BEVERAGES
Tea is rich in protein, but taken as a drink acts as a stimulant. The nutriment is gained from sugar and milk served with it. The stimulating property of tea is due to theine, together with an essential oil; it contains an astringent tannin.
It acts on the nervous system when taken to excess and produces sleeplessness.
Children should not be allowed to drink tea. It is a valuable stimulant for the aged.
Freshly boiled water should be used for making tea. Tea should always be steeped, never boiled. Long steeping destroys the delicate flavor by developing a larger amount of tannic acid.
Avoid second steeping of leaves with addition of a few fresh ones. If this is done, so large an amount of tannin is extracted that various ills are apt to follow.
TEA
3 tsp tea; 2 c boiling water; scald teapot; put in tea, either loosely or in tea ball, and pour on boiling water; let stand on back of range or in a warm place 5 min; strain and serve immediately, with or without sugar and milk.
VARIATIONS IN SERVING
Rub entire surface of piece of loaf sugar over the rind of a lemon which has been washed and wiped until dry. Store in a glass jar and use to sweeten and flavor tea.
A slice of lemon placed on saucer by side of cup and squeezed in the tea just before drinking it. A clove or two to a cup of tea gives a pleasing taste.
ICED TEA
Follow recipe for making tea; strain into glasses ⅓ full of cracked ice; sweeten to taste, and allow one slice lemon to each glass of tea. Mint or spearmint leaves in each glass into which the hot tea is strained gives a delicious taste.
COFFEE
The stimulating property of coffee is due to the alkaloid caffeine, together with an essential oil. It also contains an astringent. A cup of coffee with breakfast serves as a mild stimulant for an adult, but should never be found in the diet of a child or dyspeptic. Coffee taken in moderation quickens the action of the heart, acts directly upon the nervous system, and assists gastric digestion. Fatigue of body and mind are much lessened by moderate use of coffee. Coffee should not be taken on an empty stomach and should be taken in moderation. Its excessive use means palpitation of the heart, tremor, insomnia and nervous prostration.
Coffee should be bought for family use in small quantities, freshly roasted and ground. If not bought in air-tight cans, with tight-fitting cover or glass jar, it should be emptied into canister as soon as brought from grocers.
For filtered or percolated coffee it should be ground fine. For boiled, coarse or medium.
Put sugar and cream in cup before hot coffee. There will be a perceptible difference if cream is added last. If cream is not obtainable, scalded milk may be substituted, or part milk and part cream may be used.
Always clean, scald and air coffee pot.
The spout of pot should be covered or stuffed with soft paper to prevent escape of fragrant aroma.
Egg shells may be saved and used for clearing coffee. Three egg shells are sufficient to effect clearing where one cup of ground coffee is used.
Coffee served with whipped cream is called Vienna Coffee; with scalded milk in equal proportions, Cafe au Lait.
Strain coffee remaining from breakfast, sweeten to taste and chill. Dilute with cream or milk.
BOILED COFFEE
1 c ground coffee; 1 whole egg or egg white; 1 c cold water; 6 c boiling water.
Mix coffee, egg and ½ c cold water, add boiling water, boil hard 5 min; set on back of range, add other ½ c cold water, let stand 5 min, serve with hot milk, cream and sugar. 6 c of cold water can be used instead of boiling water.
COFFEE
1 c coffee; 6 c cold water.
Put coffee in cheese cloth bag; tie, allowing room for coffee to swell; place in coffee pot; cover with cold water; boil 10 min; remove bag; let stand 2 min on back of range; serve with hot milk, sugar and cream.
FRENCH COFFEE
1 c finely ground or powdered coffee; 6 c boiling water.
Place coffee in strainer or double cheese cloth bag, add boiling water gradually, and refilter, if liked very strong.
ICED COFFEE
Add hot milk to black coffee, flavor with vanilla and sweeten to taste; chill; serve in glasses with 1 tbp chopped ice in each glass.
