CULTURE · Dita Von Teese refashions the traditional Mexican cocktail: who wants some 'Margaditas' (chipotle included)?

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the summer soirée season with the Cointreau MargaDita – the latest collaboration from Dita Von Teese, International Queen of Burlesque, and Cointreau, the original French triple sec. As the global Cointreauversial ambassador since 2007, Dita Von Teese proudly introduces her latest namesake cocktail, the Cointreau MargaDita, a bold and seductive reinvention of the classic Margarita, the #1 selling cocktail in America. Dita Von Teese’s tasty new libation is a homage to Margarita Sames, the bon vivante Dallas socialite who created the original recipe in 1948 while vacationing at her Acapulco cliffside hacienda. According to Dita Von Teese, "The Cointreau MargaDita is a tantalizing haute-cocktail with a spicy twist."
“Margarita Sames was clearly a strong, confident, and stylish woman well known for her entertaining prowess - qualities that I both admire and, hopefully, embody,” says Dita Von Teese. “Her Margarita recipe has been enjoyed for over 60 years and it seemed only natural for me to create my own cocktail as a tribute to this glamorous and charismatic woman.”
Dita Von Teese toasts this alluring woman, who unfortunately passed away this past year, by using the classic margarita ingredients as a base for her Cointreau MargaDita cocktail: Cointreau, tequila and fresh lime juice. “I wanted to keep the integrity of the original margarita recipe, but add a personal touch of my own. The juxtaposition of floral notes with spicy elements makes for a seductive twist: aromatic Monin Rose Syrup for a hint of floral, feminine perfume, and a dash of chipotle powder for an unexpected spicy smack. I think Margarita Sames would approve,” says Dita Von Teese.

Cointreau MargaDita

• 1.5 oz Cointreau
• 1.5 oz Silver Tequila
• 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
• 1/2 oz Monin Rose Syrup
• 1 pinch Chipotle Spice

Mix all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a chilled coup glass. Garnish with floating organic yellow rose petals. For an added kick, add a chipotle and salt rim.

Via @ http://www.ditasdomain.com/cointreau/#margadita

RECIPE · The Magic of the Plain Quesadilla

With Mexican food, sometimes less is more.

People outside México are often led to believe that food is always overelaborate, showy and real gooey. That's not always the case and quesadillas are an example of that. A true quesadilla is nothing but a corn tortilla folded in half, filled with oaxacan cheese and warmed up on a hot pan until the cheese melts. Quick, cheap and really easy to make.

You might need some extra oomph though, so you can add a lick of refried beans, dip it in guacamole, salsa verde or salsa pico de gallo, or even just have some jalapeño chilies on the side to nibble on between bites (that's SUCH a Mexican thing to do).

So in order to prepare a plain quesadilla making do with stuff available in most supermarkets in the UK you need:

• Old El Paso Corn Tortillas 
• Grated mozarella such as Sainsbury's Basics Grated Mozzarella

We've found that this cheese is the most similar to Oaxacan cheese (cheddar tends to be a bit too strong even in its mildest variety). Also, pictured are some Mexican Discovery Green Jalapeños.

Then all you need to do is to heat up a pan (no need to add oil), warm up the tortilla and add the grated cheese. Fold it in half and keep cooking until the cheese has melted. Eat immediately!

Again, this isn't proper Mexican as such. Ideally the tortillas would be 100% corn (Old El Paso Corn Tortillas are only 27% corn flour and the rest is wheat flour).

OK, so where on Earth to get proper tortillas and salsas you ask?

That proves a bit more difficult than simply popping down to your local Sainsbury's but it's not impossible. Cool Chile sells packs of a dozen corn tortillas here, and we just found out about Rico Mexican Kitchen who have an impressive array of salsas right here. If you live in London, go to Wholefoods Market and ask for Sabores Aztecas Green Salsa for the most amazing tomatillo salsa imported directly from México.