There are going to be about 25 young adults crashing in various areas of our property because our parties have become so legendary that our friends come from far and wide. The informal festivities will begin with a bonfire, smores, and copious amounts of beer in the backyard this evening, but the actual party is tomorrow and will feature a veritable smorgasbord of country goodies - buffalo wings from scratch (I'll tell you why they're better: butter), deep-fried turkeys, and my uncle's famous smoked barbecue ribs, not to mention a keg or two.
I didn't trust my mother not to make the cake from a box, so I spent last night happily slaving away in the kitchen over Martha Stewart's Meyer Lemon Anniversary Cake. His school colors are blue and yellow, you see, so I thought that a lemon cake with a blueberry filling would represent this from a taste perspective if not quite a visual one - yes, I know, I'm crazy. I'm confident it's going to be a smashing success, because, to continue on a theme here, anything containing that much butter is required by law to be delicious.
Best of all, and in grand tradition, there will be a tequila bar. My parents, who were strict to the point of overprotective when I was young, have evolved into a pair of redneck bon vivants who think that it is the height of amusement to get their children wasted. At my own college graduation, my dad, who is 6'3" and more than twice my weight, challenged me to match him shot for shot before the party even started. By the time the guests got there I was already about a sheet and a half to the wind, and my fine motor skills were so wrecked that I dropped one of my favorite earrings down the sink drain. I'm hopeful that he'll embarrass my brother in a similar manner.
Speaking of tequila, an real margarita is a thing of beauty. You've probably never had one, because those giant, slushy, umbrella-garnished concoctions they serve in Mexican restaurants the world over have approximately nothing in common with the real thing. Here, my recipe for a no-frills but oh-so-delicious margarita:
Best Margarita Ever
Ingredients (for one margarita):
Three ounces tequila - I like a mid-level anejo (aged) tequila, like Jose Cuervo's Black Medallion, best for the mellow flavor; if you want to use a blanco tequila I can't recommend Patron Silver highly enough
Two ounces Triple Sec, Cointreau if you're nasty
One ounce lime juice - I use ReaLime because I can't be bothered to juice limes when I'm about to get my drink on
Instructions:
Throw all three ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake. Pour into an 8-10 ounce glass, rimmed with salt if you please, over plenty of ice. If you're not using salt, you can just pour everything right in the glass, stir it together, and scoop the ice right in. Let the ice melt just a smidgen, and have at it.
Salud!
