Scientific cooking with scientific methods

The tea-ball is much used by tea-lovers, especially in the drawing-room with the samovar. To Make Tea. 3 teaspoons tea. 2 cups boiling water. Scald an earthen or china teapot and have it very hot. Put in the tea, and pour on the boiling water. Let it stand where it keeps hot, but does not boil. Steep for five minutes and serve at once. Serve with sugar and cream, as one desires; always add cream to tea after pouring. Do not add fresh leaves to pot and steep again, but turn out the steeped leaves and scald pot, and make the second cup with fresh leaves and water. Five O'clock Tea. For this you use ''five o'clock tea-kettle" in drawing-room, with either the teapot or the tea-ball. Russian Tea. Follow recipe for making tea. Russian tea can be served hot or cold, but always without milk, with the addition of a small piece of lemon cut the long ways and all the seeds removed, each person sweetening to taste. Iced Tea. 3 teaspoons tea. 2 cups iDOiling water. Make as above directed, and strain into glasses filled half full of cracked ice. Serve with lemon with seeds removed. Tea with Mint. Make same as iced tea, using three crushed leaves of mint in the glass and pour on the hot tea. This gives a fine flavor of the mint. Garnish with creme de Menthe cherry in each glass. COFFEE. Coffee is grown in all tropical climes, but the coffeetree came originally from Abyssinia. The berries of the coffee-tree are the coffee of commerce. Coffee berries before roasting are almost tasteless. The value of coffee is determined by its size, shape and color. Coffee used to be cured by exposure to the sun, but the coffee of the present day is washed and dried by steam heat. Coffee needs to be roasted. In the process of roasting the flavor is developed and tiie berries are increased in size. Java ranks highest for flavor, but the Mocha has the strength and sparkle, and commands the highest price. Mocha and Java combined give the finest cup of coffee, using one measure of Mocha to two of Java. The stimulating properties of coffee are due to the "caffeine" and essential oils. Coffee also contains an astringent, and is considered a greater stimulant than tea. Coffee quickens the action of the heart and acts upon the nervous system, and when taken after the meal it assists the digestion, and fatigue of body and mind are lessened by the moderate use of coffee. A coffee-drinker can stand severe cold better than one who does not use coffee. In time of war it has been found invaluable to the soldier, and a much better stimulant than alcoholic drinks to keep up his powers of endurance. Both tea and coffee are more readily absorbed when taken on an empty stomach, and for this reason should not be used in this way except for medicinal purposes. The flavor, aroma and strength of the coffee are a volatile oil encased in the woody fiber of the coffee bean, and the grinding and crushing of the berry expose this oil to the action of the water, and give the flavor and strength to the cup of coffee.