COOKERY FOR LICENSED VICTUALLERS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XIV, Issue 812, 28 September 1905, Page 25

COOKERY FOR LICENSED VICTUALLERS.

(by

"Coisinier,” m "L.V. Gazette.”)

COOLING CUPS. In hot summer weather there are few things more grateful to the palate than a deep draught of a really good “ cup.” Cups have the advantage of disguising the deficiencies of second-class wines. Moreover, as they are of low alcoholic strength they can be taken in considerable quantity without any injurious after-effects. Although cups take some little trouble to make, there is a large profit on the sale of them, and t hey ought to be much more generally seen on luncheon bars than they are at present. In making a cup, 1 need hardly say, ice is necessary. And here 1 would protest against the too common custom of . placing a large lump of ice in the cup itself It must be obvious that the result of this is that the cup gets weaker and poorer every minute. It is always best to the cup first in a large jug or basin, and to stand the vessel in rough ice. The cup will then cool without deteriorating. It also goes without saying that sparkling cups should not be allowed to stand long after being made, as they soon lose their refreshing briskness. . For cups that require sweetening it is always best to have a little syrup ready. This is easily and simply made by pouring boiling water on sugar, in the proportion of a pint to a pound, and letting it get cold, when it should be bottled for use. This syrup can be added gradually, and the cup can be tasted with a spoon, so that it will be known at once when it is sweet enough. One of the most popular of summer drinks is the claret cup. To make it, proceed as follows : — Pour a bottle of sound claret into a jug, add the juice and thinly-pared rind of one lemon and a thin strip of cucumber peeling the length of the little finger. Sweeten according to taste. Add a wineglassful of brandy, a dessertspoonful of maraschino or noyeau, and a few sprigs of mint or balm. After letting this stand in ice for half an hour or more, strain it off into a bowl, and grate a little nutmeg on top. Just before serving add a couple of bottles of iced soda water. To make cider cup, pour a quart of cider into a jug, add a few sprigs of balm or mint, the rind of a lemon, and the inside of an orange sliced up. Sweeten to taste, and add a glass of sherry, a small glass of brandy, and a teaspoonful of maraschino. Let this stand in ice to cool, then strain off. Add a very little grated nutmeg, and, just before serving, two bottles of iced soda water. Hock cup and mozelle cup may be made in the same way as the foregoing. The following is a good recipe for home-made lemonade:—To make a quart take three lemons, pare off thinly a little of the rind, or rub lumps of sugar upon it. Squeeze out the juice of the lemons and mix with it two ounces of white sugar, including what has been rubbed ’ upon the lemons. Add a quart of boiling hot water, and when cool enough strain the liquor, and stand it on ice. An excellent way of making lemon squash is as follows:—Take the juice of eight lemons, sweeten, allowing a tablespoonful of sifted sugar to each lemon. Put into a clean saucepan with a pint of water, and simmer gently until the sugar is dissolved. Beat up the white of an egg, add it to the syrup, and stir well until the mixture boils. Let it boil for a minute or two, and strain through a jelly bag. When cold, add a quarter of an ounce of citric acid, bottle, and cork tightly. When required to use, put five drope of Angostura bitters into a soda water tumbler, shake round the glass, then add a wineglassful of the lemon mixture, fill up with iced soda water, place a thin slice of lemon on top, and serve with two straws.

Institution cup is a drink of American origin, which is thus prepared: Take the thinly-pared rinds of two oranges, cut into strips, and put into a bowl, together with the pulp of the orange in very thin slices, freed from the white skin and pips. Mix in two glasses of pale brandy, half a pint of strawberry syrup, the same of pineapple syrup, a quart of moderately sweet champagne, and a pint of finely-shaved.ice, the champagne going in after the ice. The whole should be well mixed and strained into tumblers.

Ale cup is not so generally known as it deserves to be. Squeeze the juice of a lemon on to a round of hot toast; lay on it a thin piece of the rind, a tablespoonful of pounded sugar, a little grated nutmeg, and a sprig of balm. Pour over these one glass of brandy, two of sherry, and three pints of mild ale. Set on ice for half an hour before using. Do not let the balm remain many, minutes in the mixture.

Barley water has come rapidly to the front as a cooling summer drink, and it is now to be seen at all the West End

Clubs, where it has largely displaced more potent liquors as a luncheon beverage. Take a breakfast cupful of barley, wash it well, and put it into a large jug with the same quantity of sugar, the rind of four oranges, and the juice and rind of four lemons. Pour on two quarts of boiling water. Allow it to remain until quite cold. Strain and ice. It is then ready for use.