Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-03-08
Housekeeping in the city Of Mexico.

Housekeeping is attended with a
good many perpleXit.cS exc, when
judged by our 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 puito is paved, and often con.
tains little fountain, surrounded by
bed of flOu ers. Surrounding this
court on the lower floor are the ser.
wants rooms and the stables for the
horses. A porter is necessity. He
has charge of TIE 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 ''iinds 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. 4 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
a 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 soutf
Of the national palace. Here you sec
men, women aud children, sitting or
the flags of the market place, witt
fruits and vegetables spread out
around them. Fruits are very cheap.
A fine pine apple can be obtained for
media C ccnts(. Bananas are ter
cents dozen. Muskmelons cost one
real Q2I cen:s) for three. Lines.
lemons and oranges are plentiful and
cheap. Beef is plentiful and good, but
the mutton is superior. whilc pork Is
scarce and dear. There arc some ex
cellent fish brought from the gulf OF
Mexico. Groceries are very high.
Tea is 81. 80 per pound. Good butter
is one dollar per pound. Milk is 2C
cents per quart, and sugar II cents .
pound, although Il native product
The best coffee in the world is
raised here, and can be bought for &C
cents pound. The chocolate is very
fine, but it is all favored with CHINA
mon.
The vegetables are raised on the
"chinapas." or floating gardens, and
brought to the city by t Vega canal.
Flowers are raised in great profusion,
and are cheaper than anywhere else on
earth. bought 4 bouquet containing
| $50 roses for three rcdtS. or 81 cents.
The restaurants here are very good,
but they have a way of cooking onions
with all other vegetables that is not
| palatable to an American palate. The
common people live almost on tortiiias
and tIijoteS. The tOrtiiiaS are some.
thing like our griddlc cakes. They
are made of corn well ground between
fiat stones. 1t is then mixed with
water and rolled out fat. a small
piece is pinched off, "spatted" from
one hand to the other until it is of the
right shape, then quickly fried on q
small iron, placed over pan of char.
coal. They are sometimes served with
sauce made of red pepper, lard,
| onions and cheese. They are then
called ''tomalcs FrijoleS taste not
unlike warmed over baked beans.
! They take large brown beans, boil
them until quite soft, then take q
spoonful and put in a frying pan with
a spoonful of olive oil, aud salt and
pepper TO taste. As soon rs they are
well Drowned on one side they turn
and brown the other side. Another
national dish j. .'El Pulchcro." This
is something Ike our boiled dinner.
The vegetables boiled with the beef
are usually cabbage, potatoes and
beans or peas They are all served on
the same dish with the meat in the
center. Another quite palatable dish
is mole, which j. chicken chopped up
and served with a sauce composed
iagely of chill. sort OF red pepper
&C. r. H., IA Good Housekeeping.