The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-11-04

Profound treaties have Oecn wTitteu.
wordy arguments have been wasted, ans
sarcastic expIctives levelIed generally about
the mental as well as the physical ionuenoe
OF tea and coffee Upon cwhized peopN-
The English, who generally take 10 Tea Ier
breakfast, are becoming gradually Goa
yerted to coffee, but they axe valiant TEA
drinkers yet, although " makes the hesh
Abby and skin wrinklea. ne TWO oe-
coctions offered unfailing subjects for the
hook writers and reviewers TO quarrei over
until the famous Liebig with his chemical
discoveries asserted that tea and coffee had
be,one necessaries Of life 10 whole nations,
but especially essential TO the poorer classes,
supplyjng q void not readily filled up by
the limited supply OF good meats ana
Wholesome food generally.
Coffee and tea were introduced into Eng
| land like Romulus and Remus, and were
each in turn relentIessly abused, not only
by the peoplp, but by the State. Coffee in
berited the title OF "heil BROTH" Tea was
called crank poison" but, as refuge for
the wits OF the day from smaller fly, the
coffee. houses from the Start were always
enormously patroniZed. In 1860 that
clever and comfortable Old body Pepys
wrote: ~ did send for cup OF tea "a
China drink, OF which never bad drank
BEFORE" and six or seven years later ne
again wrote: Home, and there found nay
wife making Of tca-a drink which Mr.. Peil-
jrg. the potticary, tells her is good for her
cold and defluxions." This precious drug
the GOOD old lady was becoming so happy
over the potticary has sold her at fright
ful price, at the very loweSt-a crown Tor
an ounce: but Pepys was thereafter greatly
eouforted by handbill OF certain Gar
way OF Exchange alley, who said that he
now sold tea at so low prices as 49,. TO 50s.
mound. not only in the leaf, but many
nobiemen, physicians, and surgeons re-
sorted to his house to drink thereon. Or.
| johnson was most unsuitable tea-drinKef.
| Among his early tea-drinking day memories
was one OF Garrick who, although he enter
tanned an inordinate love for the cheering
Gun. when taking tea with Peg Wellington
seeded her for making it too strong while
| il was so costly. Later pleasant tea-taKs OF
| the Doctor describe himself as "a hardened
and shameless tea-drinker, who has Tor
many wears diluted bis meals with only the
| infusion of this fascinating plant whose
kettle has scarcely time 10 cool; who, with
tea. amuses himself in the evenings, ana
solaces the midnight, aud welcomes the
night Who, nowadays, can fancy a
Mistress Piozzi making the precious beyer-
| age for DR.. johnson OF O'Clock in the
morning, and listening to his talk without
sign OF impotence or feeling bored, TO say
nothing of feeling sleepy!
The Germans are masters in the prepare
ton of coffee. especially the German So
PANS. Like the French. they take coffee
without milk at any time during the DAY, as
sisted by q cigar; especially is this mode
desirable for the sedentary life. Coffee
contains a substance called theiCe, volatile
matter one needs to be cautious IN retain
Ing during the process OF preparation. An
ounce OF good tea contains about tel grains
OF Meive, quite sufficient to create very UNI
pleasant symptoms, something like over eX.
hiaratop, or, TO place it mildly, intoxica-
ton. Tea-drinkers can therefore calculate
how much tea TO drink, as from three 10
four grains Of theiue are amply sufficient Tor
dav, and therefore three ounces week is
really more than one person should con-
sumo.
A friar of monastery in Arabia noticed
that the goats were remarkably agile ana
brisk after eating OF the coffee.trees; so he
made his ethargic monks try 1t. The sue
cess was marvellous and this is one OF the
many assigned origins OF the use OF the
berry, which soon found its way to Eu-
rome. The present custom OF the East is to
L
fire in cold water, which is only allowed to
boil up a few seconds; ii boiled too long
the aromatic parts are volatized and escape
with The aroma. Coffee made by filtration
and infusion gives very little OF the extract.
| The general cook OF the period, who adver-
tjses "good plain cookipg," and therefore
should be strictly avoided, knows as much
of preparing coffee as these goats OF the
| monastery. She generally makes 1t when
the fire burns in the small hours, letting it
boil and steam and draw as she does her
tea. She seldom understands that she must
not prepare the precious berry until The
breakfast-bell rings, then As the family as
sembes, which takes generally, where all are
punctual, about five minutes. such cup
| of coffee, of sparkling amber, made clear
with hGlf an egg, is an exquisite stimulant,
accompanied by some delicate cheese-bls'
cult which are light and appetizing. II pre-
pared properly. Take two ounces Of but
ter, two VI -four, two Of grated cheese, a
little cayenue and salt, make it in a thin
paste aud roll out very thin, then cut 10
pieces four inches long and one inch broad,
bake very light brown and serve as hot as
possible
An additional savory dish is an excellent
appetizer for breakfast with coffee. Care
fully mash half a dozen very mealy pota-
| toes, boiled or steamed, without the addl-
ton OF salt add some butter and little
| cream and season 10 taste. Beat IN a mortar
about two tabespoonfuls OF cold boiled salt
fish (cod is the best), add little cCeam, half
of a nutmeg grated. half OF emon'peel,
also grated, aud whole raw egg; when
quite smooth mix it with potatoes; place
all together in mold buttered and sprinkled
with rasned toast: squeeze over il some
lemon Juice and bake it until il begins to
brown; turn 1t out before serving hot. In
lien OF the fish may be substituted a stewed
beeisteak, that will greatly invigorate
the father OF The family and clear the
mental atmosphere. Peel two Spanish
onions and chop them in fine pieces; cut
into quarters four picked walnuts and
place in the same pan with the onions add
cupful Of gravy, tablespoonful Of mush-
room catsup, a dessert-sDO0nful OF walnut
catsup, the same quantity OF chalet AID Chill
vinegar. The steak should be cut from the
rnmp, and be about two and a half inches
thick; lay il fiat and beat il we'll with roll
ing.pin; then place it on the top OF the
onions, season with salt and pepper, and
let IL stew from one hour and half to two
hours. in proportion to the quantity. 1t
must be gently cooked and turned once in
every twenty m,n4ies. Ten minutes be-
fore serving thro la one dozen oysters and
their hquor, wh,h must tirst be strained.
iGarnish the dish with scraped horse.radish
land picked mushrooms.
1t may be argued by some who read this
method OF preparing beef that 1t Is too
gyod for breakfast, ANYTHING Is good
enough for breakfast, less elaborate Z; this Is
the rock on which too many women wreck