Theme: PLUG (63A: Ad, or word that can follow the end of 17-, 26-, 43- or 55-Across)Theme answers:
- 17A: "Imagination at work" company (GENERAL ELECTRIC).
- 26A: Fried-dough carnival treat (ELEPHANT EAR).
- 43A: The Doors #1 hit covered by José Feliciano (LIGHT MY FIRE).
- 55A: "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" author (DAME MURIEL SPARK).
This is going to be super quick today. I have a stupid Room Mom meeting this morning and, as much as I'd love to skip it, I really shouldn't. What with the Winter Party just around the corner and all.
I had a few stumbling blocks in this puzzle, so I would guess it was a little on the tough side for some of you too. On the other hand, it seems like there were an awful lot of times that a wrong answer popped into my head first making the right answer hard to get to, and maybe that was just my experience and you breezed through this one. However it went for you, let us know in the comments! This puzzle also had the added benefit of reminding me that I've been meaning to get in touch with Barry Silk for, like, three months now. Ouch!
Very early on in the solving process, I threw RACIER in at 9D (More risqué) and then erased it because I thought the R didn't work for 9A: Like some potatoes, which turned out to be RICED (with an R!) in the end. Even though I'm not really a football fan, I do know that the 33A: Fiesta Bowl site is TEMPE, Arizona. So, why did I enter TAMPA? It's anybody's guess. I wanted CALICO for OCELOT at 47A: Spotted cat, but I had a lot of crosses already so knew it wouldn't work. With ?O?E in place for 45A: Innermost part, I thought to myself "But that's the wrong kind of SOLE." Turns out it was CORE.Quick hits:
- 38A: Actress Blakley (RONEE). I'm sure I've seen her in crosswords, but I have no idea who she is. Hey! She was born on the exact same day as PuzzleDad! From the looks of her Wikipedia page, she's the real deal. When I have more time, I'll find out more about her!
- 59A: Doughnut shapes (TORI). Prediction for one of today's comments: "Could someone please explain TORI for doughnut shapes?" It's a weird word that I learned from puzzles and some others learned from math. A torus is a geometric shape that looks like ... wait for it ... a doughnut. And TORI is the plural.
- 7D: Puzzle center? (ZEES). You were not tricked by this.
- 40D: Artistic merit (VIRTU). You were, however, completely stumped by this. And by you, of course, I mean me.
- 44D: Large game fish (MARLIN). Shout-out to Marlin Bill and his wife Pam, who makes a mean key lime pie for the folks in Nosara, Costa Rica. Not that either one of them is probably reading this. But, hey, down in Nosara, I bet they know a 54D: Surfboard fin is called a SKEG. I sure didn't.
- 45D: 1950s-'60s Yankee Boyer (CLETE). I know early Yankees and I know recent Yankees. I do not know 1950s-'60s Yankees.
- 38D: Stop and shop, e.g. (RHYMES). Clever!
- 1A: Cheese town in the province of Noord-Holland (EDAM).
- 34A: Work units (ERGS).
- 62A: School founded in 1440 (ETON).
- 19D: Inventor Howe (ELIAS).
- 26D: Singer James et al. (ETTAS).
- 49D: Mideast bigwig (EMIR).
Everything Else — 5A: Cooper's tool (ADZE); 14A: Snare __ (DRUM); 15A: Powerful 19th century Virginia family (LEES); 16A: Positive terminal, at times (ANODE); 20A: N.Y. summer setting (EDT); 21A: Sale condition (AS IS); 22A: Deceived (LIED TO); 23A: Stranded motorist's aid (JACK); 25A: Cambodian money (RIEL); 30A: General on a Chinese menu (TSO); 34A: Work units (ERGS); 35A: Group including flower children's children, briefly (GEN X); 36A: Pants fabric (TWILL); 37A: Big conflict (WAR); 39A: Je t'__: Parisian's "I love you" (AIME); 40A: Bouquet holder (VASE); 41A: Drambuie ingredient (HONEY); 46A: Grant and Vanderbilt (AMYS); 50A: Exceptional (RARE); 52A: Subway alternative (BUS); 58A: Cream of the crop (ELITE); 60A: Merrie __ England (OLDE); 61A: Begat (SIRED); 1D: Slight advantage (EDGE); 2D: Stowe novel (DRED); 3D: Quaker Oats trademark (AUNT JEMIMA); 4D: Marseille Mrs. (MME.); 5D: Mount McKinley's state (ALASKA); 6D: Sub station? (DELI); 8D: Subj. taught bilingually (ESL); 10D: Spy's briefing contents, briefly (INTEL); 11D: Firewood order (CORD); 12D: Correct, perhaps (EDIT); 13D: Empire State Building style (DECO); 18D: "Silent Spring" author Carson (RACHEL); 24D: Winesap, e.g. (APPLE); 25D: Contrition (REGRET); 27D: Explorer aided by Sacagawea (LEWIS); 28D: Dogma-rejecting spiritual genre (NEW AGE); 29D: Junk (TRASH); 30D: Court bouncer (TENNIS BALL); 31D: Show contempt (SNEER); 32D: Kind of daisy (OXEYE); 35D: Silly (GOOFY); 43D: Came menacingly into view (LOOMED); 47D: Laudatory poems (ODES); 48D: City SW of Bogotá (CALI); 50D: Scream (RIOT); 51D: Opening for dynamic (AERO-); 53D: Pakistani tongue (URDU); 56D: Way to go: Abbr. (RTE.); 57D: How the weasel goes? (POP).
