tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4823347335124059536..comments2024-03-28T13:39:03.307-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: WEDNESDAY, Apr. 9, 2008 - Daniel Kantor and Jay Kaskel (LANGUAGE OF THE HINDUSTAN EXPRESS)Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73261485594152101442008-05-22T00:38:00.000-04:002008-05-22T00:38:00.000-04:00Six weeks later- Just had to mention, Whenever I ...Six weeks later- Just had to mention, Whenever I hear the word Gazpacho I think of Rimmer in Red Dwarf. I was surprised no one here commented on it, one of my favorite series of all time!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30461452393156764312008-05-21T15:38:00.000-04:002008-05-21T15:38:00.000-04:00Since I wait tables for a living, I was prepared t...Since I wait tables for a living, I was prepared to completely loathe this puzzle. The normally relaxing part of my day was turning into a nightmare shift at work. (Where's your order? It's cooking! You think I'm holding it hostage!?) However, the Whine and Dine title redeemed this one for me. People really should attempt to be more polite and respectful to their servers. They work a difficult and thankless job for relatively low pay. And they will be alone with your food.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83356043289223283612008-05-21T14:27:00.000-04:002008-05-21T14:27:00.000-04:00Shad ROE was a favorite of one of the best fiction...Shad ROE was a favorite of one of the best fictional detectives ever, Nero Wolfe (by Rex Stout), a true gourmand if ever there was one.<BR/><BR/>There's a wonderful book <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Nero-Wolfe-Cookbook-Rex-Stout/dp/1888952245/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product" REL="nofollow"> Nero Wolfe Cookbook</A>, now sadly out of print (and hence expensive, though libraries may have it).<BR/><BR/>One of the shad roe recipes is on page 76 <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1888952245/ref=sib_dp_pt# " REL="nofollow">Shad Roe in Casserole (without onion)</A><BR/><BR/>Wolfe likes his Shad Roe covered in anchovy butter.embienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01991001167394653649noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21356116317971878932008-05-21T13:47:00.000-04:002008-05-21T13:47:00.000-04:00My wife does the Monday and Tuesday puzzles, and h...My wife does the Monday and Tuesday puzzles, and helps me with the later-in-the week ones if I need it. <BR/><BR/>I thought I learned something new today: That "sneg" was slang for $1000. (insert rolling eyes smiley here) <BR/><BR/>Another way to make a fairly easy puzzle more challenging is to restrict yourself to answers which already have at least one letter filled in.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73246050745076253502008-04-10T02:25:00.000-04:002008-04-10T02:25:00.000-04:00I've said it before, but I never think puzzles are...I've said it before, but I never think puzzles are "too easy." As long as they're GOOD, I'm happy.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09699703443886498884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11496672972453480832008-04-10T00:43:00.000-04:002008-04-10T00:43:00.000-04:00bill in nj,You can turn a easy puzzle into a good ...bill in nj,<BR/><BR/>You can turn a easy puzzle into a good challenge by turning it into a diagramless puzzle. Get a sheet of graph paper, check that the grid is 15x15, and go! Today would have had just about the right amount of gimmes to try sussing out the diagram to a reasonable degree of challenge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84928131459370321502008-04-09T23:27:00.000-04:002008-04-09T23:27:00.000-04:00@kalaala,I'm breaking the 3 comments rule, but who...@kalaala,<BR/>I'm breaking the 3 comments rule, but who cares at this time of the evening. Isn't it great to remember wonderful meals from your travels? One trip through France, Switzerland and Germany I kept a journal, and when I picked it up years later I realized it was all about food.......machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35626615692412734842008-04-09T23:22:00.000-04:002008-04-09T23:22:00.000-04:00Re: Shad Roe: If you ever go to Charleston, South...Re: Shad Roe: If you ever go to Charleston, South Carolina, at the right time of year, try the shad roe at one of those restaurants like Magnolia or Slightly North of Broad. Oh my, is it delicious! Sounds gross, it's cooked with bacon and banana and I didn't want to taste it, but I did and it was stellar. That was 1995 and I still remember it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65266333427597334902008-04-09T23:17:00.001-04:002008-04-09T23:17:00.001-04:00Anon11.05, That's so funny. We have so many shad b...Anon11.05, That's so funny. We have so many shad bushes, and I never thought of the connection. I like them better already, and the deer just adore them, stand on their hind legs to nibble on them.