HINTS AND IDEAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 117, 20 May 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

HINTS AND IDEAS.

PERFECT COFFEE,

VARIOUS METHODS OF MAKING,

Unlike tea, coffee improves with standing. If made in a jug the coffee should stand at least 10 minutes, while a stir with, a wooden spoon at the beginning and at the end of the first five minutes will perfect the brew. There is no need, to uso a strainer; the grounds will Lave sunk to the bottom of the pot if the full time ie allowed. Every precaution should be taken to keep the coffee hot. Heat the coffee pot just before the coffee is put in, then let it stand in hot water while the coffee is brewing. Actually, coffee is improved by being alloved to stand for more than 10 minutes, whib if it is necessary to keep the coffee hot for some hours the flavour will not deteriorate if kept hot in the same way—but without the grounds. These should be strained off. The texture of coffee when ground has much to do with its flavour. Pouring water on coarsely ground coffee is like using husks, for the natural oil is not given a chance to come out. With a pereolater, coarsely ground coffee is best, for the method of filtering draws out the full coffee flavour. Coffee should always be freshly ground. The oils evaporate in coffee left for weeks—though kept in an airtight tin. The best and a medium-priced coffee will retain freshness from one end of a week to the other. Grinding the beans yourself for each brew will go towards ensuring freshness, but it is an error to suppose that beans will keep fresh indefinitely. They will keep fresh a week or two longer than the ground coffee, but they must be kept airtight. One ounce of coffee to one pint of liquid is a good standard measure. This is counting in the milk as well; thus if you are making one pint of coffee and using half a pine of milk, you must allow one and a half ounces of coffee for the extra liquid. Whether you prefer "half and half" is a matter of taste, but coffee experts will tell you that too much milk or cream "thine" the coffee flavour. Turkish coffee is an after-dinner delicacy which many appreciate, but which few hostesses make because they are under the misapprehension that it is a trouble. This is not so if you have the correct Turkish cafetiere. Candy sugar should be used and a glass of cold water served with the coffee.

Here is the correct way to make coffee in the Turkish style: Have the beans very finely ground and use a spirit lamp or its equivalent.

After filling the cafetiere threequarters full with water, bring it just to the boil. Now put equal portions of coffee and sugar—a teaspoonful of each for every Turkish cup is a good standard.

Immediately the coffee starts to rise remove it from the flame. Allow the coffee to do this twice more, withdrawing it from the flame each time it It will be ready to serve when the grounds have had time to sink to the bottom. A small piece of lemon can be added.

REINFORCED STOCKINGS. Stockings and socks wear longer if they arc darned at the Tieels and toes while tliey are new. For woollen stockings two-ply wool doubled should be used. For silk or thread stockings, either fine wool or darning silk ie suitable. A long, fine needle is required, for the darning must be done lightly, in parallel lines of running stitches, kept as close together as possible. The needle must not go through the stocking or the darning will show on the right side. It is sufficient if it just catches a tiny thread, to hold the wool or silk to the surface. Each row of running should be cut at the ends, so that when it begins to wear away it may ensi<y be drawn out before a fresh darn is made. In order to find the exact spots which most need reinforcement it is advisable to wear stockings once, and then notice the' places which show signs of rubbing and mark them with a white thread before the stockings are washed. COOKING ONIONS. Sometimes it is difficult to banish the smell of onion from a frying-pan after onions have been fried. Mustard is excellent for this purpose and should be applied dry on a slightly moist rag. After washing the frying-pan in the usual manner, the mustard should be rubbed vigorously all over the interior. If the frying-pan is at all dull it may be made bright again by rubbing it with a little lemon. SUBSTITUTE FOR VINEGAR. Sometimes in an emergency it is discovered that the supply of vinegar has run out. On such an occasion it will be found that strained lemon juice will serve the. purpose equally well, whether it is to be used for mint sauce or salad dressing. Many people reefer the flavour of the lemon juice to that of the vinegar, particularly in home-made salad dressing. COLOURED FURNITURE. Coloured wicker furniture should never be washed with soap, but rubbed over with a cloth wrung out in paraffin. The paraffin will take out all the marks and leave the wicker clean and the colours bright. If the wicker is not dirty but merely requires freshening up a little, it should be washed in a bowl of slightly warm water, but without soap. Always dry the furniture out of doors, as it creaks badly if dried in the house before a fire.