BLACK COFFEE
Allow 2 tbp coffee to 1 c boiling water. Follow directions for boiled coffee.
HOT CHOCOLATE
2 oz chocolate; few grains salt; 1 tsp cornstarch; ¼ c boiling water; 1 qt milk; ⅓ c sugar.
Mix sugar and cornstarch until smooth with ½ c cold milk; scald remaining milk in db; add mixture and cook 10 min, stirring until slightly thickened; melt chocolate over hot water; add gradually boiling water and salt; stir in milk mixture and beat until frothy, using an egg beater, thus preventing scum. Serve with whipped cream. If a thinner drink is desired, omit cornstarch.
ICED COCOA
¼ c cocoa; ¾ c granulated sugar; 2 c boiling water; 2 c ice cold milk.
Stir cocoa and sugar together; add boiling water; stir until boiling; boil 3 min; set aside to chill; when ready to serve stir in milk.
CREAMY COCOA
Stir together in saucepan ½ c flour, ½ c sugar and ½ tsp salt; add gradually 1 qt boiling water; let mixture boil 5 min, stirring constantly; remove from fire, add qt scalded milk and serve. If desired, a spoon of whipped cream may be put in each cup before filling with cocoa.
COCOA SYRUP
1 c cocoa; 2 c sugar; 1½ c boiling water.
Mix cocoa and sugar thoroughly; add slowly sufficient water to make a smooth paste; then add the remainder; boil all together for 4 min and put away in a bottle or jar.
(Larger quantities can be mixed, as it keeps indefinitely and can be used as cocoa sauce for ice creams, and is a quick way of making cocoa by adding scalded milk.)
EGGNOG
Beat 1 egg thoroughly; add 2 tsp sugar and beat until well mixed; then add enough cocoa syrup to make mixture dark brown; stir in 1¾ c milk gradually. If vanilla ice cream is available, it is very good beaten into it.
HOT CHOCOLATE
2 oz chocolate; ⅓ c sugar; few grains salt; 1 qt boiling water; 1 small can evaporated milk.
Melt chocolate over hot water; add sugar and salt; add gradually boiling water; let boil 5 min; stir in milk, reheat and beat with egg beater until frothy.
RECEPTION COCOA
Make same as breakfast cocoa; serve in place of hot chocolate at afternoon teas or receptions, accompanied by whipped cream, sweetened and flavored with vanilla. Flavor cocoa with ½ tsp vanilla or ¼ tsp cinnamon. To offer variety, in place of whipped cream, use 1 marshmallow to each cup, pouring cocoa over it. The cheapest grade must be used, as the more expensive ones do not melt.
RUSSIAN CHOCOLATE
2 or 3 tbp cocoa syrup; ¾ c strong coffee; 2 tbp whipped cream; ¾ c milk; cracked ice.
Pour milk and syrup in shaker (or milk bottle); add cracked ice generously; shake well; pour in coffee; shake hard and serve immediately, topping each glass with whipped cream.
BREAKFAST COCOA
1½ tbp cocoa; 2 tbp sugar; 2 c boiling water; 2 c milk; few grains salt.
Scald milk; mix cocoa, sugar and salt, add ½ c boiling water to make smooth paste; add remaining water and boil 5 min; turn into scalded milk; beat with an egg beater until a froth forms.
BREAKFAST COCOA
4 tbp cocoa; 2½ c boiling water; ½ c condensed milk; few grains salt.
Mix 4 tbp cocoa with 1 c boiling water; boil 2 min; add 1½ c boiling water which has been mixed with ½ c condensed milk and few grains salt; bring to boiling point and serve with or without whipped cream; if condensed milk has not been sweetened, add 2 tbp sugar to cocoa.
FROZEN PUNCH
1½ c water; 1½ c sugar; 1 small bunch mint; ½ c orange juice; 1 qt bottle ginger ale or 1 qt weak tea; ½ c lemon juice.