53 comments:
Barry’s puzzle was a little on the easy side for a Thursday and there was far too much crosswordese, but that’s okay… I liked it because of all the clever clues and a few new words to learn:
“Doughnut shapes” = TORI
“Sub station” = DELI
“Puzzle center” = ZEE
“Court bouncer” = TENNIS BALL
“Stop and shop” = RHYMES
“Artistic merit” = VIRTU
New words for me: RONEE Blakley, CLETE Boyer, and URDU.
AUNT JEMIMA threw me a little because I kept envisioning that Quaker guy… totally forgot that the Quaker Oats Company owns the syrup company too.
Also forgot that the fin on a surfboard is called a SKEG.
Leucanthemum vulgare, or OXEYE DAISY, as beautiful as it looks in a vast meadow, is one of the most noxious weeds in the U.S. The old “He loves me, he loves me not” flower that is braided into a lovely garland or head wreath, isn’t all that romantic to the American farmer, who views this invasive with great disdain. It’s a good idea for us to think about the potential mess that can happen the next time we innocently purchase those little attractive seed packets of mixed “wildflowers”.
ETTA James is a famous blues, soul, R&B, rock & roll, gospel and jazz singer and songwriter… best known for her song “AT LAST”. This gained tremendous popularity during the President Obama Inaugural Balls. I thought this was pretty strange: The news media interviewed ETTA James at that time, and she made it very clear that she was not pleased with the first family using her song and in fact she was no fan of Barack Obama.
Does anyone remember MARLIN Perkins?
Now for my breakfast---
Amaretto flavored coffee and Scrapple Grits with Aunt JEMIMA Syrup…. Yummmeeeeee!
I'd say that felt like about an easy Wednesday NYT difficulty, which is great for a LAT Thursday. Hadn't heard of Dame Muriel Spark (though the title sounds vaguely familiar) or a non-literal elephant ear, but were easy enough to work out. Pretty basic theme, but utile.
Since we're missing out on our daily CW101 vocab... Any ideas for a follower-nominated word? ADZE is yelling at me from 5A!
@Gareth: How about URDU? I think I've seen this about 15 times in the last month from various puzzles.
Yes, ZEES threw me for a while. Also AUNTJEMIMA, couldn't get that Quaker Gentleman's image out of my mind, wanted to enter AUSTEREMAN, but the crosses in place wouldn't allow it. The theme answers were gimme's except DAMEMURIEL.
All in all not bad, but less than I've come to expect from Barry Silk. Looking forward to an inspired effort from Dan Naddor for Friday.
Nice solid puzzle for a Thoisday. My questionable crossing was RICED/CORD, I was quite certain about CORD, but I know little about potatoes. VIRTU and CLETE made that upper SW section dependent on some crosses.
I PLUGged away at this puzzle slowly but surely. I had the same thoughts as @JNH about AUNT JEMIMA. Never knew there was a word torus/TORI for donut shape(s). I've seen amie much more often in puzzles than AIME.
ELEPHANT EAR (fried dough) sounds rather yucky, although I've never had one. However, I guess that's what a donut is...and I like those.
My new word of the day is VIRTU. Don't think I'll have much occasion to use it.
@JNH: thanks for the info on OXEYE daisies -- I never knew they were such a menace.
The DAME part of SPARK's name, while not wrong, feels forced (for reasons of symmetry, obviously). Why not just use MURIEL SPARK and then [something] HAIR instead of dull GENERAL ELECTRIC?
