History and present status of instruction in cooking in the public schools of New York city

Proportions for coffee : 1 tablespoonful of coffee to each cup of water allowing this infusion to stand from five to seven minutes. The ground coffee should be put into a muslin bag or strainer and the boiling water poured over. Never boil coffee, the fine flavor is dispelled by boiling a mucilage extracted at the same time, which tends to make it flat and weak. All coffee should be ground just before using. Tea and coffee. — The only right way to prepare tea and coffee is by infusion, but they are often made by decoction, and when made in this way, they are injurious to our bodies. When these beverages are prepared by infusion, the boiling water is poured over the tea and coffee, and they only stand a few minutes. Decocted tea and coffee are made from boiling water, and boiled. This boiling draws out the tannin from the leaves of the tea, and the grounds of the coffee. Tea and coffee that are prepared by infusion have a nice pleasant taste, but when they are made by decoction, they have a bitter taste, and their pleasant odor and flavor are lost. All albumenous foods are hardened and made indigestible by drinking tea and coffee that has been boiled. Tea made by decoction causes more indigestion than coffee. These beverages are very useful to warm the body when it is cold and cool it when hot ; the cooling takes place gradually. They also supply our bodies with the neces- sary liquid food. They contain stimulating and refreshing properties, but are not necessary beverages for young people, but a great benefit to older people when properly used. It is necessary to have a knowledge of their composition to know how to prepare them in the right way. There is a substance in tea and coffee called an alkaloid which causes both these beverages to be stimulants. In tea this substance is called theine and in coffee caffeine. Both of these are stimulating properties of tea and coffee. They weaken the nerves and take away the natural desire for food. Too much tea or coffee weakens the general health and causes nervous diseases. There is also an acid called tannic acid in tea, and a volatile oil. This oil is produced in the drying of the leaves. It gives the tea its smell and flavor. Coffee also contains tannic acid, but not so much as tea. It contains an aromatic volatile oil. This oil gives coffee a flavor and smell and is produced in the roasting of the berries. H. S., Age 13 years. Tea and coffee. — Among the principal household beverages are tea and coffee. They should not however be used too frequently because they are not foods that repair the body although they supply it with some of the necessary liquid food. The only liquid necessary to life is water and milk for very young children.