ArcaMax

I never really encountered Mexican food until I moved to Los Angeles in the mid 1970s. But I loved it from the start. All those robust ingredients and flavors, especially the spices, and the way the cuisine so creatively combines the ingredients and cooking styles of both indigenous peoples and European settlers excited me so much, and still does today.

So I'll definitely be eating Mexican food this coming weekend. And not just because it's Cinco de Mayo, the lively annual celebration commemorating the Battle of Puebla in 1862, an unlikely victory of 4,500 Mexicans over a better-equipped, better-trained force of 6,000 French soldiers.

This year, that holiday also features another greatly anticipated fight: Mexican-American boxer Oscar De La Hoya defending his junior middleweight championship against welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather, Jr., at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. (Hmm.... I just happen to have a Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at the MGM, so maybe I'll see the fight live instead of on cable.)

Whether you're planning to watch the bout or celebrate the holiday some other way, I've got the perfect snack food for you: my Spicy Steak Quesadillas. They're so easy to make, and they go great with soft drinks, ice-cold beer or margaritas, for which I also share a favorite recipe.

I ate my first quesadilla (the word translates literally as "little cheesy") soon after coming to California, and it reminded me of a great pizza. That's because at its most basic, a quesadilla is just a big flour tortilla (like a thin pizza crust) cooked crisp with lots of cheese and some tomato salsa. Unlike pizza, the quesadilla is usually cooked with a little oil on a hot griddle or frying pan. But like its Italian cousin, it can be creatively embellished with all kinds of other ingredients.

One of my favorites is grilled or broiled steak. You can cook the meat any way you like and to any degree of doneness. For that matter, the recipe also works great with leftover steak or roast beef, or other cooked meat or poultry. Feel free to change the cheese according to your preferences, too. And, to make the recipe easier, use a good-quality fresh salsa from the market's refrigerated case but be sure to drain off excess liquid so the quesadilla won't turn soggy.

And speaking of liquid, don't forget the margaritas. I always start with a good-quality tequila, and then elaborate it with whatever fresh, juicy fruit I like -- such as mango puree, passionfruit, strawberries, watermelon or raspberries. The salt that traditionally rims the glass is optional; but if you like it, just moisten the rim with a little tequila and roll it in salt crystals.

A Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

SPICY STEAK QUESADILLAS

Serves 4 to 8

4 flour tortillas, each 12 inches in diameter

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

8 ounces sirloin steak, grilled or broiled to desired doneness and thinly sliced

1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeno chile

1/4 cup prepared tomato salsa, drained of excess liquid, plus more for serving

Vegetable oil, for cooking

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

You'll assemble 2 separate quesadillas at the same time, then cook them individually one after the other.

To assemble the quesadillas, lay 2 of the flour tortillas flat and apart on a work surface. Evenly spread 1/4 cup of the cheese on top of each tortilla. Divide the steak evenly between the 2 tortillas and sprinkle with jalapeno to taste. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of salsa over the steak on both tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Place another tortilla on top of each quesadilla, and press down firmly with your hands to seal them both.

Heat a saute pan large enough to hold one of the layered tortillas over high heat. Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Carefully transfer one of the quesadillas to the pan and cook until its underside is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Carefully slide the quesadilla onto a dinner plate. Invert another plate over it, hold them securely together, and flip them to leave the quesadilla browned side up. Then slide it back into the hot pan to cook until its other side is golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Repeat the cooking process with the other quesadilla.

Let each of the 2 cooked quesadillas cool for about 5 minutes. Then, with a long, sharp knife, cut it crosswise repeatedly to form 8 or 10 wedges. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with more salsa and cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately.

MANGO MARGARITAS

Makes 2

2 ounces good-quality tequila

1 ounce orange-flavored liqueur

1 ounce pureed ripe mango

2 tablespoons quick-dissolving sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 cup ice cubes

In a blender container, combine the tequila, orange liqueur, mango puree, sugar and lime juice. Add the ice, cover securely, and blend until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses, rimmed with salt if you like.