Coffee and tea have now become such universal beverages for the morning or after dinner meal, that beyond a few general directions little remains for prefatory matter.

Coffee should be purchased in the berry, and fresh roasted, it should always, when possible, be ground just previous to being made. After it is ground it should not be exposed to the air, as the aroma speedily flies off. If more is ground than required for the meal, keep it in a glass closely-stopped bottle. Coffee, like tea, should be an infusion, not a decoction, although Monsieur Soyer recommends boiling after filtering; this may produce a powerful flavour, but the fragrance is gone, and the more acrid roughness annoying to a fine palate alone remains.

The best coffee is the Mocha, the next is the Java, and closely approximating is the Jamaica and Berbice.

Of tea little need be said; almost every one knows the rules for making it.

Boiling water should alone be used.

Metal tea pots in preference to earthenware. Silver is better than either.

A spoonful of tea for each person. Heat the tea-pot first with some boiling water, then pour that into the tea-cups to warm them; put in your tea, and pour enough water on to the tea to cover it; let it stand three or four minutes, then nearly fill the tea-pot with water, let it stand a few minutes, and pour out, leaving some portion of tea in the pot when you replenish, that all the strength may not be poured away in the first cup.

Chocolate can only be obtained pure of a first-rate house; that commonly sold is most infamously adulterated; the best Spanish or Italian chocolate should be purchased; the Florence has a high reputation.

Cocoa is the foundation of chocolate, it may be pounded, and either boiled as milk, or boiling water may be poured upon it. It is very digestible, and of a fattening nature.

1542. Cream Tea

Infuse an ounce of the best green tea in half a pint of boiling milk, simmer it five minutes, then strain it through a tammy, pressing the leaves well; boil a pint of rich cream, add to it the yolks of four eggs beaten, and, sufficient quantity of clarified sugar; pour this whilst hot to the milk, stir them together well, put in as much clarified isinglass as will set it, and pour the cream into the mould or glasses, place them on ice when perfectly cold, turn it out of the mould or serve in the glasses.

1543. Cream Tea.--Creme Du The

Boil two drachms or more of good green tea in a quart of milk; in a few minutes strain it, add three yolks of eggs well beaten, a quarter of a pound of powdered sugar, set it on the fire and reduce it to half, then strain it again; when cold serve it.

1544. Ice Tea

Take two drachms of the best tea, tie it in a bit of muslin, and boil it in two quarts of cream; when the infusion is sufficiently strong, take out the muslin, squeeze it well, and mix the cream with the eggs and sugar.