Mexican Sauce—Σάλτσα Μεξικανική

This recipe comes from the 1917 Greek-language cookbook 'Megale amerikanike mageirike...' published in New York for the Greek-American community. It reflects the intersection of Greek tastes with American and international (in this case, 'Mexican') recipes, as experienced by immigrants adapting to new culinary landscapes. The book aimed to make American cooking accessible to Greek speakers, sometimes introducing non-traditional flavors labeled broadly—here, 'Mexican' likely suggests a dish with peppers and paprika, evoking a sense of exoticism for the early 20th-century reader. At the time, paprika was becoming popular in Greek and American cuisine, and bell peppers were increasingly available in urban immigrant markets. Refrigeration ('pagoniéra') was a novelty for home cooks, pointing to shifts in kitchen technology and food preservation.

Back in 1917, cooks would have used a sharp kitchen knife and a sturdy wooden cutting board to chop the vegetables very finely. The squeezing step would have been done with a clean cotton kitchen towel, or perhaps muslin, to extract excess moisture. The final mixture would be chilled in an icebox or early mechanical refrigerator (pagoniéra)—a sign of modernity in the kitchen. Simple mixing bowls and spoons would complete the setup.