Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-10

EtlAG lsr[
$50 <SNez Emo other purpose than
lsS5-SE7Es Sto find pleasure in
H s. -E%t z5ESnew a n d shifting
fRfHI o - - sights. Long ago
H AHfl fSGJA ESe5qo- exhausted the novel
=.zs--=--Ef1fiiIl = siyu ties of the big cities
of all lands. and then took to stopping in
nv Journeys whenever and wherever the
whim seized me. That is the reason why
came upon, and participated in, the events
which have set my pen to writing out.
In New York read a newspaper para
graph about the building of church in
Montreal after the model of cathedral in
Madrid. and within few hours | started
toward the Canadian city. There are two di-
rect and rapid routes in common use for
through traffic, but choose to take slower
and less usual journey midway between the
better and swifter lines. 1 had traversed
two or three connecting railroads, and had
spent eight or nine hours in going 16O miles,
when a signboard fixed nv Spanish eyes in
terestedly. am so much OF a cosmS 'olItan
that three or four languages are quite as apt
to my utterance and my vision as my native
one. Yet when saw ''Olla Podrida" let
tered on the front of q small house near the
station at Hoosac, was positively thrilled
bv the naming of Spain's national dish in
rural New York, and 1 hastily decided to,
visit the premises.
The restaurant had not prosperously in
troduced the ola podrida to Americans, for
the establishment was a crude, cheap eating
place, although neat enough. But Moa
Barrios was there, and alter visitor got
sight of her the rest of the things IN the
house were not much considered. l saw IN
stantly that Spanish blood eoursed through .
her veins. She was tall, Hobly formed, and
beautiful. Her foot caressed the earth when
she trod, one might have poured water under
the arcbed instep. Her hands were small,
though hardened with work. The chestnut
ewes with the golden tinge, the chestnut
eurls with the sunbeams they imprisoned,
the pearly teeth, the scarlet lips, were all
careless in their loYelineSs. But the features
were straight, and the level brows had lost
their childish curves; and her voice was
deem and full, like that of a born queen.
Her blue bodice held her 1.-the figure like an
embrace. Folds of white linen, enclosed her
softlv-heaving bosom.
What was Moa Barrios? Merely q girl
of twenty-five, who helped the Widow Daw-
ers and her son Albert to keep the little
makeshift inn to which the placard "OIla
Podrida'' had brought me.
so. I'm Spanish only in name and par
entage." she said to me, when asked
Questions about herself. my father and
mother came from Spain, but was born in
this country and was left an orphan in
childhood. 1 don't even know a hundred
works of nv mothers language
k,"And two of them are ola podrida'?'' 1
suggested.
ayes"
"And do YOU know how to cook the
dish?"
eyes; for we used to eat it when nv
mother was alive, and l remembered how to
make it-after fashion. When came to
work here, cheap and palatable specially
was desired, and produced it.
So this Spanish princess OF my discovery
was c.aly a menial cook. expressed my
surprise at that.
so. I'm sort of partner" she smilingly
explained And it is only for a month
longer, anyhow. 1 am to marry Albert
Dawers, and we are to go to farming by our
selves"
'sThat seems more like what you are fitted
for, ana yet not all you desire. You are
fairly schOOled-yOu are intelligent-you
are beautiful"
had presumed upon my age to pay
broad compliment, but blaze of red in her
CneekS ana a HASH Oh Ia uGE eyes stopped
me. Her emotion was hardly anger, for in
a moment she calmly said: 'I have had
enough of trying to rise in the world. We
won't talk about me. Are you going to stay
to supper, and over night? This isn't SO
much of a hotel that we can properly care
fer YOU unwarned."
1 Ianswered thar would like to be fed
and lodged Then 1 lounged out on a
veraGda, which adjoined the bit of bar
room, and found the saloon part of the
premises shut. Only in the long winter
evenings did the bibulous neighbors con-
gregate therein. At this summer season the
interval between their field work and their
bedtime was too brief to permit OF soeiabilitv.
Therefore the business of the house consisted
of selling chance meals and lodgings to
travellers The Widow Dawers explained
this to me, in a somewhat surly manner, and
left me to prepare bedroom for nov occu-
pancv- Then Moa came to ask whether
would prefer bacon and eggs or fried
sausages for supper.
Neither" said 1. "Give me ola
podrida."
) Does my reader know what that is? The
ola podrida or national hot-pot, ordinarily
eaten every day by the Spaniards in every
part of Spain, is reallymore OF dinner than
a dish. and, therefore, many eat nothing else.
Spanish cookery is reported by your travel
ers, who have roughed it in the Sierras, to be
nothing but a question of sufficient grease;
and truly they mix things trifie too much
and season too highly for other than man
ner-born tastes. A little good will is highly
necessary to habituate oneself to certain
sauces and gravies peculiar to Spanish
kitchens, and l am foreigner to nv native
land in that respect. As economically made,
a large piece of boiled meat generally forms
the center of the dish. Around it are the
wings of fowl, ehorizo or two, Fat bacon,
vegetables and ham under it. Over the
meat and in all spare corners are garbanzos
(peas) Such is the ordinary ola, but every
family modifes it according to their purse.
The poor man is content with meat and
chick-peas, the gentleman adds to it various
delicacies. Upon questioning Moa found
that she habitually omitted the essentially
Spanish ingredients, and really produced a
slight variation of what you Americans call
a chicken stew.
''Won't that suit you?" she asked.
"No," 1 answered, whimsically deter
mined to taste the Spanish dish once more
in its best formation. LET us get up the
genuine thing. will help you"
"All right" she responded, 'if Albert
and Mamma Dawers will assist"
Albert Dawers was there at that instant to
reply for himself. He was a big and
brawny Young man, heated and tired from a
day of having, but good looking and amia-
bic. He entered into the project with
spirit, despite his fatigue. But when 1 in
sisted that the ola podrida should be of an
elaborately correct description, requiring
several hours to manufacture, it was decided
to time it late in the evening, and ask few
of the Young couples friends to keep their
appetite for 1t.
We had a merry time at the work Upon
IL