Excerpt from the Modern Priscilla Cook Book, 1924

BEVERAGES
Cocoa, coffee, and tea all act as stimulants to a slight degree; but if properly prepared they can be taken in moderate amounts by a normal adult with no injurious effects.
Cocoa and chocolate have a high nutritive value in themselves, and when prepared with milk they are still more important as foods.
Both cocoa and chocolate are improved by boiling for a few minutes in a small quantity of water. The cooking brings out the flavor of the chocolate and makes the starch which the products contain more easily digested.
Boiled Coffee.—Boiling is probably the method of coffee making in commonest use. It is the most economical in coffee, but it produces the least delicacy of flavor and develops the largest amount of tannic acid. For it use coffee coarsely ground. Allow a level tablespoon of coffee for each cup to be served, and one extra for the pot. An egg, if the food budget allows it, is also called for. If a whole egg cannot be spared, shells of the eggs, used in routine cookery, carefully washed before breaking, will do nearly as well.
Mix the coffee well with the slightly beaten egg, or with the shells, and add one cup of cold water. Stir all together and let stand while the rest of the water is being heated. As soon as it comes to a jumping boil pour it over the mixture in the coffee-pot and let it boil not longer than three minutes.
Stuff the spout with paper towelling or a bit of immaculate cheesecloth while the boiling goes on, unless you have the sort of coffee-pot in which the closing of the spout is provided for in the pot itself.
The egg clears the coffee, but two tablespoons of cold water added just before the coffee goes to the table will complete the process.
Percolator Coffee. — For percolating, the coffee should be ground more finely than for the preceding process. The consistency of granulated sugar is about right. Allow one tablespoon (level) for each cup. Either cold or hot water may be used in the percolator. Each has its advocates. We prefer to start with cold water and after the percolator begins to "plurp” we keep it going for five minutes. Coffee, in this process as in both the others, should be served immediately to be at its best.
Drip Coffee. — Dripping or filtering is the method beloved by epicures and favored by scientists. Coffee for it should be ground to the same texture as fine corn meal. It should feel a bit gritty when rubbed be¬tween the fingers. Pulverized coffee ground as fine as flour is too fine. It mats together and prevents the free penetration of water to extract flavor. A percolator may be used to hold the coffee, but unless the holes in the container are minute, cotton flannel, fuzz side up, or fine, firm muslin is better. Use a tablespoon of coffee for each cup, put the coffee in the container, take the required amount of water brought to a jumping boil, and pour it slowly through the coffee. If this does not make the flavor strong enough to suit the family either increase the amount of coffee or pour the water through a second time. The more epicurean of coffee drinkers say that a second pouring spoils the delicacy of flavor. No egg is needed for clearing. If the "drip" is fine enough the coffee will be clear.
One caution is necessary if you use a cloth drip. Let it be wide and shallow. A long conical drip does not allow the water to penetrate among the coffee particles as it should. For perfection in this method no metal must touch the coffee while the "drip" is in process. Use a glass, pottery or enamel pot.

TEA
Great care is the price of a really good cup of tea.
Tea should be kept in a tightly covered tin or jar.
The teapot, which should be of porcelain or earthenware, should always be scalded before being used.
Water used in making tea should be freshly boiled. Water boils when the entire surface breaks into bubbles.
Tea should never be allowed to boil.
Use the proportion of about one teaspoon of tea to one cup of water, this amount depending upon the kind of tea used and the strength desired.
Allow the tea to stand from one to five minutes in a hot place, this time also depending upon the kind of tea used. Five minutes is usually the maximum time, as after that, injurious qualities are produced.
A properly prepared brew of tea is never left standing on the leaves, but is strained off into a well-heated teapot or tea-urn.

FRUIT BEVERAGES
Fruit beverages are most refreshing and healthful. When made of only one kind of fruit, they are called "ades,"—lemonade, orangeade, pineappleade, etc., and when made of a combination of fruit juices they are spoken of as " punches."
Summer beverages are better and more quickly made if sweetened with a sugar syrup instead of granulated sugar. This syrup should be made ahead and kept on hand in a covered jar or a bottle. To make it, measure equal parts of sugar and water into a saucepan, place over the fire and stir until the sugar is dissolved, then let it boil without stirring for six or eight minutes. Cool and bottle. This blends more readily with the beverage than sugar and also gives a better body.
A plain lemonade may be "dressed up" with sprigs of mint, or cold tea, or grape juice, and the result is a good punch without using many ingredients.
A dash or two of soda-water which may be bought in a siphon at a druggist's, adds greatly to any drink; or we may add bottled charged water. Ginger ale, as well as charged water, gives a zest to all of these drinks.

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