let the coffee get black, or the least burnt, do not attempt to make use of it: it should only be sufficiently charred to break easily in a mortar if required. 44. COFFEE MADE WITH A FILTER.-To make a quart: first put a pint of boiling water through the filter to warm it, which pour away, then put a quarter of a pouud of ground coffee upon the filter, and upon which put the presser and the grating lightly, pour over half a pint of boiling water, let it stand three or four minutes, then pour over a pint and a half more boiling water; when well passed through, pour it into a clean stewpan, which set at the corner of the fire until a light scum arises, but not boiling; pour it again through the filter, and when well drained through, pour into the coffee-pot, and serve with hot milk, or a little cream, separately. 45. ANOTHER WAY, (MORE ECONOMICAL.)-Proceed as in the last, but drain the coffee through once only, and serve; after which, pour another quart of boiling water over the coffee-grounds, which, when drained through, reserve, and boil up for the next coffee you make, using it instead of water; use an ounce less coffee. TEA. TEA is, without doubt, one of the most useful herbs ever introduced into this country: it was in the year of the fire of London, 1666,* and has displaced an unwholesome and heavy drink (ale) which used to be partaken of * In that year there were imported into England, at the present day, we learn from the Overland and Friend of China, No. 52, December 29, 1849, that there were exported from Canton to the United Kingdom, 39,362,300 lbs.; of this, 36,206,700 lbs. was black, and only 3,115,600 lbs. green; of the black, there were 31,677,300lbs. of congou; showing the immense increase in the consumption of a plant which has done so much towards the civilization of mankind, and drawing forth the inventive genius which he possesses. previously, and has created habits of sobriety. It is a plant indigenous to China, Japan, and Siam, and consists of many varieties, the proper mixing of which constitutes the great art of a tea-dealer. It is exceedingly useful in many cases of sickness, and particularly after having partaken of any liquor to excess, or after extraordinary fatigue. When new, it is a narcotic; but when old it has a different effect;* in its native country it is never partaken of until a year old, and not then, unless exceedingly desiccated. I cannot recommend you any one in particular, as that depends on taste; but this I advise, that when you have a kind to your liking, keep to it. And now, my dear friend, without wishing in the least to offend you, or attempting to aggravate your good nature, I must beg to contradict your assertion, made at the commencement of our undertaking, where you say, respecting tea, of course I know how to make it; you made it whilst staying at our house occasionally, and Mr. B. found there was a great difference between it and mine. But to tell you the truth respecting tea, I have a little secret of my own, being a discovery which I made a short time ago by accident. Whilst in the act of making tea, I had just put the dry tea in the pot, when I heard a fearful scream up-stairs in the drawing-room; rushing there, I found my little girl had had a severe fall in reaching something from the chimney-piece, the stool upon which she stood having upset: twenty minutes at least elapsed before I returned to my tea (which, being alone, I was in no particular hurry for), when I found that the servant, thinking there was water in the pot, and fearing the tea would be spoiled, put it into the oven, which was rather hot; when she brought it to me I was rather annoyed, when all at once it struck me that the leaves being hot through, the tea would not require so long to draw; I then filled the tea-pot with boilingwater, and in a minute afterwards had a most delicious cup of tea, since which I have adopted the system upon all occasions, and am now having made a small spirit-lamp to warm the pot and leaves, as the oven is not always hot; it may, however, be made hot in front of the fire, but must not be placed too close. I gave the receipt to one of our neighbours, who actually laughed * Some few years since, having a great deal of writing to do within a certain time, and which could not be done without employing the night as well as the day, I partook of weak green tea, with a little brandy, sugar, and lemon-juice, as a beverage, and, with light food, I was enabled to do it with but eighteen hours' sleep, from eight o'clock on Monday morning to five o'clock on the following Sunday morning. at the idea, but never tried it, saying, "We cannot teach anything to our grandmothers, and that what did for them would do for us." Now, what could you say to such people? why, nothing; but let them alone, as I shall do for the future. But you, my dear, I know, have better sense; proceed as I have directed, and you will find it a great improvement. Put your tea in the pot ten minutes before being ready for it, warming both tea and pot, before the fire or in a slow oven; fill with boiling water, and leave it from three to five minutes to draw, when it is quite ready. CACAO. CACAO was first known in Europe after the discovery of America, and it retains its Indian name; of course, it was first used in Spain, and did not come into use in England until much later; and we find that there was imported into England, in the year 1694, about 13,000lbs weight of it; in 1848, 410,000lbs. It is a long fruit, about five to eight inches, and three or four thick, which contains about thirty nuts: the tree grows to