January 6, 2024

Title: INTERNATIONAL CUISINE

Constructor: Jill Singer

Editor: Jared Goudsmit

Theme Answers:
BELGIAN WAFFLES (20A: Breakfast cakes with deep indentations)
FRENCH ONION SOUP (39A: Bowlful often topped with melted Comte)
ENGLISH MUFFINS (57A: Essential ingredients in eggs Benedict)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer is a food item whose name begins with a reference to a country.

Things I learned:
  • SKA (36A: The Uptones genre) The Uptones is a SKA band formed in 1981 by nine high school students in California. After seven years of playing live shows, the band went their separate ways in the late 1980s. The Uptones reformed in 2002, with four of the original members, and some new members. 
  • TOMATO (8D: Qalayet bandora ingredient) The translation of Qalayet bandora is "pan of TOMATOes," which perfectly describes this dish. The dish originated from Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon. Qalayet bandora consists of onions, hot peppers, and TOMATOes, sautéed in olive oil, and seasoned with salt.
Random thoughts and interesting things:
  • COCO (14A: Pixar film set in the Land of the Dead) The 2017 animated movie, COCO, is inspired by the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Metros, or Day of the Dead, a time to pray for and remember family and friends that have died.
  • BELGIAN WAFFLES (20A: Breakfast cakes with deep indentations) BELGIAN WAFFLES take their name from their country of origin, Belgium. Making their debut at the 1958 World's Fair (Expo 58) held in Brussels, Belgium, BELGIAN WAFFLES made their way to a World's Fair in Seattle Washington in 1962, where they were served with strawberries and whipped cream.
  • CAT POSE (25A: Kneeling asana with an arched back) CAT POSE is a yoga asana that gently stretches your back. It is often paired with cow POSE. Willow has an alternate
    A calico cat curled into a ball and taking a nap.
    Willow in a CAT POSE
    CAT POSE suggestion for you: curled up in a ball. 
  • FRENCH ONION SOUP (39A: Bowlful often topped with melted Comte) FRENCH ONION SOUP originated in France, of course. The version with an onion-filled broth topped with bread and melted cheese dates back to the mid-19th century. We've seen FRENCH ONION SOUP as a theme answer before, on September 7, 2022. 
  • ENGLISH MUFFINS (57A: Essential ingredients in eggs Benedict) Eggs Benedict consists of ENGLISH MUFFINS topped with Canadian Bacon, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. ENGLISH MUFFINS, originating from England, of course, are yeast-leavened breads that are small, round, and flat. The name of ENGLISH MUFFIN distinguishes them from the cupcake-shaped breads referred to as MUFFINS.
  • GERI (67A: First name of Ginger Spice) Ginger Spice was the nickname of GERI Halliwell-Horner when she was a member of the pop band known as the Spice Girls. The Spice Girls were an English girl group popular in the 1990s.
  • IRIS (12D: "Still Life with ___" (play with a flowery name)) Still Life with IRIS is a 1997 play by Steven Dietz. The play is set in the magical land of Nocturno, whose inhabitants have special duties such as teaching the wind to whisper, and placing the moon in the sky each night. Enter a couple known as The Great Goods, who live on an island and are attempting to collect the most perfect things in existence, including IRIS, as the perfect girl. IRIS's challenge is to retain her memories and find her way home.
  • PAN AM (28D: The ___ Games) The PAN AM Games, or the PAN American Games, are a multi-sport event held every four years the year prior to the Summer Olympics. Athletes from the Americas complete in the PAN AM Games. The 2023 PAN AM Games were held October 20-November 5 in Santiago Chile.
  • OREO (33D: Cookie with a Fruit Punch variety) Fruit Punch OREOs were a limited edition released in 2014. This OREO variety featured vanilla cookies and a fruit-punch flavored creme.
  • OCT (42D: World Food Day mo.) World Food Day is celebrated each year on OCT. 16, the date on which the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization was founded in 1945. A different World Food Day theme is chosen each year. In 2023, the World Food Day theme was "Water is life, water is food. Leave no one behind."
  • MAIN (60D: ___ character energy) MAIN character energy refers to acting as if you are the star of your own show. In other words, MAIN character energy is putting yourself first, not in a selfish way (e.g. making everything about you), but in a way that affirms self care.
  • UTES (61D: Capote people, e.g.) The Capote people were a historic band of UTES that lived in the areas around the Conejos River and the Rio Grande.

    Geography review:

    • ASIAN (23A: Indian or Indonesian, e.g.) India and Indonesia are countries in Asia. The capital of India is New Delhi, and the capital of Indonesia is Jakarta.
    • SNOW (7D: Kilimanjaro covering) Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano located in the East African country of Tanzania. It is the focal point of Kilimanjaro National Park. With an elevation of over 19,300 feet, the top of Mount Kilimanjaro is definitely covered in SNOW. Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa.
    • ONE (35D: Number of countries bordering Portugal) The mainland of Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. The archipelagic areas (island groups) of Madera and the Azores are also part of Portugal. Spain, which occupies the rest of the Iberian Peninsula, is the ONE country that borders Portugal. The capital of Portugal is Lisbon. The capital of Spain is Madrid.
    As food-based themed puzzles tend to do, this puzzle is making me hungry! Three fun and delicious theme answers today. Congratulations to Jill Singer, making a USA Today debut! Thank you, Jill, for this puzzle that was a splendid way to start my Saturday.



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