Off the Grid: Sally breaks down Paste BN's daily crossword, What's Cooking? (Freestyle)
There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! What's Cooking? (Freestyle)
Constructor: Lydia Roth
Editor: Anna Gundlach
Comments from Today’s Crossword Constructor
Lydia: Ah, the holidays! A season that for so many of us is centered around loved ones, celebration, and of course, food. Whether sharing a home-made meal is your love language or if the very mention of preparing a feast raises your stress levels, I hope you will find something to enjoy in this puzzle I've "cooked up" for you. I really loved playing around with this whimsical, swirly-shaped grid, and I hope you have just as much fun solving it. Happy holidays!
P.S. Here's Huxley helping bring in the groceries.
What I Learned from Today’s Puzzle
- SHE (23A: "___ of the Mountains" (Vivek Shraya novel)) I learned about Vivek Shraya from the June 29, 2024 puzzle, which used her book, I'm Afraid of Men (2018), to clue the word MEN. Her novel, SHE of the Mountains, was published in 2014. The lyrical novel intertwines a story of Hindu deities with that of a queer Hindu boy growing up in Canada.
Random Thoughts & Interesting Things
- STEAM (1A: Vapor from a freshly made baozi) Baozi, also known as bao, is a STEAMed yeast-leavened bun filled with a variety of savory or sweet fillings.
- EMMA (9A: "Easy A" actress Stone) In the 2010 movie Easy A, EMMA Stone plays the role of high school student, Olive Penderghast, who gets caught up in a web of lies.
- DAN (24A: "Schitt's Creek" actor Levy) Schitt's Creek is a TV series about a formerly wealthy family that relocates to a small town named Schitt's Creek, which they once purchased as a joke. DAN Levy co-created Schitt's Creek with his father, Eugene Levy. On the show, DAN Levy plays the role of David Rose. Any mention of DAN Levy reminds me of the time (several years ago in pre-pandemic times) my husband and I were fortunate enough to see him as a guest when we attended a taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in New York City. (As I typed this sentence, I was reminded of the December 24, 2024 puzzle ... particularly the theme answer HUMBLE BRAG - ha!) As DAN Levy talked about Schitt's Creek, he told us that CBS required that every time the name of the show was mentioned on air, it had to also be printed on the screen so people realize how it is spelled.
- MAY (26A: Astrophysicist/Queen guitarist Brian) Brian MAY is probably best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of Queen. He co-founded the band Queen in 1970 with Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor. Brian MAY is also an astrophysicist. He has a PhD in Astrophysics, which he earned from Imperial College London in 2007. His doctoral thesis is titled A survey of radial velocities in the zodiacal dust cloud.
- MID (28A: Just meh, in slang) I learned this meaning of MID earlier this year.
- AULD (31A: "___ Lang Syne") We saw this exact clue and answer five days ago. That feels appropriate, as we are nearing the time when many people will sing "AULD Lang Syne" as they say goodbye to 2024.
- AMUSE-BOUCHE (36A: Bite-sized hors d'oeuvre) The difference between an AMUSE-BOUCHE and an appetizer is that an AMUSE-BOUCHE is not ordered from a menu. It is chosen by the chef and served free to patrons (generally at upscale restaurants) to prepare them for the eating experience ahead. In French, the term literally means "entertain (or amuse) the mouth."
- TRON (38A: 1982 Disney sci-fi film with a soundtrack by Wendy Carlos) The 1982 movie TRON stars Jeff Bridges as a video game developer who is transported inside a mainframe computer and must interact with programs to escape. As the clue informs us, Wendy Carlos composed the movie's soundtrack. She also composed the soundtracks for Clockwork Orange (1971) and The Shining (1980).
- MLA (47A: Citation style (Abbr.)) The MLA Handbook is a style guide published by the Modern Language Association. It provides guidelines for writing and research documentation in the humanities. The counterpart of MLA style is APA style (described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association), which is used for formatting academic documents and journal articles in the behavioral and social sciences.
- ONO (48A: Singer Sean ___ Lennon) Sean ONO Lennon is a singer-songwriter and producer. His two solo albums are Into the Sun (1998) and Friendly Fire (2006). Sean ONO Lennon is the son of John Lennon and Yoko ONO.
