An Oriental Punch Bowl and A Cocoa Soda

Today is National Iced Tea Day and National Black Cow Day, and of course I didn’t want to let that go by unacknowledged. Especially since my first non ma-da type words were “iced tea.” (This is quite true, and there are home movies of me being extremely interested in and attempting to hoist and drink a large glass of iced tea, at about 18 months old, circa 1964). A Black Cow soda is root beer or cola with vanilla ice cream and sometimes added chocolate syrup.

I tried to find some interesting recipes and found them in Everyday Cooking For India and Pakistan (1963), by Betty E. Norris (Mrs. R. Pastakia) - a lovely book full of good things. The Cocoa Soda and the Oriental Punch Bowl are nice variations on regular iced tea and ordinary ice cream sodas, respectively.

ORIENTAL PUNCH BOWL

1 Cup Hot Tea
2 Cups orange juice
1/2 Cup grape juice
1 Lemon
3 Whole Cloves
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup water

1. Slice the lemon into strips and place in the pitcher.
2. Add the cloves, sugar and hot tea. Chill.
3. Strain and add chilled grape juice, orange juice and water.
4. Serve cold.

COCOA SODA

Cocoa
1 Cup milk
Soda water

1. Prepare Cocoa as in [Recipe] No. 808.
2. Add half as much soda water. Chill.
3. Servve in tall glasses with scoops of chocolate ice-cream on top.

Recipe No. 808: DRINKING CHOCOLATE

2 Tablespoons cocoa
2 Cups milk
Sugar to taste

1. Mix the cocoa with a little of the milk. Stir until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into a saucepan, add sugar and the remainder of the milk and bring to the boil.
3. Serve very hot.

I would have been trying to drink these too, if we had had them out on Long island in 1964! Actually, the Cocoa Soda does remind me of that New York City delicacy, the egg cream (which consists of milk and chocolate syrup, pelted with a blast of seltzer water until an egg-white-like head forms at the top, hence the name).

The beautiful 18th century picture is from Wikimedia Commons. There seems to be some beverage preparation going on down at the bottom.

The Picture Of Dorothy Gray

I could not resist sharing this one with you – this is the Dorothy Gray ad I was going to post yesterday when i got distracted by those pot holders. Am better now [puts pot holders firmly out of mind].

Anyway…

It is not a long journey from the absorption of skin cream - or rather, Masque Frappé – to self-absorption. Witness that look on this dame’s face (and check that satin lounge-coat, or whatever she’s wearing to sit around the house). But what really appeals to me is the letter. Poor Nathalie, the long-suffering friend, has this to look forward to in her mail-box:

280 Park Avenue [note the brackets here, as if emphasizing the fancy-shmancy address; note that Dorothy G. boasts, at the bottom, of her Fifth Avenue Salon - location, location, location!]

Dearest Nathalie,

The Simms’ party last night was wonderful. Am so pleased with mself for having been using Dorothy Gray Extra Rich Skin Cream regularly – and Dorothy Gray Masque Frappé just before I dressed…Jeff said being with me made him the envy of every man there (so silly but I love it)…

Too right you love it. Nathalie, probably not so much, though. Not that she’ll ever say anything. Nathalie is just waiting it out. Soon she’ll be using that Frappé stuff herself, and lose the glasses – and then we’ll see who Jeff is taking out on the town!

It’s like a whole movie concept in one little ad. Nathalie will be played by Bette Davis, possibly. This lady has more of a Joan Crawford vibe about her, don’t you think?

Who do you think should play these two Dorothy Grey fiends? What about poor old Jeff?

Oh, and we must have a title. Let me see…How about The Picture of Dorothy Gray – one gal uses the skin cream and the other one gets – how does the ad put it “dry, parched skin…weather-dried complexion…flaky roughness.”

280 Fifth Avenue is here, at 30th Street. Not too bad, but not exactly the palazzo that the letter writer seems to imply.