Monday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: August 20, 2018

My time: 4:57.

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Peter Gordon serves up a cosmopolitan feast in this puzzle.  Four geographically named foods are featured: CHICKEN KIEV ("meat entree in Ukraine"), VIENNA SAUSAGES ("meat entree in Austria"), BEEF WELLINGTON ("meat entree in New Zealand"), and LONDON BROIL ("meat entree in the United Kingdom").

And... that's it.  There's no joke or capper.  Those foods are in fact from or named after those places.  Yup. 

Pretty straightforward.  Boring, almost.

So, the fill.

Christine LAHTI is an actress who has played ongoing roles on "Special Victims Unit," "The Blacklist," and "Hawaii 5-0."  She won an Emmy for her role as Kathryn Austin.  She also won an Oscar for Best Short Film!

We all know and adore Alan ALDA, but did we know he wrote a book with the ludicrous title If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?  No, we didn't.  It is a memoir of trying to become more skilled in the art of communication.

ERIC Garcetti is the current mayor of Los Angeles.  He's the first Jewish, and youngest, mayor of the city.

I'm not sure that I knew that Paul ANKA wrote "My Way."  He is a very common crossword answer.

I read the Aubrey and Maturin novels, but for the characterization and adventure, not so much for the nautical terminology and verisimilitude.  In sailing, a boom is a spar at the foot of a mast, serving as the base for the triangle of a MAINSAIL.

I had no idea that in baseball, an INFIELD FLY is a "pop-up that results in the batter being called out even if the ball isn't caught."  That doesn't sound fair!  Why does it exist?  To prevent double or triple plays on popups.  Oh.  All right, then.

"Greek H" ETA appeared January 16.

The freshwater polyp HYDRA appeared on August 12.

Clever clues: "Catch cold?" is NAB.  "Jam ingredient?" is AUTO.

This was a middling Monday.  Easy, with a few more abstruse items for spice, but with a really blah theme.  I would OPT for a more playful theme next time.  TSK!