- ROSS (50A: Bob who painted "happy little trees") Bob ROSS (1942-1995) is known for his instructional TV program, The Joy of Painting, on which he painted many "happy little trees." Posthumously, his videos remain popular and his "happy little trees" have been the subject of more than one meme. Did you know that Bob ROSS had a 20-year career in the Air Force? He was in the Air Force when he became interested in painting and taught himself to paint. In 1981 when income from selling his paintings (Alaskan landscapes painted on novelty gold-mining pans) was more than his military income, he retired from the Air Force.
- E-BOOKS (52A: They can be checked out from the Libby app) Libby is an app used by many libraries. With a library card, users can use the Libby app to access library services, including checking out E-BOOKS.
- LET IT SNOW (58A: Words on some wintery throw pillows) I do not have a throw pillow with the words, "LET IT SNOW," but I am a fan of SNOW (I know I may be in the minority here...), so I was able to fill in this answer right away.
- EVS (6D: Cars that don't use gas, for short) EVS are electric vehicles. As an EV driver, I enjoyed seeing this answer in the grid.
- BAHT (7D: Thai currency) The BAHT is the official currency of Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia. The capital of Thailand is Bangkok.
- ALMOND (12D: Nut in a variety of Snickers) Snickers, the classic candy bar with nougat, caramel, and peanuts coated in mild chocolate, first appeared on the market in 1930. Recent years have seen the introduction of a number of Snickers variations, including Snickers ALMOND, Snickers Pecan, and Snickers Peanut Brownie.
- PURPLE (34D: Ube's color) Ube is a species of yam that is a vivid PURPLE color.
- TREBLE (38D: Swirly clef for flutists) A musical clef is used to indicate which notes are represented on a musical staff (the five lines and four spaces used for musical notation). The two most commonly used clefs are TREBLE clef - the "swirly clef" also known as the G-clef – and the bass clef or F-clef.
- DOGS (45D: "Bluey" characters) Bluey is an animated children's TV series that originated in Australia and has been distributed on Disney+. The title character is an anthropomorphic Blue Heeler puppy. The show features a number of additional DOGS, including Bluey's family.
- ASANA (46D: Happy Baby or Mountain Pose) If you've ever seen a baby lie on its back and attempt to grab hold of its feet, you have an idea of the Happy Baby ASANA used in yoga as exercise. Mountain Pose, also known as Tadasana, is a standing ASANA that forms the starting point for many other ASANAs.
- I really enjoyed the fun, playful clueing voice today. Here are a few additional clues I especially liked:
- BLAME GAME (54A: Rhyming exchange of finger-pointing)
- AGE (61A: "I'm showing my ___, but...")
- AHOY MATE (36D: "Hi, fellow sailor!")
Crossword Puzzle Theme Synopsis
WHAT'S COOKING? (Freestyle): Since this is a freestyle puzzle, there is no theme in the traditional sense, with a set of three to five theme answers that are the longest answers in the grid. The title – WHAT'S COOKING? – is a reference to the multitude of food-related clues and answers in the grid. I've already mentioned STEAM, AMUSE-BOUCHE, ALMOND, and PURPLE. We also have:
- VALUE MEAL (14A: Fast-food combo order)
- TSO (22A: General ___'s chicken)
- ONE-POT PASTA (32A: Home-cooked dinner with minimal cleanup)
- MINI DONUT (5D: Small breakfast treat)
- MARSALA (11D: Chicken ___ (dish in a wine sauce)
Like the "Twice the Fun" freestyle puzzle we saw two days ago, today's puzzle is a "themed-ish" themeless puzzle. As I was solving today's puzzle I kept thinking, "Oh, there's another one..." each time I uncovered a food-related entry. Anyone else hungry now? This is a fun grid, with its curling pattern of black squares at the top and bottom that remind me of hooks. The staircase stack of ONE-POT PASTA, AMUSE-BOUCHE, and THAT'S SO TRUE is quite impressive. Thank you, Lydia, for this tasty treat of a puzzle.