Dinner On A Toothpick

Dinner on a Toothpick is a guide to feeding 4 to 40 without forks. Since the Superbowl is at hand, this little gem from 1971 is filled with bites to skewer on a toothpick, so an easy guide for appetizers.

Written by Josephine Camille and Gail Johnson this little book is meant to be an introduction to “casual dining” or more specifically a way to serve up a cocktail buffet. It does seem a bit curious that there has been so much recent interest in cocktails but not so much in cocktail snacks.

Dinner on a Toothpick is chocked full of balls. Beet balls, olive balls, bourbon balls and of course meatballs. There is nothing earth shattering about the appetizers featured in the book. It does have a nifty chart in rear of the book that features a chart for every appetizer in the book listing among other things whether it is hot or cold, hearty or secondary, bland or spicy and whether it could be made in advance.

Since balls are easily skewered and since everyone likes a little dessert, her is how to make bourbon balls.

Bourbon Balls

1 cup vanilla wafers, rolled fine
2 jiggers bourbon
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons white corn syrup
powdered sugar

Mix all the ingredients and form into small balls. Roll in powdered sugar. May be stored in a jar in the refrigerator.

How easy is that?