only a few feet in height. During the time of the famine in Ireland, I turned my attention to this valuable fruit, whose nutritive qualities are so great; and from conversation and correspondence with our principal importers and manufacturers of chocolate, I found that it cannot be had in sufficient quantities to allow of a great consumption, as it is a production which, like all others, is subject to vicissitudes, which, at times, considerably raise the price of the nut; but I see no reason why it should not be made an article of greater cultivation, so as to provide for the great demand which would arise if it were more generally introduced. In the course of my experiments, I have found that the shell is almost as nutritious as the kernel, with less oily particles in it, which, to many, are unpleasant; and I am confident that large quantities might be imported into this country at a very cheap rate, which are, at the present moment, thrown away in South America and the West India Islands, just in the same way as the tobacco-stalk was, but which is now imported into this country for the purpose of making snuff. If imported in greater quantities, it would be a most excellent article of diet in our workhouses and charitable institutions. 46. CHOCOLATE.-Scrape two ounces of the cake into a stewpan or saucepan, with a gill of water, place upon the fire, keeping it stirred with a wooden spoon until rather thick, when work it quickly with a spoon, stirring in half a pint of boiling milk by degrees; serve very hot, with sugar separate. 47. CHOCOLATE MADE IN THE ITALIAN METHOD.- Procure a regular chocolate-pot with a muller, the handle of which comes through the lid; one might be procured at any brazier's; put in two ounces of chocolate (scraped), over which by degrees pour a pint of boiling milk, put on the lid with the muller inside, which keep well moving, setting the pot upon the fire, and when very hot and frothy, serve. 48. COCOA.-Put a teaspoonful and a half of canistered cocoa into a cup, which fill by degrees with boiling milk, stir it until dissolved, when it is ready to serve; sugar separately. LETTER No. III. Oatlands Cottage, Jan. 20, 1849. DEAR HORTENSE,-I have inclosed the whole of the receipts which you have sent me for the Breakfasts, properly classified, having omitted the cold meats (as you desired me) from this series, thinking, as you do, they are more suited for the luncheon. To save useless repetition, I have placed the receipts in numbers, by which references can be easily made, and any dish appearing in the dinner or luncheon series, but available for breakfast, can be directly found. One thing I remember when at your house was, that when the remains of a joint were rather large, you used to put it upon a side-table, and let any one help themselves from it there; your idea being, I believe, that very few persons liked to have a large dish of meat before their eyes almost immediately after rising from their beds, or at the first meal of the morning. Respecting the way your table was laid out, to the best of my recollection, it was as follows:-First, the large table-cloth, over which was laid a small napkin before each person, with cups and saucers for tea or coffee, at choice, small plates for rolls, and a size larger for meat, sausages, eggs, &c., a smali knife and fork for each; the butter in a pretty freezing butter-glass, just covered with clear spring-water, and garnished with a few sprigs of parsley or water-cresses; the cream in a small china cream-jug, and a larger jug containing hot milk for coffee; orange marmalade in its original pot, honeycomb, water-cresses, and once a few nice young radishes, which were excellent, although a little out of season; one day also dry toast was served, another day buttered, the next muffins, then crumpets, white and brown bread, and small rolls, thus making a continual change, but all so small and inviting. I shall always, when I have company, as you had then, arrange everything in the same manner, especially now that I have your receipts written down. But when you are alone, you tell me you never make any such display, which of course would be ridiculous; still even then you vary, by having either tea, coffee, or chocolate, which change I like as well as you. I seldom partake of meat, but Mr. L- generally likes a little broiled bacon, or boiled eggs, things in themselves very simple and pleasant to have upon the table. Yours, in haste, ELOISE. EARLY LUNCHEONS. LETTER No. IV. MY DEAR FRIEND,-I feel perfectly satisfied with the manner in which you have classified my receipts respecting the breakfasts, and I must say I felt very much interested in looking over them; I am confident they would prove interesting and instructive to any young housekeeper; I hope, therefore, you will preserve the originals, as I do not keep any copies, fearing they would confuse me by making reference to them; so that, if at any future time I should make a repetition in other series, you would be able to correct me, for I am as willing as yourself that we should complete our Journal by going through every series comprising meals of the day. The next meal, then, to breakfast, in the ordinary course of events, is the luncheon. Although it is a meal we never touch ourselves, I am aware many small families make it a regular one, so our little journal would not be complete without some few remarks, which I intend making as short and concise as possible. When we were in business, our luncheons were comprised of any cold meats which were cooked for previous dinners; if a joint of cold roast |