Helene Siegel

The only thing that sounds like more fun than eating Mexican food is drinking Mexican drinks. Mexican beers, sangrias, and tequilas are so popular that they are the gateway for many people to tasting Mexican food for the first time. After you've munched on chips and salsa at a couple of parties, why not take the leap to tamales and empanadas, or to cactus (nopales) salad, the next time you're looking for an accompaniment to that ice chest of Mexican beers?

Achiote paste, a blend of spices and vinegar, gives this roasted chicken its distinctive orange hue and spicy aroma. Roasted achiote chicken is a recipe straight from the Yucatán — as Mexican as you can get!Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour marinationCooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutesYield: 4 servings 3 serrano chiles 7 garlic cloves, peeled 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/4 cup achiote paste 1 tablespoon pepper 1 tablespoon salt 1 bunch cilantro, stems and leaves 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3-pound roasting chicken 3 medium yellow onions 1 head garlic 1 orange 3 Roma tomatoes Stem and seed the serrano chiles, if desired.

If you're new to cooking Mexican food, you're in luck — this Cheat Sheet offers tips for cooking festive and delicious Mexican dishes and a look at different types of chiles to give just the right flavor to your South-of-the-Border meals. In addition, handy charts help you convert cooking temperatures and measurements.

Tamales are made and enjoyed during fiestas, but wrapping tamales can be a party in itself. Gather friends and family to help wrap these tidy corn-husk packages. You'll find yourselves sharing stories and building memories before you enjoy the delicious results of your labor. Soak dried corn husks in hot water for two hours or overnight.

If you love to cook (and eat) Mexican food, these terrific tips will help you make the most of preparing delicious, festive Mexican dishes and beverages: Garnish freely. That doesn't mean a sprig or two of wilted parsley strewn across a plate. In the Mexican kitchen, the garnishes — fresh diced onion, sliced radish, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, diced chiles — are integral to the dish.

The right temperature keeps from overcooking (or undercooking) your favorite Mexican foods. Refer to this chart if you need to convert your cooking temperature to Celsius and/or Fahrenheit: °Fahrenheit °Celsius 250 120 275 135 300 150 325 160 350 175 375 190 400 205 425 220 450 230 475 245 500 260

Chiles are a staple in Mexican cooking. Take this list grocery shopping so you can recognize the type of chiles used for Mexican meals and choose the chiles with the flavor and degree of spiciness you like: Serrano: A small, fresh, green hot chile. Used for spice and flavor in cooking and as a garnish. Jalapeño: Larger than a serrano, though still small.

If you run into a problem with measurements while cooking your favorite Mexican dish, use this quick guide to find the metric equivalents for common cooking amounts: This Measurement . . . . . . Equals This Measurement 1 tablespoon 15 milliliters 1 cup 250 milliliters 1 quart 1 liter 1 ounce 28 grams 1 pound

If you love Mexican food, you owe it to yourself to master basic margarita making. Now, you can toss out that margarita mix and dazzle friends and relatives with your suave style behind the bar. Preparation time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 serving 1 lime Margarita or coarse kosher salt 2 ounces tequila 1 ounce orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice 1/2 cup ice cubes Cut the lime into 5 slices.