The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-02-16
Housekeeping in the City of Mexico

Housekeeping is attended with 8
good many perpleXities here, when
judged by ou" standard. In the first
place "a maid of all work" is a thing
unknown. The houses are all built
with an open court in the center. This
court or patio is paved, and often con,
tains Il little fountain, surrounded by
bed Of flowers. Surrounding this
court on the lower floor are the ser.
wants rooms and the stables for the
horses. A porter is a necessity. He
has charge of the great front door,
sweeps the court, trims the lamps, runs
the errands, and waters tie street in
front of the house. He is paid three
dollars per week and "finds himself.
A cook is the next necessary servant.
She is paid two dollars per week. She
is expected to do the family marketing,
as it is not considered proper for the
mistress to do it. The bread is all
bought at the bakeries, and the wash
ing is also an extra, and is done at the
public tanks. A chambermaid is also
considered necessary, but in small
families, she is willing to wait on the
table. Her wages are the same as the
cooks. Wealthy families have great
number of servants, each child having
separate nurse. All cooking is done
over small charcoal stoves. As Mexico
stretches over three zones, fruits and
vegetables of all kinds can always be
obtained, The market place is south
of the national palace. Here you see
men. women and children, sitting Oh
the flags of the market place, with
fruits and vegetables spread out
around them. Fruits are very cheap.
A fine pine apple can be obtained fol-
a media C cents). Bananas are ten
cents a dozen. Muskmelons cost one
real Q24 cents) for three. Lines,
lemons and oranges are plentiful and
cheap. Beef is plentiful and good, but
the mutton is superior, while pork is
scarce and dear. There are some ex
cellent fish brought from the gulf Of
Mexico. Groceries are very high.
Tea is $3.50 per pound. Good butter
is one dollar per pound. Milk is q
cents per quart, and sugar II cents .
pound, although native product.
The best coffee in the world is
raised here, and can be bought for &C
cents pound. The chocolate is very
line, but it is all favored with CHINA.
mon.
The vegetables are raised on the.
''chnapas,' or floating gardens, and
brought to the city by tue Vega canal.
Flowers are raised in great profusion,
and are cheaper than anywhere else on
earth. ] bought bouquet containing
go roses for three reals, OF 81 cents.
The restaurants here are very good.
but they have way of cooking onions
with all other vegetables that is not
paiatable to an American palate. The
common people live almost on tOrtiiidS
and JfyOleS. The tOrtitids are some
thing like our griddle cakes. They
are made of corn we'll ground between
flat stones. 1t is then mixed with
water and rolled out fiat A small
piece is pinched off, ''spatted" from
one hand to the other until it is of the
right shape, then quickly fried on
small iron, placed over a pan of char
coal. Tney are sometimes served with
a sauce made of red pepper, lard,
onions and cheese. They are then
called 'tomales. FrYoleS taste not
unlike warmed over baked beans.
They take lar"e brown beans, boil
them until quite soft, then take a
spoonful and put i'll frying pan with
a spoonful of olive oil, and salt and
pepper to taste. As soon as they are
well Drowned on one side they turn
and brown the other side. Another
national dish is "El Pulchero." This
is something like our boiled dinner.
Tne vegetables boiled with the beef
are usually cabbage, potatoes and
beans OF peas. They are all served on
the same dish with the meat in the
center. Another quite palatable dis
is mole, which is chicken chopped up
and served with sauce composed
lagely of chill, sort of red pepper
&C. r. ~, IN Good Housekeeping.