56
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The Dish...

...is an intriguing blend, with a base of classic Western flavours, and a twist of the Orient at its heart.

crossword grid


The Ingredients...

...are diverse and are combined in such an unexpected - dare I say, cryptic - way that the true nature of any individual component becomes lost in the complexity of flavours.

ACROSS
1. Write about shuffled pack to get prize (7)
6. Starting as young and healthy nanny in British India (4)
10. Look or show (3)
12. Crumbling sound returns, enveloping rest of leaders (7)
14. Raised from a broken desk (5)
16. Wretch buried in lotto adverts (4)
18. Ninety less than total becomes difficult to find (7)
19. I initially took the thing (2)
20. An unlimited amphibian once more (4)
21. Improvised return of heroic lead in conclusion (2,3)
23. Completely change curb outlet (8)
24. Enraged marksman lost head (3)
25. One lost in Middle East, behind pig's pen or stall (?)
27. Saw a culmination of hard time (?)
29. One knight for each (?)
31. Queen's hesitation (?)
32. Office of secret boss (3)
33. Personal radio harbours spirit vestige (?)
36. Study rose, they said (?)
39. Negative number (?)
40. Otherwise drill core (?)
42. Bore half of backward youths (?)
44. Breathing device from South Caribbean island (5)
46. Globe flipped, without replication, for science? (3)
48. Spin timeless vase (?)
49. Swallow dreadful tea (?)
50. Friend's pass is sent back (3)
51. Assemble a minute donkey (5)
52. Intimate note with appreciation (?)
54. City of Angels: almost everyone returns (2)
56. Qantas leaders are focused on preventing mistakes (?)
57. Separate right before climax (?)
60. Atrocities change lives (5)
62. Death is close (3)
63. St Peter Eymard's last? (?)
64. A half peeled banana (?)
66. Cup of tea and cake - dropping nothing takes energy (?)
68. Recover from sleep with dreams about the endlessly profound (?)
70. Periodically, a cheat gives exclamation (3)
71. Effective after six swallow a red fluid (8)
72. Less favourable seize outsiders after procession left (5)
75. West replaced South in balanced contract (4)
76. Royal without coat is fashionable (2)
77. Mayhem, disorder and surrounded by chaos (7)
80. Pour tequila first, then find missing edibles second (4)
82. A strange UFO left entangled (5)
83. Charlie returned concerning look for climber (7)
85. One, surrounded by thousands, gives performance (3)
86. Remarkable, wide sombrero (4)
87. In a perfect world, I would behead most (7)

DOWN
1. Dishevelled Justiciars oust revolutionary. It is time to welcome birds? (8)
2. Nick exploded, "Yes, precious!" (6)
3. Dad eats the last legume (3)
4. Directed from ring road, then blundered, missing right (?)
5. In the direction of Tonga (2)
6. Trouble is, neglect loses female (3)
7. I heard sheep is puzzle solver? (3)
8. Reaction from cardinals nesting in a roof top (?)
9. Exploited and mistreated without muscle (4)
10. Notice common era (2)
11. Rotary is helping outside of their initial one fifty (10)
13. Burn consumes lowest forum (?)
14. Figure representing a tax on 50% of arts (?)
15. Even Peugeot gives self-worth (3)
17. Bird with severed tail expresses pain (2)
22. Mug takes hell for scrutiny (7)
26. Twisted ten dropped from reminder message (4)
28. Follower's gutless record label took soundtrack (7)
30. Second noble is one without love? (?)
34. Boundless plans for stack of blank paper (4)
35. Rude groom fell short with halved waiting lists (7)
37. The Giant is respecting and up front? (?)
38. European from Delaware (?)
41. With or without boy band (?)
43. Finish with back to front shelter (?)
45. Everyone is after beauty's first dance (4)
46. Score after cord-cutting (10)
47. Group understood power tool (7)
53. Argentina superimposes the artificial on the real (?)
55. Passionate opera singer returns (4)
58. Continent is unavailable (?)
59. A TCG, perhaps, is revolutionary and essential? (?,?)
61. Balance is established around year 2000 by heartless Roy (8)
63. Party takes a spill (?)
65. Assembled both here and performed topless (?)
67. Swamp doctor dazzles, killing insects (?)
69. Slender fish ate up bloke's paint (6)
73. Clown left out of lounge (3)
74. Dirty talk from small dog without tail (4)
75. You and I join West to East (2)
78. Exist back-stage (3)
79. Leave faction without cent (3)
81. Before we drink, get seconds (3)
82. Farming for silver (2)
84. Oddly paid, rounding value? (2)

Ultimately...

...the depth of the meal will reveal its subtleties only to those with the most discerning of palates. Culinary connoisseurs will not only be treated to wondrous flavours, but will get a revealing glimpse into the mind of its creator...

63D 29A 18A 27A, 79D 76A 11D 61D. 36A 19A 41D 8D.

final solution

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3
  • $\begingroup$ Ah, finally the master of puzzle-makers has returned to the scene! Just in time for 2017 it seems ;c) $\endgroup$
    – BmyGuest
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 10:14
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @BmyGuest - yep it seems I just need you to kick my butt more often. What's my next deadline? ;) $\endgroup$
    – Alconja
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 10:43
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ End of Dec 2018 pops to mind, but please not. :c) $\endgroup$
    – BmyGuest
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 10:49

1 Answer 1

34
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The completed dish

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The reasons why

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The middle of the grid is a Sudoku! But instead of digits 1-9, it uses 4 walls and the letters ADENR.

The ultimate message

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Follow the directions

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My answer

Drow's sorcery re: crossword!

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10
  • $\begingroup$ Well done. Outstanding (and speedy) work, as always. $\endgroup$
    – Alconja
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 10:06
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Lovely. However, I can't see where the last answer came from - although I very much love it and it makes sense. $\endgroup$
    – BmyGuest
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 10:18
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @BmyGuest - made it up on the spot! I originally wanted to find one containing "cryptic", but that clearly wasn't going to happen - and then I stumbled upon this one! $\endgroup$
    – Deusovi
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 10:34
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Maybe the answer should contain a bit of information on the central section of the puzzle. Why the colors? People "browsing in" to PuzzlingSE often just read the puzzle and the accepted solution - and might leave being still puzzled about one or two things :c) I think "filling" this gaps would be in the spirit of SE. $\endgroup$
    – BmyGuest
    Commented Dec 19, 2017 at 10:54
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ wow I have no idea how any of this is deduced $\endgroup$ Commented May 13, 2020 at 9:55

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