The nutritive element in tea is very small, it being a stimulant rather than a
food, but, "it aids the assimilation and transformation of other foods, increases
cheerfulness and activity, clears and quickens the brain, and lessens the desire to
sleep." It warms the body when cold, cools it when hot by promoting the perspi-
ration of the skin, and has an astrinf^cnt action on the bowels. Tea contains from
2 to 4:% of theine, about 1^ of essential oil, life of tannin, and 20;^ of nitrogenous mat-
ter insoluble in water. Taken to excess it acts like a vegetable poison, and with
young people it is liable to interfere with the proper development of the nervous
system.
COFFEE.
It is safe to say that a large percentage of the people who use
coffee never drank a really first class cup of it, and a large projjortion
of the stuff served as coffee is unworthy of the name. And yet good
coffee is not difficult to make if it is handled intelligently.
The water used should be fresh and clear. Long boiling of the
water expels the air and gases, and makes it flat and insipid. It
should therefore be used as soon as it boils, and this is a much more
important item than many people imagine. Do not reboil the water,
nor let it boil long before being used, or the best results cannot be
obtained.
BEVERAGES 557
The roasting of the coffee is also an important matter. It is best
roasted and ground just before it is used. If more is roasted than
needed, for immediate use it should be kept in an airtight glass jar or
canister; if exposed to the air it deteriorates. Unpleasant odors and
moisture are readily absorbed by it, so keep it in a dry and clean
place. To roast coffee, put the desired quantity into a perfectly
clean, broad dripping X3an; have a moderate heat at first, shake and
stir frequently; after 20 or 30 minutes increase the heat and stir fre-
quently until it is an even chestnut or " coffee color." If any berries
are burned they must be picked out and thrown away, or they will
spoil the coffee. Remember that the peculiar and delightful aroma
of coffee is due to the changes in one or more oils produced by this
roasting; in raw berries it is lacking. When properly roasted the.se
elements constitute about 13% of the berry. If not heated suffi-
ciently the aroma is not properly developed; if heated too much the
flavor is again dissipated.
When the berries are properly browned, lift the pan from the
stove to the table and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and the beaten
white of 2 eggs to each jpound of coffe✪ Coffeee, stirring it quickly and .well
that each berry may be glazed. This helps to develop the aroma, and
also to confine it in the berry until let out by grinding. All the cof-
fee which is not used at once should be put into a sieve, when
cold, and shaken to break apart any berries which stick together;
then put it into an air-tight canister.
Page 413 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The nutritive element in tea is very small, it being a stimulant rather than a food, but, "it aids the assimilation and transformation of other foods, increases cheerfulness and activity, clears and quickens the brain, and lessens the desire to sleep." It warms the body when cold, cools it when hot by promoting the perspiration of the skin, and has an astringent action on the bowels. Tea contains from 2 to 4% of theine, about 1^ of essential oil, life of tannin, and 20;^ of nitrogenous matter insoluble in water. Taken to excess it acts like a vegetable poison, and with young people it is liable to interfere with the proper development of the nervous system.
COFFEE.
It is safe to say that a large percentage of the people who use coffee never drank a really first class cup of it, and a large proportion of the stuff served as coffee is unworthy of the name. And yet good coffee is not difficult to make if it is handled intelligently.
The water used should be fresh and clear. Long boiling of the water expels the air and gases, and makes it flat and insipid. It should therefore be used as soon as it boils, and this is a much more important item than many people imagine. Do not reboil the water, nor let it boil long before being used, or the best results cannot be obtained.
The roasting of the coffee is also an important matter. It is best roasted and ground just before it is used. If more is roasted than needed, for immediate use it should be kept in an airtight glass jar or canister; if exposed to the air it deteriorates. Unpleasant odors and moisture are readily absorbed by it, so keep it in a dry and clean place. To roast coffee, put the desired quantity into a perfectly clean, broad dripping pan; have a moderate heat at first, shake and stir frequently; after 20 or 30 minutes increase the heat and stir frequently until it is an even chestnut or " coffee color." If any berries are burned they must be picked out and thrown away, or they will spoil the coffee. Remember that the peculiar and delightful aroma of coffee is due to the changes in one or more oils produced by this roasting; in raw berries it is lacking. When properly roasted the.se elements constitute about 13% of the berry. If not heated sufficiently the aroma is not properly developed; if heated too much the flavor is again dissipated.
When the berries are properly browned, lift the pan from the stove to the table and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and the beaten white of 2 eggs to each pound of coffee, stirring it quickly and well that each berry may be glazed. This helps to develop the aroma, and also to confine it in the berry until let out by grinding. All the coffee which is not used at once should be put into a sieve, when cold, and shaken to break apart any berries which stick together; then put it into an air-tight canister.
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Coffee