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89415289290619371342008-04-09T23:17:00.000-04:002008-04-09T23:17:00.000-04:00I enjoyed the nice little touch: Elizabeth (II) wi...I enjoyed the nice little touch: Elizabeth (II) with a zed was right next to Elisabeth (Shue) without a zed! So, right after I was thinking about someone I know who also spells Elisabeth, along comes the queen spelled the right way!<BR/><BR/>Strange that Flight of the Conchords first entered my consciousness earlier today from a completely different source. "The Humans Are Dead" and "Hiphipopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros" are a laugh riot.Mark Trevor Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09913954429925699431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19665015018891874742008-04-09T23:05:00.000-04:002008-04-09T23:05:00.000-04:00My morning routine is to do the CRAWSword puzzle w...My morning routine is to do the CRAWSword puzzle with a TABBY cat on my LAP!<BR/><BR/>Kim 2:50, to make you feel better, here's a mistake you probably didn't make: I had "wrapper" instead of SHOPPER, which I've never heard of. I figgered a free/local paper would only be good for wrapping up fish or some other such grocery item.<BR/><BR/>I'm another who fell into the "deadbolt" trap and agree that PEEPHOLE sounds creepy. Rex, maybe you could start calling it a PIEHOLE?<BR/><BR/>Rock Rabbit<BR/><BR/>ps according to my fading memory (I lived in Rhode Island for a while) the shad should be running right about now... and so the shadbush should be blooming too -- a glorious springtime phenomenonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58261385423922940202008-04-09T22:51:00.000-04:002008-04-09T22:51:00.000-04:00@humorlesstwit: please get yourself a new id, I fe...@humorlesstwit: please get yourself a new id, I feel so sorry for you every time I see this name.... You've paid your penance.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86353199618516517252008-04-09T22:48:00.000-04:002008-04-09T22:48:00.000-04:00@humorlesstwit-Same as me - you set up artificial ...@humorlesstwit-<BR/><BR/>Same as me - you set up artificial constructs to get through simple puzzles.<BR/><BR/>Look, I don't mean to imply that ever single puzzle Mon-Thurs are so simple as to not be enjoyable; it's the preponderance of these puzzles that cause me such displeasure.<BR/><BR/>You know the real irony here?<BR/><BR/>I get more from Rex's blog than I do from the puzzles themselves!Bill from NJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10103923612595508277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44716563788109945552008-04-09T22:05:00.000-04:002008-04-09T22:05:00.000-04:00My husband and I sometimes (okay, often) email eac...My husband and I sometimes (okay, often) email each other from different rooms of the house. I decided today that the only thing that would make it cooler is to somehow send the messages publicly. Rex and Sandy rock.PuzzleGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06835502266781516627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43534614541050825322008-04-09T22:00:00.000-04:002008-04-09T22:00:00.000-04:00I liked this puzzle a lot but it gave me some grie...I liked this puzzle a lot but it gave me some grief. My main difficulty was at 25D (ABLAZE) - several of you have already commented on having tried 'aflame' here, which is exactly what I did. That made the -INVISIBLE part of the theme answer very stubborn to pull out! Slowed me down quite a bit. The funny thing is that I'm almost certain that I've had exactly this problem in a puzzle before; I'm going to have to beware of 6-letter words clued as 'On fire' or 'Burning' from now on!<BR/><BR/>The WHINEANDDINE gave me a chuckle and I thought it was worth the effort. A lot of the other answers were fun too.<BR/><BR/>I found a few other good challenging puzzles that are worth a mention today. There's a good one at NY Sun by Tony Orbach (which I got a letter wrong on - rats!), and today's Onion puzzle is by Tyler Hinman (at times the Onion puzzles can be a little on the risque side, just to warn you). Hope you enjoy them. They can both be found using the link to Ephraim's Puzzle Pointers on Rex's blog page.<BR/><BR/>Great zing on the My Little Pony! Had me laughing out loud!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3774629996813369622008-04-09T21:25:00.000-04:002008-04-09T21:25:00.000-04:00re: easy puzzles -- I usually have a book of weeke...re: easy puzzles -- I usually have a book of weekend NYT puzzles that I do Mon.-Wed. I know I could print them out from the archives but I went for convenience. My current book has puzzles from 1997 which makes the some of pop culture clues more challenging.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13585551724031958632008-04-09T21:09:00.000-04:002008-04-09T21:09:00.000-04:00@macthanks for the tip on preparing shad roe.where...