Wednesday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: September 12, 2018

My time: 8:44.

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Jeffrey Wechsler celebrates the fine art of French cooking in this puzzle.  Julia Child's PBS show, "The FRENCH CHEF," probably showcased all of these foods at some point during its run: PETIT FOURS, HORS D'OEUVRES ("literally, 'outside the works'"), and MILLE FEUILLE ("literally, 'thousand-leaf,'" but also known as Napoleon or puff pastry, a layered cream pastry).

Being semi-adept at French really helped this solve.

John MUIR is the name of a naturalist I am somewhat acquainted with but I didn't know he had a National Monument named after him.  It was established by Theodore Roosevelt.

I am not familiar with the term TOWER SUITE ("ritzy hotel accomodations"), but it seems to be a pretty common term in the hotel industry.

SHINZO ABE is the 57th and current Prime Minister of Japan since 2012, having also served from 2006-2007.  He became the first Japanese PM to visit Pearl Harbor on December 27, 2016.

Did you know that about 17% of the land in Holland is RECLAIMED?  Me neither.

The terrorist group ISIS, or ISIL, uses a black and white flag.  Is the "feared" epithet really necessary?  Speak for yourself.

North Carolina county... or lead-in to "-ville" is ASHE.  This came up on October 14, 2017, as the name of the city at least.  The county's largest city and county seat is Jefferson.  Asheville is the county seat of Buncombe County.  So confusing!

The Chevy AVEO appeared on September 15, 2017, but today it's clued as "model renamed the Sonic."

I wrote on June 15 that Interstates 70 and 75 meet at Dayton OHIO; today we learn that I-70 and I-70 cross at OHIO's capital, Columbus.

Clever clues: "Pricey bar" is INGOT.  "Sir, to a Brit" is a rather misleadingly insufficient clue for GUV.  "Rose no longer seen in fields" is PETE.

A tough but fair puzzle.  Would do again.  As a French language BUFF, I enjoyed it. Vive LE ROI!