MIDDLE COURSE DRINKS

Coup de Mlllieu.

From earliest Creole days no ele- gant dinner or luncheon or supper was considered complete without a "Coup de Millieu," or a middle course consisting of a form of iced sherbet or punch, into which fruit juices or fancy liqueurs were added. As the name "Coup de Millieu" indicates, these fancy punches were brought to the table in the middle of the feast, just before the roasts were served. The custom was a survival of the ancient French and Spanish usage, that in our day has been adopted by all leading northern caterers. The following are the most famous "Coup de Millieus," the recipes for which are traaaional among the old Cre- ole families of New Orleans. The "Coup de Millieu" is always frozen, but it must be remembered that it is never possible to freeze it entirely, on account of the alcohol in the liq- uors that enter into its composition.

C ardinal Punch.

Ponche Cardinal.

4 Fine Louisiana Oranjres.

1 Hnt of the Best Claret or Any Pine Keil

1 Pint of Old Port Wine.

1 Pint of Water.

2 Tableapoonfuls of Cloves. 1 Pint of Gelatine or the Whites of 10

Eggs, Beaten to a Froth.

2 Pounds of White Susar. 3 Tabl'espoonfulB of Raspberry Juice or a

Pew Drors of Cocbl4cal.

Select fine Louisiana oranges, when in season, otherwise fine, ripe or- anges. Set them on a plate in the oven, and let them bake till very ten-, der, without letting the juice exude. Make a boiling syrup of the sugar, water and the cloves. Drop the roasted oranges into the syrup, add a pint of the best Claret or any good, red wine, and set the mixture to cool, letting the oranges steep in' the wine and syrup. When it grows cold, cut the oranges and press out all the juice, mashing them into the steeped, syrup, and then strain all through a fine sieve into the ice cream freezer. Now add the gelatine (Calf's Foot Jelly) or the whites of ten eggs, beaten to a stiff froth. Stir well and add the raspberry juice, if raspberries are in season, other- wise color with a few drops of Coch- ineal, so that the punch will be of a bright cardinal color. Cover im- mediately and set to freeze as hard as possible for three or four min- utes. Then take a wooden spoon and detach the frozen punch from the bottom, mix in with the inner liquid mixture, and cover and freeze again" for three or four minutes. Repeat this four or five times. Serve in punch glasses.

A simpler and quicker way of mak- ing this punch is to prepare a Rasp- berry Sherbet, using half the quan- tity of ingredients, given. (See re- cipe.) Strain this preparation through a sieve into a freezer, and add a half a gill of red Curagoa and half a gill of • Maraschino; cover the freezer and proceed to freeze ac- cording to general directions given above. Serve in punch glasses. This is _ a very pleasant middle course drink, but the first recipe given is the true Cardinal Punch, and there is no comparison between this and the latter, or more simple recipe.

Cardinal Punch is an old-time Cre- ole punch. The French used to make a famous spiced wine, which they called "Vin de I'Eveque," or "Bish- op's Wine." When the spiced wine was made of Claret, it was called "Vin de Cardinale," or "Car^Jinal's Wine." These wines were served during the feast. The "Coup de Mil- lieu," or the frozen punches, are survivals of the old French custom of serving spiced wines, and "Ponche a. la Cardinale" is a survival of the ancient "Vlp k la Cardinale." The Creoles adapted oranges to the punch,, baking them to better extract all

the juices, and steeping- them in Wine and adding the touch of Coch- ineal to obtain brilliancy of color- ing and still further to car.ry out the Idea of a Cardinal's colors.

Creole Puncli.

Ponclie a, la Creole.

3 Cupfuls of Orange Juice.

■ 1 Cupful of Water."

1 Cupful of Fine Old Port Wine.

% Cupful of Bi-anaj". '

2 Small Cupfula of Suaar.

2 Hipe, Delicate-Skinned Lemons.

Wash the lemons and dry, and then Slice them very thin, without grating or squeezing into a bowl. Take the sugar and water and make a boiling syrup, and pour over the lemons, and let the whole mixture cool. Then add the orange juice. Take out the slices of lemon, and save them for later use. Strain the punc^ into an ice cream freezer, add the slices of lemon and liqueurs, and fneeze as hard as possible for three or four minutes. Then take a wooden .spoon and detach the frozen punch from the sides of the freezer and from the bottom, mix in with the inner liq- uid mixture, and cover and freeze again for three or four minutes, feepeat this four or five times. Serve in punch glasses.

Frozen Champagne Punch.

Ponche Glac6 au yin de Champagne. 6 Lemons. 2 Oranaes. 1 Pound of White Powdered Sugar, r 1 Pint of Water.

