aimed at making the consumer think it is of higher quality. The only thing higher is the price.

Now for variations on a theme. You can create a variety of flavored margaritas by substituting your favorite fruit juice for the lime juice.

Orange and cranberry are common choices. Or for a real tropical flair, try a blue margarita. Simply substitute Blue Curacao for the Triple Sec, (both are orange flavored liquors but the Blue Curacao is colored blue).

Now we need some chips and salsa to go with the margaritas. Forget the jarred salsas. They're nothing but tomato sauce, a few bits of onion and pepper, and chemicals.

Trust me; take the time to make fresh salsa. The jarred salsas can't even come close to the flavor of fresh salsa.

If you can't find the on-the-vine tomatoes you can substitute 10 plum tomatoes. Buy the tomatoes ahead of time and let them sit on your sunny windowsill for a few days to fully ripen.

The linchpin of this recipe is tomatoes at the peak of ripeness. You can be creative and flexible with the peppers, altering the number of them or mixing mild and hot.

For super hot salsa, use 3-4 serrano chiles, or if you're really brave, use one habanero. Cilantro is an herb that people either love or hate. Adjust the amount to your taste but if you eliminate it, you will lose one of the key flavor attributes of salsa.

If you really like it, I recommend cutting up some of the stems as well to add to the crunchiness of the salsa. Oh, and I have to say it. Just like the margaritas, fresh lime juice is imperative. Ole!

• page 2 of 2
• previous page