er a pole, look as though they were sitting in a
saddle--cheese on horseback, or "_cacio a cavallo_." Then we ring in
Lazy Lou's first assistant, an old, silver-plated, revolving
Florentine magnum-holder. It's designed to spin a gigantic flask of
Chianti. The flick of a finger and the bottle is before you. Gently
pull it down and hold your glass to the spout.

True, imported wines and cheeses are expensive. But native American
products and reasonably edible imitations of the real thing are
available as substitutes. Anyway, protein for protein, a cheese party
will cost less than a steak barbecue. And it can be more fun.

Encourage your guests to contribute their own latest discoveries. One
may bring along as his ticket of admission a Primavera from Brazil;
another some cubes of an Andean specialty just flown in from
Colombia's mountain city, Merida, and still wrapped in its aromatic
leaves of _Frailejon Lanudo_; another a few wedges of savory sweet
English Flower cheese, some flavored with rose petals, others with
marigolds; another a tube of South American Kraeuterkaese.

Provide your own assortment of breads and try to include some of
those fat, flaky old-fashioned crackers that country stores in New
England can still supply. Mustard? Sure, if _.you_ like it. If you
want to be fancy, use a tricky little gadget put out by the Maille
condiment-makers in France and available here in the food specialty
shops. It's a miniature painter's palate holding five mustards of
different shades and flavors and two mustard paddles. The mustards,
in proper chromatic order, are: jonquil yellow "Strong Dijon"; "Green
Herbs"; brownish "Tarragon"; golden "Ora"; crimson "Tomato-flavored."

And, just to keep things moving, we have restored an antique whirling
cruet-holder to deliver Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, A-1, Tap
Sauce and Major Grey's Chutney. Salt shakers and pepper mills are
handy, with a big-holed tin canister filled with crushed red-pepper
pods, chili powder, Hungarian-paprika and such small matters. Butter,
both sweet and salt, is on hand, together with, saucers or bowls of
curry, capers, chives (sliced, not chopped), minced onion, fresh mint
leaves, chopped pimientos, caraway, quartered lemons, parsley, fresh
tarragon, tomato slices, red and white radishes, green and black
olives, pearl onions and assorted nutmeats.

Some years ago, when I was collaborating with my mother, Cora, and my
wife, Rose, in writing _10,000 Sn