Coffee grows on small trees. Mocha, the best variety, is grown in Arabia. The fruit of the tree is something like our cherry and contains two seeds or beans. By bruising the fruit, the berries are separated, and they are then washed and dried. The raw berries are tough and contain but little flavor. Much depends upon the manner in which the berries are roasted. Comparatively few people nowadays roast their own coffee, the work being done so well by the large establishments. Mocha and Java mixed - one-third of the former and two-thirds of the latter - is considered the most satisfactory combination by the majority of people. Buy coffee in small quantities and unground, keep it in air-tight tin cans, and grind it only as required. The finer it is ground, the stronger will be the extract.

There are many kinds of coffee-pots in use, and many are modifications of the French coffee-pot or biggin. The coffee may be made in anything resembling the French coffee-pot, as none of the aroma is lost, the spout of the pot being closed with a thimble that prevents the escape of the steam. The coffee is filtered and comes out clear and bright.

To Make Filtered Coffee

The coffee should be ground as fine as the mill will make it. Allow half a cupful of the ground coffee to a generous quart of water; this makes sufficient for five cupfuls of coffee. Place the coffee in the cloth or strainer in the top of the pot, arranged for the purpose, pour the boiling water upon it, and set the pot back, allowing the water to filter slowly through. When it is all through, set the pot over the heat, and when the coffee is just at the bubbling point, pour it out, and at once return it to the top of the pot to filter once more. Do this still again, making three times in all that the water has been poured upon the coffee; and serve at once. This produces a clear, bright coffee and requires, at the most, not longer than five minutes in the making, if the heat is properly brisk. Coffee should be served as soon as made, or the bright flavor will be lost.

Boiled Coffee. (In Common Coffee-Pot.)

One cupful of unground coffee.

One egg.

One quart of boiling water.

Three table-spoonfuls of cold water.

Grind the coffee coarsely, and put it into the pot, which should be well scalded. Beat the egg well, add to it the cold water, and stir this mixture into the dry coffee in the pot; then pour on the boiling water, and place the pot on the fire. Stir the coffee until it boils, and then set it on the back of the stove where it will just bubble for ten minutes. Pour a little of the coffee into a cup and return it to the pot, to clear the grounds from the spout. Let the coffee stand for five minutes where it will not bubble, pour it through a fine sieve into a hot serving pot, and send to the table at once. This makes a very strong coffee, and more or less water may be used, according as the coffee is liked weak or strong.

A cup of coffee is not perfect without cream. If cream cannot be used, the next best thing for many tastes is condensed milk. When this is disliked, hot milk may be substituted. The milk should be heated to the boiling point, but should not boil. Never serve cold milk with coffee. The cups should be warmed with hot water before being used for the coffee, as the latter can scarcely be served hot enough and is simply a disastrous failure when half cold.

After-Dinner Black Coffee

This is made by either of the recipes given, double the proportion of coffee being used. It should be very strong and clear and should be served in small cups, with block sugar, if desired, but never with cream or milk.

Vienna Coffee

This is the same as the ordinary coffee, with the addition of whipped cream at serving.

Cafe Au Lait

This is made of equal quantities of filtered coffee and boiled milk.