Would happily kick VIRTU, RONEE, SKEG (!?), and CLETE to the curb if it were at all possible.
Liked AUNT JEMIMA, for the originality as well as for the (hard) clue.
Cheap but nice.
I agree with JNH, RP and others...lots of crosswordese but the cluing was good.
ZEES? Jeesh! VIRTU? Kludgy (to me). RONEE was forced, but SKEG might come in handy, and (I assume) is legit.
Is Aunt Jemima still a popular brand? For a while, she seemed to be languishinh under the "PC or not PC" umbrella. Despite the fact that to nearly all of America, her name is synonymous with pancakes! Growing up, we all loved those rare days when we'd see her box near the stove and know that there'd be no cold cereal that morning!
Happy Wed, all!
CW101: ADZE, for sure. especially with a constructor like barry silk, who's known to have a soft spot for scrabbly letters, anything short with a Z and some nicely-placed vowels is crossword gold.
knew MURIEL SPARK (though, like rex, i didn't like DAME in the answer). did not know ELEPHANT EAR.
@Bohica: No pressure, right? I'm afraid this week you'll have to wait until Sunday to see if I can live up to billing. You'll be getting two Fridays out of me later this month, though.
Thanks for the compliment.
The theme was good for exactly one thing--getting the otherwise out-of-bounds cross of 55A and 54D. Doesn't SKEG verge on ooxteplernonicity? And I'd thought it was a constructors' no-no to cross an obscure fill word with a proper-name theme word.
@Jazz
SKEG 54d Surfboard fin is total legit. Haven't surfed in years and couldn't believe how fast its name came back to me. I was a GOOFY 35d footer, it just felt natural.
@RP
Being a fan of "The Bad Ass, Bronx Bomber's, New York Yankees" I applaud the inclusion of CLETE Boyer in today's puzzle ... now if the "constructor" had used his given first name, Cletis, that would have tough. I wonder when we'll see the Sport Illustrated 2009 Sportsman of the Year Derek Jeter make an appearance.
The DAME____Spark was OK, it was the first name that threw me. thanks crosses.
Minor thing, the Fiesta Bowl moved from Tempe to Glendale a few years ago., 'Close enough for government work' as we use to say years ago when auditing.
VIRTU 40d, last letter, total guess, figured it might be an Italian reference.
PG, Orange & Rex thanks for your guidance, I am slowly learning/mastering CW French & Latin.
@Jazz-yet another word to add to the vocab-"kludgy! Great word. Seems to describe my wardrobe.
Since "Stop and Shop" is the local grocery store, that kept my thoughts in the box for a while, until the crosses revealed otherwise. Did not know honey was in Drambuie, either. I knew ORANGE was!
Muriel was the name of my dearly departed mum, so I just kept "plug"ging at the name from the crosses.
"Urdu do something to me, that something simply mystifies me..."
Skeg-surfer son has deducted 10 points from "cool mom" column, as I could not remember the name for that "finny thingie."
Virtu, also new (hey, I rhymed there!) and Tori-@Sfingi should like that! Oxeye Daisy-Thanks @JNH. I can't plant anything in my yard, as it then becomes "deer salad." Definintely was with @PG on Calico over Ocelot. Shamefully, initially tricked by puzzle center (I kept thinking, "What CW 101 did I miss on this? D'OH big time!) and oddly, Scream kept "yell"ing at me! Edvard Munch popped into mind, too The Scream (Is this THE most stolen painting in the world?)
Thanks, @PG, for the great "Light My Fire" video! Hope the Class Mom meeting went ok. Those meetings always seem to remind me of scenes that would have appeared in "Malcolm in the Middle" or "Everybody Loves Raymond." Might be the seeds for a great short story in there.
@Rex, tee shirts for Ooxteplernon! (Oh, wait. I resemble that remark!)
Yes SKEG an GOOFY (foot) both strictly on the level as well-known surfing terms.
It took the completion of two out of four theme answers for me to catch on to key word PLUG, but after that, I had smooth sailing. Thanks to PG for the great music clip and Barry Silk for the entertaining clues.
@Tinbeni
Surfing auditor... hmmm...seems like an oxymoron to me!
Never had heard TORI as referring to a doughnut shape. When I go to the dentist for x-rays the dental techs bemoan the fact that I have large TORI (I'm assuming it's spelled the same) which are the bones below the gums on the bottom of the mouth. It's difficult to place the films without cutting into the tissue - most uncomfortable!
