Water, boiling

Use an earthenware or china pitcher and heat it in the oven. Put in one ounce of freshly roasted and freshly ground coffee for each pint of liquid desired, fill the pitcher one half full of boiling water, then stir thoroughly. Fill pitcher full with water and stir again. The stirring is most important, so as to extract the full strength from the coffee. Place in oven or on top of range five minutes, then strain off grounds and serve with cream. Coffee is a much finer drink with cream than with milk, whether hot or cold.

Another good way of making coffee is to stretch loosely over a pitcher a piece of muslin or cheesecloth, and put on it the coffee. Pour boiling water over it very gradually, letting the water in the kettle go on boiling while the other is dripping through the grounds, for only a little can be poured on at a time. Then when all has passed through, bring it nearly to boiling point before pouring it into the cups.

A tiny pinch of salt will cause the grounds to settle almost at once if it is found necessary to " clear " the coffee. Pouring from one pitcher to another has the same effect, but is apt to cool it, and coffee must be served hot.

For Cafe au Lait use equal quantities of strong coffee and scalded milk, or two thirds milk to one third of coffee. A pinch of mustard added to the coffee before the water is poured on it brings out the flavor of the coffee.

For Iced Coffee, allow cafe au lait to become cold. Fill tumblers one half full of crushed ice; add sugar to taste and pour in coffee. Or, make strong boiled coffee, sweeten to taste, chill. When ready to serve, it may be diluted with milk, or it may be diluted with water, and served with cracked ice.