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Thank you! I hope I can get my hands on it now. And thanks for your reply to my absinthe question.

I've been fascinated by the resurgence in popularity of the *illegal* drink in the news lately in such diverse quarters, so I'd been studying the sazerac cocktail, bitters, other Old New Orleans things. Alas, I no longer drink alcohol, so can't do any taste testing, except to use some Pernod cooked in a few dishes, but have been intrigued, nonetheless.

As to mint juleps, I've studied those, too, lol. "Back in the day." Someone once gave me a nice set of silver julep tumblers and I had wanted to find something comparable to serve in them. Still looking, actually.

If they didn't use bourbon in that book, what did they use? Rye whiskey, rye whiskey? Sippin' whiskey? You reminded me of another "comb-bound" cookbook I love, from which I am also separated, so can't reference it. It had a whole "Derby Day" section with lots of cute ideas for party favors, drinks, food, everything.

It wasn't from KY, either. I'm *thinking* it was from the Junior League of Memphis and is one of those that goes way back, too. It had my all-time favorite "company" dish that is so fun. It's Cornish Game Hens in Salt Clay. Takes all day to prep 6-8 of the little critters, but well worth it to liven up a party.

You make salt clay like our little "relief maps" we did in school, then wrap each bird up in it, for baking. Birds are stuffed with an apricot-studded dressing. After wrapping and before baking, all guests come in the kitchen or wherever and you provide acrylic paints and let them paint any design they want on the clay for their bird. Very fun - even geezers, accountants and engineers get into the spirit of it.

When they bake, the colors stay the same, though the clay browns. When they're done, you wrap each in a cloth napkin and put into its own little basket. At the table, you pass a "silver" hammer and let each guest smash open the clay on their "gift," while the napkin catches the smithereens. The hens themselves are out of sight, so moist and tender like cooked in those clay cookers that were a fad a while back. Thanks for the info!