% Pint of Champagne. Vi Gill of Brandy.

Extract all thd juice from the oranges and lemons. Dissolve the sugar in bailing water, and when cold add the juice. Freeze very hard for four or five minutes, and when firm add the liquors, turning long enough to mix weU, and then pro- ceed to freeze as in Creole Punch. (See recipe.) Serve in punch glasses.

The above recipe may be varied by adding any fruit juiceS in sea- son, always, as in Strawberry Punch, putting in two dozen or more whole stemmed berries for the above quan- tities of ingredients.

Imperial Punch.

Ponche a, I'Imperial. , 1 Kipe Pineapple.

4 Oranges. 2 Pounds of Sugar.

The Finely-Grated Zest of 2 Lemons.

1 Pint Equal Parts of Maraschino, Noyeau,

■ Kirsch and Curaeoa.

1 Grated Nutmeg. 1 Pint of Champagne. . The Whites of 8 Eggs. 3 . Pints of Water.

Make a syrup of the water and ths sfyrup. Peel and grate the pineap-

ple very fine. Grate the zeat of two lemons very fine, and mix -vyith the pineapple. Add the juices of the oranges and lemons. Mix thorough- ly, and pour over all the boiling syrup. . Let it stand till cold. Then strain through a fine sieve into the Ice crdam freezer, pressing out all the Juice of the pineapple as you strain. Whip the whites of the eggs to a stifle froth, and add, mixing well. Add the liqueurs, ' stir "well, and then proceed to freeze as in "Creole Punch." When you ha^^e de- tached the frozen nunch from the sides and bottom of the freezer tot the third time, add the champagne. Let it continue freezing for several turns more, and serve immediately in punch glasses.

Kirsch Punch.

Ponche au Kirsch.

1 Dozen' Fine Louisiaua Oranges.

1 Gill of Kirsch.

2 Tablespoonfuls of Pineapple Syrup.

■2 Lemons. 2 Dozen- Strawberries.'

Take fine, fresh Louisiana orai^ges,

and press out all the juice, and mash

the pulp and etrain through a sieve.

To each pint of juice allow one gill

of Kirsch and two of the juice of two

lemons. Sweeten to taste. Flavor

with Pineapple Syrup, add whole

strawberries when in season, and

freeze as in Creole Punch. Serve in

Louisiana Punch.

Ponche a la Louisianaise.

The Juice of 1 Large Louisiana Orange.

The Juice of 4 Lemons.

% Pound of Pulverized Sugar.

14 Pint of Water.

1 Gill of Kirsch. 1 Gill of Fine Kum.

1 Gill of Champagne. Put the sugar into a bowl and squeeze over the juices of the orange and lemons. Mix well till all the sugar is impregnated with the juices. Add a half- pint of cold water, and then add the Kirsch, and stir for five or six minutes. Strain all through a fine sieve into the ice cream freezer. Then remove the sieve and pour into the freezer the rum and champagne. Cover well, and let the mixture freeze for about five minutes. Then remove the cover and detach the mixture from the sides and bottom, and cover again and proceed as in "Ponche a la Cre- ole." (See recipe.) Serve in punch glasses.

Roman Punch. Ponche. a. la Romaine. 1 Quart of Lemon Sherbet.

14 Pint of Champagne. ^ Pint of Jamaica Rum.

1 Gill of Maraschino. 1 Teaspoonful of -Vanilla. Make a Lemon, Sherbet, and freeze it very hard. Then add the liquors'

slowly, and beat well. Turn into a freezer, pack and cover it well, and let it stand for four or five hours. The punch will not freeze perfectly on account of the alcohol. The cor- rect way to serve it is in a rather liquid state, in glasses.

Or take half a pint of lemon juice, the zest of two lemons, grated on sugar, one pint of rum, one and a half pints of brandy, two quarts of water, and three pounds of sugar, and freeze as above. This is a cheaper recipe.

Still another way to make this punch is to take the juice of eight lemons and five oranges, three pints of sugar, and three pints of water. Add onei wineglassful of Jamaica rum, and two of Champagne, an(J the whites of three eggs, beaten to a froth. Freeze and serve in glasses.

Royal Sherbet.

Sorbet a. la Royale.

1 Dozen Fine Louisiana Oranges. 2 Tablespoonfula of Branfly.

2 TablespooDfuls of Orange Syrnp.

Take fine, fresh Louisiana oranges, and press out all juice, and mash the pulp and strain through a sieve. To each pint of juice allow two ta- blespbonfuls of brandy and two of orange syrup. Sweeten to taste and freeze and serve according to the di- rections given for Creole Punch.