Last of all the things Margaret learned to make for breakfast came coffee, and this she could make in two ways; sometimes she made it this first way, and sometimes the other, which is called French coffee.
Coffee
First be sure your coffee-pot is shining clean; look in the spout and in all the cracks, and wipe them out carefully, for you cannot make good coffee except in a perfectly clean pot. Then get three heaping tablespoonfuls of ground coffee, and one tablespoonful of cold water, and one tablespoonful of white of egg. Mix the egg with the coffee and water thoroughly, and put in the pot. Pour in one quart of boiling water, and let it boil up once. Then stir down the grounds which come to the top, put in two tablespoonfuls of cold water, and let it stand for a minute on the back of the stove, and then strain it into the silver pot for the table. This pot must be made very hot, by filling it with boiling water and letting it stand on the kitchen table while the coffee is boiling. If this rule makes coffee stronger than the family like it, take less coffee, and if it is not strong enough, take more coffee.
French Coffee
Get one of the pots which are made so the coffee will drip through; put three tablespoonfuls of very finely powdered coffee in this, and pour in a quart of boiling water. When it is all dripped through, it is ready to put in the hot silver pot.
PART II.
THE THINGS MARGARET MADE FOR LUNCHEON OR SUPPER
So many things in this part of Margaret's book call for white sauce, or cream sauce, that the rule for that came first of all.
White or Cream Sauce
1 tablespoonful of butter. 1 tablespoonful of flour. 1 cup hot milk or cream, one-third teaspoonful of salt.