Beverages Recipe

Coffee

The coffee-tree is a much-branched tree of the cinchona family,

not exceeding twenty feet in height, and much resembling a cherry-tree.

Its pale green leaves are about six inches in length. The flowers are in

clusters in the axils of the leaves, are white in color, resembling

orange-tree flowers, and perfume the air. The fruit on ripening turns

from green to red, and is about the size of a cherry or cranberry, each

containing two seeds closely united by their flat sides. These being

removed and separated, become the coffee of commerce.

"How to make good coffee" is the great problem of domestic life. Tastes

naturally differ, and some prefer a quantity of chicory, while to others

the very name of this most wholesome plant (but keep it out of coffee)

will produce nausea.

Purchase coffee from large dealers who roast it daily. Have it ground

moderately fine, and do not purchase large quantities at a time. At home

keep the coffee in air-tight jars or cans when not in use.

The old-fashioned coffee-pot has much to recommend it, and the only

possible objection to it is that it makes a cloudy beverage. Those who

find this objectionable should use one of the many patented modern

filters. When the coffee is finely ground these filter-pots are the best

to use. Put three ounces of finely-ground coffee in the top compartment

of the coffee-pot; pour a quart of boiling water over it; let it filter

through; add half a pint more of boiling water; let it filter through,

and pour it out into a hot measure, and pour it through the filter

again. Let it stand a moment on the range, and you have coffee as clear

as wine; but unless your pot, measure, and the water are very hot, the

coffee will taste as though it had become cold and then "warmed over."

No eggs or other foreign substances are used to clear or settle the

coffee.

As I do not object to a sediment in my cup, I use the old-fashioned

coffee-pot. I first heat the pot, and put the coffee into a loose muslin

bag, and pour a quart of boiling water over every three ounces of

coffee. I let it boil, or rather come to a boiling point a moment; then

let it stand to settle. Should it not do so rapidly enough, I pour a few

tablespoonfuls of cold water round the inside edge of the coffee-pot. It

is advisable to tie a thread to the bag, with which it may be drawn out

of the coffee, if desired.

Now, heat the coffee cup; fill it one third full of hot, but not boiled,

cream; then add the coffee, and serve.

One word as to eggs used in making coffee. I admit that a different

flavor is produced when they are used; but the albumen of the eggs

covers the coffee grains, and coagulates, preventing the escape of the

properties of the coffee, and compelling one to use nearly double the

quantity of coffee to produce the same result as when eggs are not used.

Pure Java, if of a high order, does not need other brands of coffee to

make it palatable; but, as a rule, most of the coffees sold at the

grocers' are improved by blending or mixing one third each of pure

Mocha, Java, and Maracaibo to make a rich cup of coffee, while a mixture

of two thirds Mandehling Java and one third "male berry" (so called)

Java produces excellent results. Mexico coffee is quite acceptable, but

the producers must clean it properly if they expect to receive

patronage.

"After-dinner Coffee."

Use three ounces of finely-ground coffee to a

pint of boiling water. Old Government Java does make a very satisfactory

cup of after-dinner coffee. The after-dinner coffee found at most of

the first-class restaurants in New York, such as the Brunswick, etc.,

contains chicory.

Boiling Water

is a very important desideratum in the making of good

coffee. The water should be fresh from the main pipe, boiled two or

three minutes, and then added to the coffee. Servants frequently use

water drawn from the range boiler, or water that has stood long in the

tea-kettle; in either case the coffee will be insipid.

Tea

The constituents of tea are very much the same as those of

coffee--theine (an aromatic oil), sugar and gum, and a form of tannic

acid. Green tea is more astringent than the other varieties, partly

because it contains more tannin, and partly because it is sophisticated

to adapt it to a peculiar taste.

Whatever variety of tea used, do not allow the beverage to boil; put the

tea in a black earthen tea-pot previously heated; pour boiling water

over it; let it draw for two minutes, and the process is at an end.

Charitable institutions would find it advantageous to grind tea to

powder; in this way one half the quantity of tea ordinarily used is

saved.

Cocoa and Chocolate

are obtained from the seeds of Theobroma cacao.

The active principle is theobromine, a substance which resembles the

alkaloids of coffee and tea, except that it contains more nitrogen than

theine and caffeine. Another important difference between cacao (not

cocoa) and coffee or tea is the large amount of fat or cacao-butter

contained in the bean.

The seed receptacle resembles a large black cucumber, containing from

ten to thirty leaves, which are roasted like coffee. The husks are then

taken off, and are called cacao shells. The best cacao is made from the

bean after the husks are removed.

Chocolate is the finely-ground powder from the kernels mixed to a paste,

with or without sugar. The product of this seed, being rich in fatty

matters, is more difficult to digest, and many dyspeptics cannot use it

unless the fats have been removed, which is now done by manufacturers.

Nearly all brands of cacao and chocolate are recommended to be prepared

at table; but it is much better to prepare them before the meal, and

allow it to boil at least once before serving.