Had never heard of RONEE Blakely, SKEG, or CLETE.
Good challenging Thursday! Keep 'em coming!
Really enjoyed this puzzle! SKEG and TOTI were new to me. Had stores before HONEY gave me RHYMES, have no idea how I know RONEE but at first mispelled it RONIE.
I know some people (Sfing) hate the sports clues but I like them. CLETE was easy, but most pop music, popes, and scientic clues are my downfall. My mother always used a RICER to make mashed potatoes.
ELEPHANT EARS must be something like bear claws.
@JNH--Yes, MARLIN Perkins was great on Wild Kingdom, back when TV was mainly interested in a host who presented educational information than one who was more of an entertainer. At age 80 something, he punched a TV interviewer (off camera) for asking if he had ever faked any of the shows on animals. Honest TV--what a thought!
Wasn't ETTA James more upset that Beyonce sang "her song" when she thought she should have been asked to sing it?
Not a breakfast person, so sometimes your breakfasts do not pass the beakfast test for me.
Rex, regarding your "HAIRPLUG" idea to rid DAME. From a constructor's point of view -- at least mine -- the sparkle of the theme is dulled if the meanings of the theme segments are repeated in the punch line. So ELECTRIC in GENERAL ELECTRIC is a tad different from the ELECTRIC in ELECTRIC PLUG, FIRE in LIGHT MY FIRE is definitely different from the FIRE in FIREPLUG, the 2 SPARKS are worlds apart, and so on.
So unless there's a _____ HAIR expression out there I'm not aware of, HAIR would have the same meaning in _____ HAIR and HAIRPLUG. That's probably why Barry steered clear of that idea. But I can guarantee you he thought about it.
Just got around to yesterday's LAT (I've been out of town). Flipping genius!
Along the Marlin Perkins vein:
Battle at Kruger
Don't worry, it has a happy ending.
@Dan - The ELECTRIC in GENERALELECTRIC is a tad different from the ELECTRIC in ELECTRICPLUG? GE was formed to market Edison's electric products, each and everyone of which came with an ELECTRIC PLUG. Their prime business is electric products. The the FIRE in LIGHTMYFIRE is simply a metaphor for the FIRE which necessitates a FIRE PLUG. The EAR in ELEPHANTEAR is the same ear as in an EAR PLUG. The only one of your examples which holds water is SPARKS, and that's a proper noun, which the others aren't. It kind of sticks out.
@JNH
Don't know if my "out-going" personality was a total contradiction, but you're probably right a "Surfing-Auditor" probably is some kind of oxymoron ...
Now, then ... as I consider my business ethics, I become terribly pleased, thinking about the exact estimate of when a pretty ugly term almost exactly crosses into this vernacular?
I'm just sipping some Scotch out of my plastic glass, listening to some new classic soft rock (taped live).
Aah, such sweet sorrow but it rates a definite maybe.
I prefer it over the Rap music which I find filled with passive aggression (same difference) and clearly misunderstood by me.
Good grief, I'm seriously joking.
@jazz and ddbmc
In breadboarding electronic circuits, a messy layout was called a kludge. So maybe the proper spelling is kludgey?
I thought the word was was German, but it is not in my German dictionary.
@JIMMIE, I checked several dictionary references and either spelling is correct. The definitions vary only slightly as:
Merriam-Webster--
a system and especially a computer system made up of poorly matched components
— kludgy also kludgey \ˈklü-jē, US also & British especially ˈklə-\ adjective
Dictionary Reference.com--
kludge or kluge (klōōj)
n. Slang
A system, especially a computer system, that is constituted of poorly matched elements or of elements originally intended for other applications.
A clumsy or inelegant solution to a problem.
[From ironic use of earlier kluge, smart, clever, from spelling pronunciation of German kluge, from Middle High German kluc, from Middle Low German klōk.]
kludge v., kludg'y adj.
So there seems to BE a Germanic root, however, either spelling would be correct.
@Mac may have to weigh in here.
@JNH of course I remember Marlin Perkins - being from St. Louis!! He was the director of the St. Louis Zoo.
Wanted pizza fritte for elephant ears and grocery store for stop and shop.
All in all a good Thursday puzzle
@ Dan - ANGEL HAIR (pasta) isn't really hair, although it ain't 11 letters either. What IS 11 letters is SCUTTLEBUTT. That's my vote to replace GE.
