ON DRINKING WELL

Crosby Gaige's Cocktail Guide and Ladies' Companion (M. Barrows, 1944)

I love old cookbooks and cocktail guides and it has everything to do with my appreciation of popular culture and very little to do with following instructions. 

I like entertaining and cooking for my friends, but God forbid you should ever enjoy dinner at my house. I can't tell you how I did it and I'll never duplicate the results. 

We live in the moment in my kitchen and at my dinner table.  Always in the moment.

I recognized most of the cocktails in this guide, but Gaige includes lesser-known delights like The Furbelow (Dark Curacao, Orange Juice, Brandy, Gin), Mrs. Solomon Wears Slacks (Brandy, Curacao, and Angostura Bitters), and Up in Mabel's Room (Rye Whiskey, Grapefruit Juice, Honey).

Gaige also provides a few choice snack recipes.  Many of them rely heavily on anchovy paste, Worcestershire sauce, and cheese, but here are two that don't:

There is nothing more refreshing than thin slices of small tomatoes and cucumber on rounds of bread buttered with mayonnaise. Garnish with chopped parsley.

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You can't beat hearts of celery stuffed with caviar and dusted with hard-boiled egg that has been put through a ricer.

Not to be missed.