Crab Louis; Plantain Chips

Bapopik at AOL.COM Bapopik at AOL.COM
Thu Feb 22 04:27:44 UTC 2001


   I'm in the Columbia Library after closing hours, and don't have my Mariani handy for these two items.
   Wonderful stuff from DRIVE-IN FAST SERVICE/DINER/DINER AND COUNTER RESTAURANT/DINER AND RESTAURANT/DINER, DRIVE-IN AND RESTAURANT/DINER, DRIVE-IN/DRIVE IN MANAGEMENT tomorrow, plus SODA FOUNTAIN/FAST FOOD.  Some periodicals just can't decide on a name.

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CRAB LOUIS

   Not in the OED.
   From Clementine Paddleford's column in the NEW YORK HERALD-TRIBUNE, 6 July 1960, pg. 18, col. 2:

_Crab Louis_
   Enthusing over Crab Louis (Col. 3--ed.) as it is served in San Francisco, we speculated a bit as to its invention and stated it was served in the city as early as 1914.  Reader Mrs. George Pettingill, of Old Lyme, Conn., writes to tell the origin of the dish and something of the date.   Here is her letter:  "The Olympic Club of Seattle hired a French chef, whose last name I have forgotten, but whose given name was Louis.  He became more than enthusiastic over the large, sweet Dungeness Crabs of Puget Sound and he invented this dish, which so pleased the members of the Olympic Club that they named it Crab Louis.
   "Now as to dates, I was married in January, 1909, (Col. 4--ed.) and while my husband's bachelor dinner was given at the University Club, my father insisted that the first course be Crab Louis, which he had sent up from the Olympic Club.  Years before 1909 all the great actors and actresses and the Metropolitan Opera Co. played Seattle for at least one week.  One of the treats they raved over  was the club's Crab Louis.  When I was a girl there was almost a legend as to the amount of Crab Louis that Caruso ate, so I would hazard that it was first served either about 1904 or 1905.
   "Louis also invented a marvelous way of panning the small Olympic oysters in copper ramekins, but I (Col. 5--ed.) imagine this has gone by the board since Blue Points were grown and people scorned the little coppery bivalves that were native.  This is by way of an accolade to Louis and the fact that my family have always enjoyed good food and I have colected recipes all over the world."

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PLANTAIN CHIPS

   Also not in the OED.
   From the NEW YORK HERALD-TRIBUNE, 19 July 1960, pg. 18, col. 2:

_Plaintain Chip Is Snack From Puerto Rico_
By Clementine Paddleford
   Chiquita Banana has a cousin in town, one newly arrived.  The name is Cachita but quite a different doll, really a member of Plantain side of the house.  Cachita's Banana Chips are made fresh from the tree-ripened plantains, thinly sliced, deep fat fried, slightly salted, packed in vacuum tins, the newest cocktail snack in the city delicacy shops.  Plantain Chips are not new of course, but few have ever come to the States and always before these have been poorly packaged, apt to go soft, apt to go rancid.
   We met Plantain Chips for the first time during the World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, being sold at the Brazilian pavilion.  (1939-1940--ed.)  The new product is prepared in Puerto Rico, developed by an exacting process under the supervision of the Rio Piedras Experimental Station of the U. S. F. D. A.
   The product is made by the Arbona Food Corporation of Ponce. (...)



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