The century cook book

Nougat. Almonds and other nuts for nougat should be blanched, drained and skinned some time before they are chopped. The nougat is made by melting pounded sugar in a copper sugar boiler, putting a dessertspoonful of lemon juice to each pound, then adding double the weight of sugar in almonds, either colored or white, filberts, or pistachios, and a little sweet liquor. The almonds or nuts should be hot when put into the syrup. For lining moulds, small pieces of the nougat should be pressed in with a lemon till the mould is covered, when the nougat should be turned out. BEVERAGES Coffee. In preparing tea and coffee, it is of the first importance to begin right. See that the teakettle is clean, and the water pure. A teakettle that is filled with lime, or other sediment, is unfit for use, and water that has stood in the house over night, or for some hours, is impure. To begin then, rinse the teakettle thoroughly and fill with fresh water, put on the fire, and bring to a boil quickly. For coffee, procure of a good reliable dealer a mixture of onethird Mocha, to two-thirds Java, freshly roasted and ground. Allow a tablespoonful of ground coffee for every person to be served, and put in an extra spoonful for every five or six persons. If an ordinary pot is used, mix the coffee with an egg, put it in the coffee pot and add to it about a cupful of cold water; set it on the stove and bring to a boil quickly. The moment it begins to boil, add boiling water (about two quarts to five spoonfuls of ground coffee) and set it on the back part of the stove where it will keep hot, but on no account allow it to boil, as that destroys the aroma. The coffee will be ready to serve in six or eight minutes after the hot water has been added. If a drip coffee pot is used, the coffee must be ground very fine. Good directions usually accompany the different kinds of coffee pots in use. Beverages However, great care must be taken to keep the strainer, whether made of cloth or wire, clean and free from all obstruction. If made of wire, it should be washed and cleaned with a brush, at least once a day. Tea. Procure a good quality of tea of whatever kind preferred. Scald the teapot (an earthen or granite one is the best) and use about a teaspoonful for each person. Use boiling water, but do not boil the tea. Steep for a few minutes before serving. Black and uncolored teas are considered purer and less liable to affect the nerves than green teas. The Tea Plant. Iced Tea. before wanted. Make a pitcherful of tea two or three hours It should be made stronger than if it were to be served hot, as the melting ice weakens it. About ten or fifteen minutes before serving, add to the tea a quantity of chopped ice. Put a lump of ice in each cup or glass, and serve. Russian Tea. Russian tea is made by adding a slice of lemon to each cup of tea, whether hot or iced. Chocolate. Take two quarts of good rich milk, put in a double boiler, and let come to a boil. Grate fine a little more than a quarter of a cake of bitter chocolate, dissolve with a little milk, and add to the boiling milk ; sweeten to taste; simmer for a few minutes after adding the chocolate, and serve. The Cocoa Bean.