Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-31
FILIPINO HOUSEKEEPING.
simplicity Of Their Culinary Art Al
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simplicity of Their Culinary Art Adj
n;ircd by aH American
housekeeping in the Philippines writes
a Brooklyn woman to her mother, lis simply
a joy. have never lived so well or so
cheaply in all my life. l have learned a lot
since l started housekeeping, but it cost
something before l got the hang Of things.
l first rid myself Of the horde OF worthless
Filipino servants, who rob newcomers right
and left, and then installed a Chinese cook
for $3.50 a month, and the house runs itself.
There is not much work in a tropical
household, no stuffed furniture or carpets,
no lace or other kind OF curtains, but
painted. flexible screens attached to the win
dows. Everything is on one floor, the furni-
turc is rattan bamboo and the kitchen uten-
sils are simplicity itself. The climate IS
healthful, although the sanitary conditions
are extremely bad. We are all falling into
the lethargic condition which seems the
chronic state of the natives. | take long
maps all the afternoon. At I o'clock we dine.
There is not much calling in the evening, as
the curfew is still in force, clearing the
streets at $50 p. m. The evenings are per-
feet, but we get sleepy and are usually in
bed by 0 o'clock.
Fruits grow here in great abundance.
The bananas are the most delicious to be
found anywhere. This fruit is a great boon
to the poor people, supplying them with an
exceedingly nutritious article of food at
little cost. Other fruits Of the islands are
the ate the cinnamon apple of the French
colonies), the mangosteen, the mango, the
pineapple, the tamarind, the orange, the
lemon, the jack, the jujube, the lichti Cthe
king Of fruits, according to the Chinese),
the plum, the chicomamey, the bread fruit
and the papaw. This last fruit is eaten like
a lemon and is said to act as an eflcacious
digestive.
when 1 see the india rubber trees,
twenty-five feet or more in height, growing
in the yards here. their stiff, brilliant green
leaves glistening in the sun, | laugh to think
Of the little box plants we used to keep in
ou.' windows at home in the winter, be-
cause they were the only growing thing that
could stand the united attack Of dust, neglect
and coal gas.
Rice is the staple food of the Filipinos.
Sixty pounds Of rice at . cents a pound is
all the food a servant asks for. Sweet pota-
toes, a kind Of yam, the ground nut and
gourds are pretty generally grown, as well
as occasionally peas, potatoes and in the
higher regions even wheat. Besides the cul-
~tivation OF rice, the Tagals are great fish
ers and keep cattle, swine and vast numbers
of poultry. The latter run around under the
houses, which stand up four or FIVE feet from
the ground and are latticed off with split
bamboo.
81 never get tired watching the simple
primitive methods of Filipino housekeeping,
for their processes are carried On before the
ewes of all men. The men themselves do The
largest part of the hard work, while the
women perch on the lodder-like steps that
lead into their houses and look on. All the
cooking is done out OF doors and usually on
the ground, Their little stoves or red clay
are hardly as large as the iron pots we have
at home. one side is bent down like a prim-
tive hearth and tho fire is kept going by
long tubes which the men blow through in
stead of using bellows, On this funny little
apology for a stove they cook their rice or
chocolate, stirring the latter with carved
sticks. which they twirl between their palms
10 keep the beverage from sticking. Often
they do not use the stove at all, but make n
fire right on the ground, between two stones,