@ddbmc
Thanks for the input. All of these terms describe my breadboards. With only one or two vowels, I doubt that any form of the word will show up in a CW.
Uncharacteristically I breezed through the puZZle until I got into the Alabama-Florida area. I still don't see RIOT for 50D scream, I no way knew TORI and didn't see RHYMES, either. Oh well.
Speaking of Florida and Alabama, I will be conserving my mental energies to telepathically coach the Gators to a big win over "Bama on Sat. GO Gators!!!!
@GLowe
LOL @ Your replacement word for GE ... which is subtle.
@ddbmc
Thanks for the clip and the info, at first I thought Stop & Shop was a chain I had seen in the past. Cause a minor blip, but the RHYMES answer was rewarding.
@JNH - I do believe I got in 20 of the "Top 53" oxymorons in my aside.
@garethbain, @shrub5--have nicely made my main comments...definitely harder than usual, which is great! Honestly, PG, I don't know/get ZEES for Crossword Centers (oops). ADZE threw me, same w ANODE, TORI, RICED Potatoes and I missed Crossword 101 on ERGS (oops). So, I'm not bashful: who the h-- is Ronee Blakley and how did she get in a super puzzle w the likes of Clete Boyer and the otherwise unknowable author of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (oops, sorry RP)?
Thanks, Barry!
Donut is a mug, topographically
@John - I remember Marlin Perkins. My father loved scrapple with Karo. See below for food of a similar nutrition.
I did not know and did not get RONEL and OXYL. Did not know and did get TEMPE SKEG CLETE, all 3 sports Qs. Had to move Muriel over to get the DAME in.
I rather liked the theme, and it did help me get the phrases. I've said before, I like Barry Silk.
I must comment on ELEPHANTEAR. In Utica, we call it pizza frit (pr. freet) for fried pizza, and the word pizza means beak, for the shape. Some places, like the NYS Fair call it funnel cake, which is annoying. And, it's the worst thing in the world for you, being fried dough covered with sugar. My husband's cousin, RACHEL, makes it for all the feasts, though she's past 80, and the longest lines are for it. Would have preferred the clue to be "a mushroom."
For Xmas, everybody sing along:
"There is no rose of such VIRTU,
As is the rose that bear Jesu."
I own an antique ricer but could not find a good picture of it. Mine is heavy aluminum with a pelican sort of shape and 2 handles which meet on the squeeze. You put the peeled, cooked potato in the pelican mouth and squeeze. The potato comes out "riced" or mashed in a sort of wormy way. Receives butter excellently.
OK, I give PG - what's with the picture of MJ?
- - Robert
robert, which MJ is it? (hint: not michael.) mouse over if you still can't identify him. or just click on the picture.
I had a Clete Boyer baseball glove playing Little League in the 60's, so that's fine fill by me.
Re: Ronee Blakley - I had the unfortunate experience of seeing her perform on stage when I was working at the Indiana Repertory Theatre (circa 1980) in the lead role in "Rain". She got her Equity card handed to her for doing it, and I was glad to see from her Wiki page that she credits no theatre.
@PG - thanks for the Santana/Martin/Feliciano clip - absolutely loved it.
Good puzzle Barry.
@Anonymous Bob, that would be Marlon Jackson. He and some of his remaining brothers will be starring in their own reality show shortly. Lord help us!
@Stanley: You make a valid point. Perhaps I should have used the word "context" versus "meaning". ELEPHANT EAR is a totally different context than EAR PLUG, GENERAL ELECTRIC (conglomerate) than ELECTRIC PLUG (gadget)and so on. But ANGEL HAIR is a terrific thought (bravo, GLowe!). It would've been a coup to somehow squeeze AH into the middle and create a five-banger theme. But then you get fill quality issues...
From a constructor's point of view, what Stanley said. Yeesh.
@ Dan - that's why I always go with crappy fill - even on minimum density themes. That it you can say ' and the fill quality doesn't suffer with his denser fills ...'
MURIEL SPARK (11)
BEAT BY A HAIR (11)
That "hair" is at least as metaphorical (or whatever) as the fire and ear. And beats the current "electric" set-up hollow.
Sure, BEAT BY A HAIR works. Hollow?
