Media Noche (1929); Moro crab; Perritos Calientes

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Thu Jan 3 02:26:18 UTC 2002


MEDIA NOCHE (MIDNIGHT SANDWICH)

   Not in the OED.  Not in DARE.
   John Mariani's ENYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN FOOD & DRINK, without any dates or cites, has on page 154:

   A "Cuban sandwich" is a popular Cuban-American version made with pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, mayonnaise, pickles, and other condiments, while a "medianoche" (Spanish for "midnight") is served on an egg roll there.

   From HAVANA: THE MAGAZINE OF CUBA, 26 January 1929, pg. 29, col. 1:

   The frequent sight, "Hay Sandwich" doesn't spell dry indigestion.  It tells you that at that place you can buy a sandwich, right now.  Incidentally, the sandwich may be called a "media noche," which translates "midnight."  Try one of these soft buns layered with different cold cuts and cheese and pickles with the last bottle of beer before turning in, and see how well it has been named.

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MORO CRAB

   Not in the OED.  Isn't "M" being worked on????
   From HAVANA: THE MAGAZINE OF CUBA, 28 February 1930, pg. 16, col. 3:

THE GASTRONOMIC DELIGHT
   The Moro crab is perhaps the outstanding delight of Havana.  Of all the various sea foods that are to be found here it is the most distinctive--both in flavor and appearance.  Its claws, with their black marking, are highly decorative and unlike those of any other crabs in the world.  Its flavor is almost indescribable, its meat being sweeter and of a finer texture than the soft shell crabs of North America.

(More on the "Moro crab" when I type up a Cuban cookbook in perhaps a few minutes--ed.)

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PERRITOS CALIENTES (HOT DOG!)

   From HAVANA: THE MAGAZINE OF CUBA, 30 January 1930, pg. 62, col. 1:

   On the outskirts of Havana, near La Playa, is a cluster of hot-dog stands (they call them _perritos calientes_, i. e., hot puppies) ranged in a hollow square, with wooden tables where one can eat and drink.  This spot is a favorite assembly place for native orchestras and dancers, and all sorts of bizarre native musical instruments are to be seen there.

   From HAVANA: THE MAGAZINE OF CUBA, 28 February 1930, pg. 41, col. 3:

   Charles L. Feltman, who is reputed to have made America "hot dog minded," has returned to the states after an extended stay here.  Although he is said to have made millions in hot dogs--and probably millions of them--he maintains that his mammoth restaurant at Coney Island--"Feltman's"--is the big interest.  However the perritos calientes are not to be sneezed at, he will admit, and moreover if a person pins him down, he will tell what goes into those fat rascals.  Somehow or other, a hot dog seems sort of closer to you, friendlier, don't you think, if you know what has gone into him.



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