Here’s some fusion food for Cinco de Mayo from QVC’s Chef David Venable. You can make the wontons ahead of time and freeze them until you’re ready to fry and serve.

“These little wontons are such a unique way to incorporate all those Tex-Mex flavors you love in one cute package,” says David. “Cheesy, gooey and tangy, they’re the perfect treats to go with your Margaritas.”

David’s fusion is to serve a queso dipping sauce with the crunchy Chinese fried wontons.

RECIPE: MEXICAN FIESTA WONTONS

Ingredients For The Wontons

Preparation

1. PREPARE the wontons: Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Place the ground beef into the pan, sprinkle with the salt and cook until no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan, drain any excess fat and place into a bowl. Set aside.

2. ADD the other teaspoon of oil to the pan; then add the onions, peppers and chiles, and cook until tender, about 3–4 minutes. Place the meat back into the pan with the cooked vegetables and add the enchilada sauce. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until the sauce is fully absorbed. Scoop the mixture into a bowl. Refrigerate until completely cooled.

3. ASSEMBLE the wontons: Brush the edges of each wrapper with water, and one by one, place 1 tablespoon of the meat filling into each. Fold the wonton in half to form a triangle and seal the edges. Brush the tips of the triangles with a little more water to join them together, and press to bind. Freeze the stuffed wontons until you’re ready to fry.

4. PREPARE the cheese sauce: Place the petite diced tomatoes and chopped chiles into a 3-quart sauce pot and cook over medium heat for 3–5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the chopped Velveeta cheese, enchilada sauce and beer and cook, constantly stirring, until the cheese is completely melted. Place the dip into a warm serving vessel and serve. When ready to serve…

5. PREHEAT a deep fryer to 350°F. Place the wontons into the deep fryer in batches and cook for 4–5 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until golden brown.

 
Find more of David Venable’s recipes at QVC.com.
  

You may be thinking ahead to purchasing champagne for Mother’s Day. But you can save a lot of money with Cava, instead.

Cava, the renowned Spanish sparkling wine, is produced in the region of Penedès, in northeast Spain, south of Barcelona.

In the late 1800s, a Spanish vintner, Josep Raventós Fatjó of the Codorníu estate, decided to experiment with making sparkling wine, using the méthode champenoise of champagne production.

His first batch was produced in 1872.

He then had a cool cellar, or cava, dug to produce more sparkling wine. It turned out to be an instant success, particularly among the wealthy.

Soon, his sparkling was being drunk by the Spanish royal family.

Other local vintners followed. Today, in addition to the two heavyweights Codorníu (cor-doan-YOU) and Freixenet (FRESH-eh-net), there are hundreds of sparkling wine producers in Penedés.

Cordon Negro in its signature black bottle. Photo courtesy Freixenet.

As with champagne, cavas are produced with different sugar levels, to please different palates and pair with different types of food. As with champagne, seco, which means dry, actually indicates a sweeter wine. Semi-seco and dulce are excellent dessert wines. Brut is best for apéritif or with food.

U.S. merchants typically carry three major brands, all of which produce varieties with different levels of sweetness:

 
As with any sparkling wine, serve cava in chilled flute champagne glasses (place the glasses in the freezer 30 minutes or more before you need them.

Chilled glasses help to keep the wine cold, and flutes help the bubbles last longer, since they need to travel a longer distance before breaking into the air.

You can make this recipe in a baking pan and cut traditional bars, or make them in individual glass ramekins, jars or custard cups for an especially nice presentation.

The recipe is from Melissa’s The Great Pepper Cookbook, the ultimate guide to choosing and cooking with peppers.
 
 
RECIPE: MARGARITA CHILE CHEESECAKE BARS

Ingredients For 16 Bars Or 8 Four-Ounce Custard Cups/Jars

Margarita Chile Cheesecake for Cinco de MayoPhoto courtesy Melissa’s.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Place the graham cracker crumbs, butter and chile in a food processor; pulse until coarse and crumbly, about 2 minutes.

2. TRANSFER the graham cracker mixture to a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and press to evenly cover the bottom of dish. Bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Cool.

3. COMBINE the Margarita mix in a bowl combine with the sugar, cornstarch, zest and cream cheese. Whisk in the eggs until completely incorporated. Pour over the crust; bake until top browns slightly, about 30 minutes.

4. COOL completely in the pan and cut into 16 bars, Top with whipped cream, lime wheels or peel curls and extra ground chile.

To Make In Ramekins Or Jars

You can make eight individual four-ounce portions.

1. MAKE the crust as instructed above. Place 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of crust in each jar and press down. Do not pre-bake.

2. MAKE the filling as instructed above, but fill each jar leaving a 1/2 inch space from the top.

3. PLACE the jars on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set. Remove from the oven, cool completely and top with the garnishes.

ABOUT CASCABEL CHILES

Cascabels are large round chiles, which ripen to a bright red, dark red or brownish red. It has moderate heat.

The name means “rattle,” which refers to the sound the seeds make when a dried chile is shaken, as well as the round shape.

You can substitue ancho, chipotle or guajillo chiles.

Check out the different chile types in our Chile Glossary