Vitamin B12 Deficiency

*The perfect Margarita:

You’ll need Tequila, Triple Sec, freshly squozen lime juice, ice and salt (the chunky sort is best – put it in a decent sized saucer so that it covers the bottom), plus something to shake it all up in – pukka cocktail shakers look swanky, but a jam jar works just as well (top tip: remove jam first).

• Give the alcohol, shaker and the glasses a good 20 minutes in the freezer (longer for the alcohol – heck, keep it in the freezer!). It doesn’t matter which glasses you use – the curvy sort probably look best, but another jam jar will do, if that’s all you’ve got. Sticking them in the freezer makes them cold (duh!), but also gives them that cool frosty look when they come out.

• Chuck half a dozen ice cubes in the shaker (jam jar).

• Bung in 2 measures of lime juice. Nobody knows what a “measure” is, so you get to choose – start with an egg cup and see how it goes.

• Now add 2 measures of Triple Sec.

• Now 4 measures of Tequila.

• Do your Tom Cruise thing and shake it all about for a bit.

• Fish the glasses out of the freezer and rub a bit of the lime around the rims.

• Turn the glasses upside down and shimmy them about in the salt, so they get a nice crusty edge.

• Strain the Margarita (for lo, that is what you now have) into the glass(es). A tea strainer works well enough if you don’t have the fancy gear – just don’t let the ice get in.

• Oh, my word.