Late to the party today. The only time that I've seen RONEE Blakely was in the Robert Altman film, Nashville. I think her character was a take off on Lorretta Lynn. I knew SKEG since my husband is a former surfer. I knew RICED because I can't tell you how many lbs of potatoes I RICED over the Thanksgiving holiday. RICED potatoes make a fluffier mashed potato than a masher or an electric mixer imho. ELEPHANT EARS are mild fair fare compared to some of the amazingly calorie/fat laden crud that they come up with at the LA County fair. Had no idea what TORI were or what VIRTU was and I am very embarrassed to say that it took me quite a while to figure out Puzzle Center ZEES. Duh! Maybe it's because I didn't get enough ZEES last night. I had the Quaker Oats box sitting right next to me while I was puzzling since I had oatmeal for breakfast and just kept thinking Quaker Dude/Guy got AUNT JEMIMA from the crosses. Those two make a cute couple. Also wanted Stop and Shop to be a convenence store. Fun Thursday puzzle. Thanks PG. Cute little calico cat pic.
@Dan & @GLowe
WINS BY A HAIR ...
or
WINS by a NOSE ...
Well maybe that covers Matt Lauer or the Veep, Joe Biden, formerly ...
As a swimmer ... I remember the Nose Plugs, in the latter.
But wait, these don't work as replacements for GE either ... simple math, the 2 words, General Electric, are 15 letters not 11.
Elephant Ear (common item at carnival's here in the South) & Light My Fire both 11 letter's were good clues ... so where is the real debate?
Nice puzzle! I always love a Barry Silk puzzle.
All the crosswordese start with an E today! I learned about toric from a book by Michelle Richmond. I liked the book so much that I immediately bought her other book. Otherwise torus, tori and toric come up in puzzles a lot. I call donuts toric treats now. Don't care for them myself.
Jose Feliciano lives in my area. He sat next to me once at the hairdressers, waiting for a chair to open up. He had brought his guitar and was plucking away with the most amazing, thin, longnailed fingers. His wife and two little kids were there as well.
I use a stamper to make mashed potatoes. The ricer I use for spaetzle.
@Jimmie, or should I say JIMMIE: the German klug means smart, so very different from the klutzy meaning of your word. Ulrich Flemming calls Kevin Der, a constructor, der Kluge, the smart one.
Stanley makes tools. Some are electric! (Just a plug for Stanley tools) Just saying, sometimes things are over parsed!
It's Electric
@Sfingi
There are three foods that you never ask "what's it made of?".
Haggis
Black Pudding
Scrapple
Pete says p'tui to haggis! Daren't say Robert Burns said "Nae" to Haggis!
@John - I never would. Anyway, I'm not hep on eating the 4-legged beasties in any form unless there's nothing else, or it's burnt to a crisp. I call them 4-legs instead of red meat because I do include piggies as off the plate. I'm a chikentarian and chocoholic.
oink
@JNH Scrapple has always been a conundrum to me. What the heck is in that stuff? As you said, I prob don't want to know. It is another one of those PA specialties. I think the Amish make it. I now want to learn how to make Spaetzel, even though it doesn't involve potatoes.
Far as I can figure, all's been said about the puzzle per se without me chipping in my two Cambodian RIEL(s). I did know a guy w. SKED as his nickname, called this because his hair resembled a surfboard fin and contained lots of petroleum hair products and salt water. SKED means 'spoon' in Swedish in case you ever need one in Stockholm. Doubt there's a connection.
@PG: When you follow Ddbmc's suggestion on the Class Mom short story/novella, make sure to retain the movie rights. Really.
@Tinbeni from 11:48 a.m.: Your 'rant' was Awfully Good. Very unique, too!
'Kludg(e)y' wins the split infinitive 'best new useful word' award of the day. Am planning on slipping into conversations tomorrow.
@CCL: Buy yourself a spatzle hex machine! It come's with instructions and recipes. You just make dough in a bowl, put the dough into the spatzle hex and crank it into your hot stew, soup or, if servered on the side boiling water. It's really just dumplings, dressed as noodles.
And, damn good!
@Bohica: the spaetzle hex is very similar to the ricer, you can use either gadget.
Our cousin in Germany who is a prizewinning butcher and chef (makes all his own hams and sausages) once told me that a mean cook would put in fewer eggs and more water. His mother used to make spaetzle by putting a spoonful of the batter on a wooden board and scraping it off into boiling salted water.
@crazycatlady
Forget the hex machines and wooden boards!
The way I make Spätzel is overly simple:
Mix cold salty water with a few eggs, a tbsp of olive oil, and flour (to a thin consistency)and then just dribble the batter into boiling water... voila, Spätzel!
Can we see the key lime pie recipe, please?
Jan
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