Chapter 20 assembled 20jy02
Tea and coffee are stimulants which have a little food value added when served with milk and sugar.
Cocoa is a milder stimulant, and also provides some heat and energy and some iron. Its value is very much increased when it is made with a large amount of milk.
Milk and egg beverages are very nourishing, and are ideal for invalids and children, as they are rich in bodybuilding foods.
Fruit drinks are most valuable as thirst quenchers, but may provide vitamins if they are freshly made from fresh or canned fruit juices.
Alcoholic beverages are stimulants. In small amounts they stimulate the flow of digestive juices and help to digest a meal, but in large amounts have the opposite effect.
1. Always keep tea in a covered container, for if allowed to lie about in an open packet it loses flavour.
2. A china, glass; earthenware, or enamel teapot is the best to use. Metal is apt to spoil the flavour.
3. Use water freshly drawn from the cold tap, and make the tea as soon as it boils.
4. Just before the water boils scald the teapot with some of the water. Throw this away.
5. Put in the tea, allowing two or more level teaspoons for each half-pint of tea required.
6. When the water boils, take the teapot to the kettle and pour on the boiling water. Allow to stand for 3-8 minutes before using. A tea with fine leaves needs less time to brew than one with coarse leaves. Stir well before pouring.
7. Tea is usually served with a little cold milk or cream and sugar to taste, but some people prefer it without milk and with a slice of lemon or orange in it. Tea without milk should be weaker.
1. Always keep coffee in an airtight container, as the flavour is volatile and the coffee quickly loses flavour if left in an open packet or tin. Freshly roasted and ground coffee gives the best flavour, and the ideal is to have a small home coffee-grinder and grind the beans yourself as you want them. You can then buy small amounts of freshly roasted beans and store them in a covered jar.
2. Allow 2-4 level Tbs. coffee for each ½ Pt. [285ml] of water (1 c.) being used. This will give you 3 small coffee-cups full. The mistake most people make is in using too little coffee.
3. A better flavour is obtained if glass, earthenware, or enamel is used for the coffee-brewer. Metal is apt to spoil the flavour.
4. It is important to keep all equipment clean. Scald all utensils as soon as they have been used, and dry and air them well before putting them away.
5. Coffee may be served black, or with milk or cream. Many people serve a mixture of half coffee and half milk. In this case the coffee should be made twice as strong as usual. (The milk should not be allowed to boil,
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only scalded.) Coffee-lovers prefer to use a little cold top milk, evaporated milk, or cream in black coffee, about the same amount as you would use for tea.
I know of at least eight different ways of making coffee, and there are no doubt others. The two methods I have found the best are to use either an earthenware filter coffee-pot, which looks rather like a teapot with a funnel in the top, or the glass vacuum-type heated by a spirit-lamp or electric plate. The latter is the simpler method, and has the advantage that the coffee can be made at the table. I will give these two methods in detail, and also the jug method for those who have no special apparatus.
The coffee should be finely ground for this method, otherwise the water runs through too quickly and the coffee is weak. Warm the coffee-pot and put the measured coffee (2-4 Tbs. Per ½ pt. [285ml]) on the strainer of the pot. Put the sprinkler on top and the lid. Stand in a warm place to heat the pot, either the back of the stove or in a pan of boiling water. Pour the boiling water on in about three lots, letting it drip through slowly. When all the water has dripped through remove the strainer and serve.
Fine or medium ground coffee is suitable. Place the coffee on the filter in the top compartment (2-4 Tbs. Per ½ pt. [285ml]), and put the measured amount of water in the bottom. The water may be hot for quicker brewing. Heat until the water bubbles up the tube on to the coffee. Stir well and keep over a gentle heat for 4 minutes. Then remove the heat and allow the coffee to come down again. Remove the top and serve.
Coarsely ground coffee is the best for this method, as the finer grinds tend to make a muddy and bitter brew. Measure the coffee into the jug (2-4 Tbs. To ½ pt. [285ml]). Pour on the boiling water. Stir and stand in a warm place or in a pan of boiling water for 5-8 minutes. Strain through muslin into the heated coffee-pot and serve.
Sweeten the coffee to taste and chill. Serve with top milk or cream or ice-cream. An alternative method is to add coffee essence to chilled milk and flavour with a few drops of vanilla essence.
For each half-pint [285ml] allow 2 level tsp. cocoa, one of sugar, and a pinch of salt. The liquid may be all milk or half milk and half water. Mix the cocoa, sugar, and salt to a smooth paste with some of the cold liquid. Boil the rest and pour on to the cocoa. Return to the pan and boil for 1-2 minutes to cook the cocoa and improve the flavour. At this stage the cocoa may be beaten with a small egg-whisk to make it frothy and a few drops of vanilla added. If dried milk is being used, the powder may be mixed dry with the cocoa and sugar.
2 oz. [55g] Cocoa (½ c.)
2 oz. [55g] Sugar (¼ c.)
½ pt. [285ml] water (1 c.)
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla essence
Measures level. Mix the first four ingredients together. Bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes over a gentle heat, stirring well. Add the vanilla essence and pour into
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a jar. Cover when cold and store in a cool place. To serve, add 1 Tbs. syrup to each cup of hot or cold milk.
Quantities for 1 qt. [1140ml]:
2 oz. [55g] pearl barley (4 Tbs.)
1 qt. [1140ml] of water (4 c.)
