Dream of the Rarebit Fiend He addressed religious leaders, alcoholism, homelessness, political speeches, suicide, fashion, and other topics, whereas his other strips were fantasy or had seemingly vague, timeless backgrounds. The strip referenced contemporary events such as the 1904 election of Theodore Roosevelt; the recently built Flatiron Building (1902) and St. Regis Hotel (1904) in New York City; and the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05. The rarebit is a dish typically made with rich cheese thinned with ale and served melted on toast with cayenne and mustard mixed in. McCay used it despite its innocuousness—cultural theorist Scott Bukatman states rarebit was not the sort of dish
Tongue toast instead of beef tongue. Tongue toast was also served as an hors d'oeuvre, prepared in a similar fashion to a French toast preparation, as a star-shaped appetizer stamped out of buttered toast with mustard butter added to it. Tongue toast Tongue toast is a traditional open sandwich prepared with sauteed beef tongue and scrambled eggs. It is seasoned to taste with black pepper and onions. The tongue was sometimes served on buttered toast with a poached egg instead of a scrambled one. While it was primarily prepared as a dish for breakfast, it was also eaten for lunch and dinner.