Tequila and lime

Tequila-Lime Guacamole Makes 2½ cups

3 ripe Hass avocados, halved

¼ cup very finely chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup tequila, or to taste

Salt and black pepper

¼ cup fresh lime juice

Scoop the flesh from one avocado into a medium bowl, add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, tequila, ¾ teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste, and mash well with a fork. Working with the remaining avocado halves 1 at a time, use a dinner knife to make ½-inch crosshatch incisions in flesh, cutting down to but not through the skin. With a soup spoon, scoop the avocado chunks into the bowl with the avocado-onion mixture. Sprinkle the lime juice over the mixture and stir gently. Taste the guacamole and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, and tequila, if desired. Serve at once.

Grilled Chicken with Creamy Tequila-Lime Sauce Serves 4

Salt

3 tablespoons plus

½ teaspoon sugar

4 12-ounce split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

2 large limes cut into 8 wedges, plus 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lime

3 tablespoons tequila

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

1½ teaspoons minced jalapeno pepper

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1/3cup chopped fresh cilantro

Vegetable oil, for the grill

In a large shallow bowl, stir 1/3 cup salt and 3 tablespoons sugar into 6 cups water until dissolved. Submerge the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the lime wedges and the tequila and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, remaining sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt, then cover and refrigerate.