Fish stock.
———–   

Ingredients:- 2 lbs. of beef or veal (these can be omitted), any kind of white fish trimmings, of fish which are to be dressed for table, 2 onions, the rind of 1/2 a lemon, a bunch of sweet herbs, 2 carrots, 2 quarts of water.

Mode:- Cut up the fish, and put it, with the other ingredients, into the water. Simmer for 2 hours; skim the liquor carefully, and strain it. When a richer stock is wanted, fry the vegetables and fish before adding the water.

Time. 2 hours. 

Note. Do not make fish stock long before it is wanted, as it soon turns sour.

Crayfish soup.
————–

Ingredients:- 50 crayfish, 1/4 lb. of butter, 6 anchovies, the crumb of 1 French roll, a little lobster-spawn, seasoning to taste, 2 quarts of medium stock or fish stock.

Mode:- Shell the crayfish, and put the fish between two plates until they are wanted; pound the shells in a mortar, with the butter and anchovies; when well beaten, add a pint of stock, and simmer for 3/4 of an hour. Strain it through a hair sieve, put the remainder of the stock to it, with the crumb of the rolls; give it one boil, and rub it through a tammy, with the lobster-spawn. Put in the fish, but do not let the soup boil, after it has been rubbed through the tammy. If necessary, add seasoning.

Time. 1-1/2 hour.  

Eel soup.
———

Ingredients:- 3 lbs. of eels, 1 onion, 2 oz. of butter, 3 blades of mace, 1 bunch of sweet herbs, 1/4 oz. of peppercorns, salt to taste, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 1/4 pint of cream, 2 quarts of water.

Mode:- Wash the eels, cut them into thin slices, and put them in the stewpan with the butter; let them simmer for a few minutes, then pour the water to them, and add the onion, cut in thin slices, the herbs, mace, and seasoning. Simmer till the eels are tender, but do not break the fish. Take them out carefully, mix the flour smoothly to a batter with the cream, bring it to a boil, pour over the eels, and serve.

Time. 1 hour, or rather more. 

Note. This soup may be flavoured differently by omitting the cream, and adding a little ketchup.

Lobster soup.
————-

Ingredients. 3 large lobsters, or 6 small ones; the crumb of a French roll, 2 anchovies, 1 onion, 1 small bunch of sweet herbs, 1 strip of lemon-peel, 2 oz. of butter, a little nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of flour, 1 pint of cream, 1 pint of milk; forcemeat balls, mace, salt and pepper to taste, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 2 quarts of water.

Mode:- Pick the meat from the lobsters, and beat the fins, chine, and small claws in a mortar, previously taking away the brown fin and the bag in the head. Put it in a stewpan, with the crumb of the roll, anchovies, onions, herbs, lemon-peel, and the water; simmer gently till all the goodness is extracted, and strain it off. Pound the spawn in a mortar, with the butter, nutmeg, and flour, and mix with it the cream and milk. Give one boil up, at the same time adding the tails cut in pieces. Make the forcemeat balls with the remainder of the lobster, seasoned with mace, pepper, and salt, adding a little flour, and a few bread crumbs; moisten them with the egg, heat them in the soup, and serve.

Time. 2 hours, or rather more. 

Oyster soup -1.
————-

Ingredients:- 6 dozen of oysters, 2 quarts of white stock, 1/2 pint of cream, 2 oz. of butter, 1-1/2 oz. of flour; salt, cayenne, and mace to taste.

Mode:- Scald the oysters in their own liquor; take them out, beard them, and put them in a tureen. Take a pint of the stock, put in the beards and the liquor, which must be carefully strained, and simmer for 1/2 an hour. Take it off the fire, strain it again, and add the remainder of the stock with the seasoning and mace. Bring it to a boil, add the thickening of butter and flour, simmer for 5 minutes, stir in the boiling cream, pour it over the oysters, and serve.

Time. 1 hour. 

Note. This soup can be made less rich by using milk instead of cream, and thickening with arrowroot instead of butter and flour.

Oyster soup -2
————–

Ingredients:- 2 quarts of good mutton broth, 6 dozen oysters, 2 oz. butter, 1 oz. of flour.

Mode:- Beard the oysters, and scald them in their own liquor; then add it, well strained, to the broth; thicken with the butter and flour, and simmer for 1/4 of an hour. Put in the oysters, stir well, but do not let it boil, and serve very hot.

Time. 3/4 hour. 

Prawn soup.
———–

Ingredients:- 2 quarts of fish stock or water, 2 pints of prawns, the crumbs of a French roll, anchovy sauce or mushroom ketchup to taste, 1 blade of mace, 1 pint of vinegar, a little lemon-juice.