@mac<BR/>thanks for the tip on preparing shad roe.where in Ct. are you. I'm in Stamfordchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9429321401282136662008-04-09T20:15:00.000-04:002008-04-09T20:15:00.000-04:00I liked this puzzle for the daddy-o and cold soup....I liked this puzzle for the daddy-o and cold soup. (cute) Was sick of Nehru jackets almost immediately after they came out. <BR/>I like to see my cat, Yodi's, namesake in the puzzle, his brother's name (obie) gets in much more often.Teresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13396770897787677711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56225384003884895352008-04-09T19:02:00.000-04:002008-04-09T19:02:00.000-04:00@ puzzlegirlThat is one of my all-time favorite ph...@ puzzlegirl<BR/><BR/>That is one of my all-time favorite photos. Annie Lebowitz is amazing. Thanks for sharing it!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08727682398955175642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15934389224464377022008-04-09T18:17:00.000-04:002008-04-09T18:17:00.000-04:00@chef bea:I love shad roe and actually pick it up ...@chef bea:<BR/>I love shad roe and actually pick it up at the Grand Central food market and take it to CT. I've developed a trick that prevents the roe from seeping out of the "wings", I poach them first in some salted water for about 5 minutes, then sautee them in butter until slightly browned.<BR/>I've tried other ways, like James Beard's smothering in butter, but this way works the best.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81446847753439861202008-04-09T18:10:00.000-04:002008-04-09T18:10:00.000-04:00C-note = a $100 bill.10 x $100 = $1000$1000 = a gr...C-note = a $100 bill.<BR/><BR/>10 x $100 = $1000<BR/><BR/>$1000 = a grand<BR/><BR/>A grand, in slang = One G.<BR/><BR/>Tada!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77549888766574799912008-04-09T18:04:00.000-04:002008-04-09T18:04:00.000-04:00Following up on Ulrich's comment of early in the d...Following up on Ulrich's comment of early in the day, and some of the 'too easy' comments later, I've found that my skill level has improved much more noticably in the early weekday puzzles than in the latter puzzles. Some of that surely is having crosswordese at my finger tips, which plays a greater part in early weekday puzzles; some is the nature of what makes a late weekday puzzle difficult: a mixture of more difficult fill, more arcane themes or none at all, and some downright obscure answers. <BR/>I can do tons of puzzles, then fill in ERNE / OLIO / OLEO / etc like a monster, solving Mon - Wed quickly, but none of that is going to help me with a Carolinas with NGAIO and UMIAK as we had last Friday. That's where Ulrich's hockey stick comes in, at least in my case.<BR/>We've had two weeks of really easy Mon - Wed puzzles in a row, and maybe it would have been nice if the Wednesdays were significantly more difficult that the Mondays, but so what? I still got smacked down the past several Fridays because of the vast expanse of things I don't know. <BR/>I play games on Mondays, just to make the puzzle interesting: I only use the across clues. If I can do that, I'm golden. If not, well, so what.<BR/><BR/>I agree that cluing Elisabeth SHUE with Cocktail was a huge passive aggressive snub. She was in a couple of OK movies, one very good one (Leaving Las Vegas), and they came up with one of the worst movies of all time?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40134997548935942612008-04-09T17:43:00.000-04:002008-04-09T17:43:00.000-04:00i don't get the 10 c-notes clue??i don't get the 10 c-notes clue??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63379302139834865412008-04-09T17:29:00.000-04:002008-04-09T17:29:00.000-04:00To Bill from NJ:You can just get a book of more ch...To Bill from NJ:<BR/>You can just get a book of more challenging puzzles and substitute those on the early days - that's what my mom (also from NJ, and married to a Bill, but as Dad's never shown any interest in CWs I assume you aren't he :) ) started doing when she got bored with the monday/Tuesday NYT fare. Of course, then you lose the fun of checking out Rex's blog to compare his experience with your own - can't have everything.<BR/>Personally I'm surprised you find the difficulties so predictable. I find that every day from Wednesday on I may cruise through (very rare on Saturdays!) or may get really stuck on and be unable to finish.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81889159333169064842008-04-09T17:27:00.000-04:002008-04-09T17:27:00.000-04:00@bill from NJThat's sort of the point I was making...@bill from NJ<BR/><BR/>That's sort of the point I was making the other day when I complained about the repetition of answers and/or clues in the recent past. IMHO, it's one thing to make the Mon-Thurs puzzles easy, it's another thing to make them <I>easier</I> by having the same answers show up in puzzles only a few days apart. I have no problem with making a Monday puzzle easy, but can't they at least wait a few weeks before recycling answers? <BR/><BR/>-ronathan :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com