“Now and then we look into the work of our fellow cookbook authors and are usually surprised to discover how little attention they pay to liquor. In past editions we, too, have approached this subject rather apologetically—after all, there was a time when selling or serving alcoholic refreshment was considered disreputable in America. But here and now we drop all subterfuge, frankly concede that “something to drink” is becoming with us an almost invariable concomitant of at least the company dinner, and have boldly enlarged this section of the book. Always in the back of our minds, spurring us on, is the memory of a certain cartoon which depicted a group of guests sitting around a living room, strickenly regarding their cocktail glasses, while the hostess, one of those inimitable Hokinson types, all embonpoint, cheer, and fluttering organdy, announces, “A very dear friend gave me some wonderful old Scotch and I just happened to find a bottle of papaya juice in the refrigerator!”
From the chapter “Drinks,” JOY OF COOKING (1964).
Go ahead—look up Hokinson and embonpoint if you need to, as I did. Also, cf. Doris Upson from AUNTIE MAME (1958).
