Cinco de Mayo is Wednesday, but are you ready?  Don’t fret, because this week I’m giving you the education you need to properly celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Step One in Cinco de Mayo mastery: How to Rim a Margarita Glass. Tutorial by thekitchn.

Step 1: Set the Stage   First, fill a saucer with a quarter of an inch or so of kosher (not iodized table) salt. Next, moisten the rim of the glass with a lime wedge by cutting a shallow notch into the flesh of the fruit, then slipping it over the rim of the glass, as though to garnish it (as pictured above, bottom left). Now draw the lime along the entire rim, squeezing gently (not so hard that it drips), until the edge is uniformly moistened. It should make a nice clean line.

Step 2: The Secret    You want to make sure the salt goes on the outside of the glass only – not the inside, where it’s liable to fall into the liquid and wreak salty havoc. So, now, rather than pressing the entire rim into the saucer at once, cookie-cutter style, try this: Tip the glass on its side, parallel to the saucer (as pictured above, bottom right). Gently roll the glass’s stem between your fingers, tapping the rim gently in the salt “sandbox” until the entire outer edge is covered. Shake off any loose grains into the sink, and you’re done. Your glass is now ready to be filled with a freshly-shaken Margarita!

photo by thepresidentwearsprada