Tie the mint in piece of cheese cloth and boil with water and sugar for 5 min; cool, remove mint; add fruit juices and ale or tea; freeze. Cider may be used instead of ale or tea. Green coloring added before freezing will make an attractive, cool-looking drink.
GRAPE JUICE
3 qt water; 8 qt grapes; sugar.
Boil water and grapes together; put through colander and strain through cloth, but do not squeeze; measure juice and add 1 c sugar to each 2 qt juice; boil 5 min; strain; bottle; seal tight while hot. The pulp that is left after straining may be mixed with apples and used for grape marmalade.
GRAPE JUICE LEMONADE
Juice of 4 lemons; 1 pt grape juice; 1½ pt water; 1 c sugar.
Mix lemon juice, grape juice and water together, then add sugar; stir well; add cracked ice; let stand a little while so ice will melt; serve.
PINEAPPLE AND GRAPEADE
Mix 2 c pineapple juice drained from canned pineapple with 2 c grape juice and 2 c ice water; serve with crushed ice.
CALIFORNIA PUNCH
Add 1½ c sugar to 4 c strong hot tea; stir until sugar is dissolved and chill; add 4 c syrup drained from crushed pineapple, ½ c lemon juice and 6 c water; chop 1 c mint leaves and mix with ½ c powdered sugar; place in bottom of punch bowl with some pieces of ice and pour the punch over it; serves 25 persons.
GINGER PINEAPPLEADE
Boil ½ c sugar with 2 c water for 5 min; then add 2 c pineapple syrup from canned pineapples and chill; just before serving add ginger ale; serve with cracked ice.
LEMONADE
Boil 2 c sugar and 4 c water until rich syrup is formed; add 1 c lemon juice; dilute with ice water.
ORANGEADE
2 c sugar; 2 c water; ⅓ c lemon juice; 1 c orange juice; 2 oranges sliced.
Make same as lemonade.
FRUIT PUNCH
4 c sugar; 10 c water; 1 pineapple shredded; 1 cup fruit juice; 1 box strawberries hulled and cut in pieces; 4 bananas cut in slices; juice of 6 oranges; juice of 3 lemons.
Boil sugar and water 5 min; add fruit, ice and water; 1 c chopped maraschino cherries may be added; serves 25 persons.
CURRANT PUNCH
4 c currant juice; 4 c sugar; 12 c water; 6 lemons; 6 oranges; 2 c tea.
Boil sugar and water 5 min; add tea, juice, lemons and oranges sliced and a large piece of ice.
PINEAPPLE LEMONADE
1 pt water, 1 c sugar, 1 qt ice water, 1 can grated pineapple, juice 3 lemons.
Make syrup by boiling water and sugar 10 min; add pineapple and lemon juice; cool; strain and add ice water.
GRAPE GINGERADE
1 pt grape juice, 2 12-oz bottles ginger ale.
Chill thoroughly. Partly fill small thin tumblers with grape juice, then fill with ginger ale.
MANHATTAN CUP
1 pt grape juice, 1 pt cider, 1 pt ice water.
Blend fruit juices and chill; add ice water just before serving; a pint of loganberry juice may be added to this if desired.
LEMON GINGEREE
1 pt grape juice, juice 4 lemons, 1 qt ginger ale, sugar to taste.
Dissolve sugar in grape juice (about 2 tbp); add lemon; chill; just before serving add ginger ale.
GRAPE CHILL WITH ORANGE
1 pt grape juice, 4 tsp sugar, juice 2 oranges, ice water.
Dissolve sugar in grape juice and add orange juice; half fill tall glasses with shaved ice; add fruit juices and sugar and fill with ice water; serve with two straws thrust through a thin slice of orange.
GRAPE RICKEY
1 pt grape juice, juice 3 limes, 3 or 4 tsp sugar, 1 pt ice water.
Half fill tall glasses with grape juice; add to each juice of 1 lime, sugar to taste, shaved ice, and fill with ice water.