Mode:- Pick out the tails of the prawns, put the bodies in a stewpan with 1 blade of mace, 1/2 pint of vinegar, and the same quantity of water; stew them for 1/4 hour, and strain off the liquor. Put the fish stock or water into a stewpan; add the strained liquor, pound the prawns with the crumb of a roll moistened with a little of the soup, rub them through a tammy, and mix them by degrees with the soup; add ketchup or anchovy sauce to taste, with a little lemon-juice. When it is well cooked, put in a few picked prawns; let them get thoroughly hot, and serve. If not thick enough, put in a little butter and flour.

Time. 1 hour.

Gourmet coffee drinkers go to great lengths to obtain the ‘perfect’ coffee bean grinder to pair to their coffee maker. Whether in a commercial establishment or the home kitchen, the grind of coffee beans is crucial to a flavorful cup of coffee. Of the many features of that perfect grinder, the following five may help the connoisseur determine the best grinder to suit their needs.

Due to the growing popularity of designer coffee bars, today’s generation is growing up drinking coffee instead of breakfast, with lunch, from vending machines at work, in conference rooms, and getting it free at grocery stores. With so much to compare it to, the home kitchen must now include a state of the art appliance for grinding beans for designer brews and espresso.

Burrs vs. Blades

The efficiency of a coffee maker depends on the design of the grinder and its capabilities. Less expensive blade grinders are often the choice of the average household. They can grind coffee beans adequately and, like little windmills, they keep on spinning and grinding until they get turned off. The always-late–out-the-door types who only get that ‘one big gulp’ before dashing off to work usually see no need for elaborate grinders when they live off the brewed coffee at work.

In both cost and performance, burr grinders would be considered an upgrade from residential blade grinders because of the heavier-duty mechanisms and precision operation. Burr grinders also last longer, often because they only grind the coffee once (and do it right) before dropping it into the storage hopper. Unlike the constant contact a blade grinder experiences with the entire quantity of coffee beans being ground, any wear on a burr grinder happens during the relatively brief grinding session on the small amount of beans allowed between the burrs at one time.

Conical burr grinders provide the highest consistency grind, and one that many dedicated coffee consumers insist on for their ‘perfect cup’. While cost is an issue, few smart consumers would compromise here. The undisputed choice for a durable coffee grinder is a burr grinder.

Cost

The cost of a mid-priced blade grinder averages $20-$49, while burr grinder prices start high and end higher. Burr grinders may have flat or conical burrs, with conical burrs being preferred because the RPM speed is variable and can be lowered to retain the bean flavor without burning, making the grinding precise, quieter, and cleaner. The low speed keeps down the heat from grinding friction that can steal the taste and aroma of the coffee.

Bean Storage

Commercial coffee grinders and high-end residential ones offer a feature not found in the smaller grinders, and that is a larger hopper for ground bean storage. A coffee bean grinder with a hopper that can store at least eight ounces of beans for an entire day’s coffee needs is a convenient plus. Another consideration is the static electricity that burrs generate when grinding, causing grounds to cling to the interior of the hopper. Some brands offer glass parts instead, making static electricity less of a nuisance.  The brand of coffee however has much to do with static.  Using a dry roasted (less oily) brand such as Lavazza or Gaggia will help to reduce static.

Housing

Heavy duty construction and classic contemporary styling is expected of commercial burr grinders, which may last for 10-15 years with only occasional replacement of the burrs. Manufacturers have extended this to their residential models as well, with housings made of the same cast metal or stainless steel. Many commercial manufacturers such as Rancilio and Mazzer, now compete with Gaggia, having branched out into the residential market as well, with the high quality small-to-medium sized Mazzer Mini, and Rancilio’s slightly smaller version of their commercial burr grinders, the Rancilio ‘Rocky’, for families of consumers with multi-cup latte or cappuchino habits.

Options

A burr grinder needs a stronger motor, and thus also has a larger footprint, than a blade grinder. Manual grinders with smaller footprints are also available, but are less popular than electric versions. Burr grinders require some cleaning and maintenance than the wipe-down blade grinders, usually requiring some a certain amount of disassembly and cleaning with picks and a brush.

In addition, different brands offer from 10 to over 50 different grind options, from coarse to very fine. Brand warranties vary, with some Rancilio retailers offering a 2-year complete parts and labor warranty and unlimited toll-free telephone technical support.

For a small price increase, some grinder brands offer dosers for extra convenience for the avid espresso drinker. Good quality espresso burr grinders can be purchased from just under $100 to almost $700 for the most expensive brand with all the bells and whistles. Mid-price residential brands with near-commercial quality would include the Rancilio ‘Rocky’ at about $350, or the Gaggia MDF for a little under $300.  Commercial grinders can range from $500 to over $3,000.