Rind and juice of 2 lemons
Sugar to taste
Wash the barley in a strainer. Then put barley, water, and the thinly peeled lemon rind in a pan and bring to the boil. Cook very gently for 2 hours. Strain and sweeten to taste. Add the lemon-juice to taste.
Quantities for 4-6 glasses:
4 lemons
2 pt. [1140ml] boiling water (4 c.)
4 oz. [110g] Sugar (½ c.)
Measures level. Peel the lemons thinly and put the rind in a jug with the sugar. Pour over the boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Leave until cold. Strain and add the lemon-juice. Serve with ice.
4 lemons
4 oz. [110g] Sugar (½ c.)
1 Tbs. tartaric acid
½ Pt. [285ml] boiling water (1 c.)
Measures level. Peel the lemons very thinly, using a potato peeler. Put in a jug with the sugar and acid. Pour over the boiling water and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cover and leave until cold. To serve, dilute with cold water or soda-water, using about the same proportions as for bottled lemon squash.
348 THE PENGUIN COOKERY BOOK
Quantities for 3 glasses:
⅔ c. lemon-juice
2 oz. [55g] Sugar (¼ c.)
1 c. canned or fresh orange-juice
2 bottles ginger ale
Mix the fruit-juice and sugar and chill. Just before serving add the ginger ale and serve with crushed ice.
Quantities for 25 glasses:
2 lb. [900g] sugar (4 c.)
2 qt. [1140ml] water (8 c.)
12 oranges
6 lemons
4 sliced bananas
8 oz. [225g] small green grapes
8 oz. [225g] stoned cherries
1 qt. [1140ml] ginger ale (4 c.)
1 Pt. [570ml] cold, clear tea (2 c.)
2 qt. [1140ml] soda-water (8 c.)
Boil the sugar and water together for 10 minutes. Add 6 oranges peeled and cut in thin slices, removing as much white pith as possible. Add the strained juice of the rest of the oranges and the lemons. Add the bananas, grapes, and cherries. Chill thoroughly. Add the ginger ale, tea, and soda-water. Just before serving add cubes of ice.
Quantities for 4-6 glasses:
3 small oranges
2 pt. [1140ml] boiling water (4 c.)
2 Tbs. sugar
Make in the same way as Lemonade, #802, using the orange rind grated.
Quantities for 4-6 small glasses:
½ Pt. [285ml] tomato juice (1 c.)
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 Tbs. lemon-juice
1 tsp. grated or finely-chopped onion
¼ tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. Worcester sauce
¼ of a bay leaf
Measures level. Mix all the ingredients together and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Strain through muslin or a fine strainer and chill. Serve in small glasses.
1 lb. [450g] rhubarb (6-8 stalks)
4 oz. [110g] raisins or figs, chopped (¾ c.)
3 Pt. [1710ml] water
Canned orange-juice or orange or lemon squash
Measures level. Wash and cut up the rhubarb and put in a pan with the dried fruit and water. Cover and boil gently for 4 hour. Strain through muslin and cool. Add the orange-juice or squash to taste and serve with ice.
½ Pt. [285ml] milk (1 c.)
1 Tbs. malt extract
Heat the milk and stir in the malt extract. Serve hot.
½ Pt. [285ml] milk (1 c.)
2 tsp. Sugar
Flavouring essence
Colouring
Mix well. Fruit flavours, or vanilla, are the best to use. Serve cold.
½ pt. [285ml] milk (1 c.)
½-1 Tbs. syrup or honey
Heat the milk and stir in the syrup or honey. Serve hot.
Quantities for 1 glass:
1 egg
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
¼ Pt. [140ml] canned pineapple-juice (½ c.)
Separate the white and yolk. Beat the yolk well and mix in the cold juice. Stir in the stiffly beaten white and salt and pour into a deep glass. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
1 fresh egg
1-2 tsp. sugar
½ Pt. [285ml] hot or cold milk (1 c.)
Few grains salt
Vanilla essence to taste
Beat the egg and sugar very thoroughly and then pour on the milk. Flavour to taste adding a little grated nutmeg if liked, and 2 Tbs. sherry or other wine.
1 lb. [450g] Morello cherries
½ lb. [225g] castor sugar (1 c.)
12 almonds
1 bottle gin (about 1 ¼ pt. [750ml])
Put the fruit in screw-top jars in layers with the sugar. Screw down and shake occasionally for 3 days. Add the blanched almonds and the gin and leave for at least 3 months before decanting. Stone the cherries and add them to fruit salad.
1 c. sloes
6 oz. [170g] Sugar (¾ c.)
3 drops almond essence
¾ pt. [425ml] gin
Wash the sloes and prick them with a darning-needle. Put them in an empty gin-bottle. Add the sugar and almond essence. Pour in the gin and cork well. Leave for at least 3 months before decanting. Stone the sloes and use them in fruit salad.
Put 2-3 Tbs. rum in each tumbler. Fill up with ginger ale, cider, or fruit squash and soda-water. Add a lump of ice.
About a quarter fill tumblers with French or Italian Vermouth. Fill up with iced-water or soda-water and add a slice of lemon and a sprig of mint. Add a lump of ice.
Mix half gin and half French or Italian Vermouth.
Put a slice of lemon in a small tumbler with 1 tsp. of Sugar. Put in a spoon to absorb the heat and prevent the glass from cracking and then three-quarters fill with boiling water. Stir and add 2 Tbs. of rum and serve at once.
⅓ rum
⅓ cider
⅓ orange squash
Mix well.