November 6, 2022

Title: FOOD CAPITALS

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

BRUSSELS SPROUTS (16A: Vegetables that look like little cabbages)

LIMA BEANS (40A: Legumes paired with saltfish)

BEIJING DUCK (63A: Roasted meat served with chun bing)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer is a FOOD whose first word is also the name of a CAPITAL city: BRUSSELS (Belgium), LIMA (Peru), and BEIJING (China).

Things I learned:

• PODCAST (57A: "Womanica" is one) Womanica is a Wonder Media Network PODCAST that asked, "Thinking back to our history classes growing up ... Where the ladies at?" Womanica is a short (5-10 minutes) daily PODCAST "telling the stories of women you may or may not know - but definitely should." This is a new PODCAST to me, but one I will be checking out. Looking over the episode list, I can't wait to listen!
• SHE (5D: Sheree Whitfield's clothing line)

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• BRUSSELS SPROUTS (16A: Vegetables that look like little cabbages) BRUSSELS SPOUTS were named for Belgium's capital city, and they have been popular there since at least the 13th century. As I have written previously, Dutch scientists have recently made BRUSSELS SPROUTS less bitter. 
• LIMA BEANS (40A: Legumes paired with saltfish) LIMA BEANS were discovered in Peru, and were then cultivated there, getting their name from the nation's CAPITAL. During the time of the Incan Empire, potatoes, quinoa, and LIMA BEANS were staple FOODS in the Andes region.
• BEIJING DUCK (63A: Roasted meat served with chun bing) BEIJING DUCK is a dish that originated in China's capital, and has been eaten there since the Imperial Era (as far back as 1250 BCE). Characterized by its crispy skin, BEIJING DUCK is served with chūn bǐng, which are steamed pancakes.
• IAN (66A: "At Seventeen" singer Janis) "At Seventeen" is a 1975 song which many consider to be Janis IAN's signature song. 
• IS TO (37D: "The function of freedom ___ free somebody else" (Toni Morrison)) "The function of freedom IS TO free somebody else." Using a quote - particularly an inspiring and challenging one such as this one by Toni Morrison - is a great way to add interest to a short answer. 
• ABBI (58D: "A League of Their Own" star Jacobson) A League of Their Own is a TV series adapted from the 1992 movie of the same name. The show premiered in August of this year. ABBI Jacobson co-created the show with Will Graham. She stars in the series as catcher Carson Shaw.

Geography review:

• USA (26A: Irina Krush's team in the Chess Olympiad) Irina Krush was born in Odessa, USSR. (The City of Odessa is in Ukraine, which in 1983 was part of the USSR.) At the age of five, she emigrated to Brooklyn, New York with her parents, and that same year she learned to play chess. She is a Chess Grandmaster (the highest ranking awarded to chess players), and is an eight-time U.S. Women's Champion. She competes for Team USA in the Chess Olympiad, a tournament held every other year in which teams from around the world compete.
• SINAI (68A: Peninsula linking Asia and Africa) The SINAI Peninsula is the only part of the country of Egypt that is located in Asia rather than Africa. The peninsula is a land bridge between Asia and Africa, with the Mediterranean Sea to its north, and the Red Sea to its south. 
• WEST (12D: Taipei-to-Guilin direction) Taipei is the CAPITAL of Taiwan, and is located in the northern part of the country. WEST of Taipei, in China, Guilin is a popular tourist destination.

I'm always up for talking about FOOD, and today we have an intriguing meal made up of FOODS named after world CAPITALS.  In addition to the theme, I liked the answers SOUNDS GOOD and ALMOST DONE. I say both of these phrases a lot! SOUNDS GOOD is my verbal thumbs up. Every morning after I write the blog, my husband and I go for a walk. Nearly every morning I holler to my husband, "ALMOST DONE!" as I furiously wrap up writing so we can walk. Thank you, Zhouqin, for this puzzle that was a fabulous way to start my Sunday.