Hand-Book of Practical Cookery, for Ladies and Professional Cooks: Containing the Whole Science and Art of Preparing Human Food

above, turn the milk into the chocolate, little by little, beating well at the same time with an egg-beater. Keep beating and boiling after being mixed, for three or four minutes; take off and serve. If both chocolate and milk are good, it will be frothy; and no better or more nutritious drink can be had. CHOCA. Choca is nothing more nor less than one cup of coffee and milk mixed with a cup of chocolate, and for breakfast. COCOA. Put in a tea or coffee cup one or two tablespoonfuls of ground cocoa, pour boiling water or boiling milk on it, little by little, stirring with a spoon the while; sweeten it to taste. A few drops of essence of vanilla may be added, according to taste. ESSENCE OF SPINACH, OR GREEN ESSENCE. Put two handfuls of very green and fresh spinach in a mortar and pound it well. Then put it in a saucepan, set on a rather slow fire, and when on the point of boiling take it off, pass it through a sieve and use. It may be kept for some time with a little sugar. ESSENCE OF BEEF. The essence of beef of commerce is well known. To make essence of beef used in cooking and called _glace_ in French, set three or four quarts of broth on a slow fire, in a saucepan and reduce it to jelly. Keep it simmering all the time; it may take twenty hours to reduce. When properly reduced, it is of a very dark-brown color and has a very pleasant odor. When cold, it must be rather hard. When essence of beef tastes like glue and has an unpleasant odor, it is not made properly, or with good beef. If properly made, it will keep any length of time. It is used to thicken sauces, to decorate boned birds, etc.; when in a hurry, it may be used to make soup, but, like every thing preserved, is of course inferior to fresh broth. ICING. Put about three tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar in a bowl with the white of