No 9609, Wednesday, 12 Aug 09, Neyartha

Another starred clue round!!
Note: Solutions to the starred clues (which carry no direct definition) add flavour to cooking.
ACROSS
 1 - Is this a recovery with medicinal aid? Yes and no! (7,6) - PLACEBO EFFECT [E]
 9 - *These are left in sheltered bays (6) - C{L}OVES
10 - Writer’s portable sunshade in the annex is lost in the shadow (8) - {PEN}{UMBR(-ell)A}
11 - Very cold and unfriendly (3) - ICY [DD]
12 - *Force the Poles in the shelter to return (6) - {F}E{NN}EL<- )
13 - Bioscience using ECE in a bad way (8) - EUGENICS*
14 - Adjusted space on keg for pastry (6,4) - SPONGE CAKE*
17 - *Letters from the drama centre (4) - MACE [T]
18 - Dank places may encourage this tree hugger (4) - MOSS [CD]
19 - Run to follow quarry around Oriental castle with the warden (10) - {GAME}{KEEP}{E}{R}
21 - University doctor in Velachery outskirts excised the inflammation (8) - NEURITIS(-vy)* Nice clue
23 - Goblins in ball kicked out the tyro from the lively dances (6) - P{O}O(-l)KAS Got this from a word search.
25 - This number is also on the radio (3) - TWO (~too)
26 - Repetition played on a harp by Arun initially (8) - ANAPHOR*{A} New word for me
27 - Cheap eggs sent back to Germany’s borders (6) - {STIN<-}{G(-erman)Y}
28 - Might bandaging reveal a business attire? (5,8) - POWER DRESSING [CD]
DOWN
 2 - Sick in the French city (5) - L{ILL}E Double duty for French
 3 - Pledges in a drunken conversation to get rid of the port (9) - COVENANTS(-rio)*
 4 - *Backward R&D centre embraces metric system (5) - BA{SI}L
 5 - Emmy (ape) stricken with inflammatory disease (7) - EMPYEMA*
 6 - *Iron in the north unearthed originally by a European (9) - {FE}{N}{U}{GREEK}
 7 - *Henry leaves friend’s mina wingless (5) - C(-h)UM{(-m)IN(-a)}
 8 - Vehicle deployed incorrectly to take Ron out (8) - TRICYCLE(-ron)*
15 - You can find many rings in these shows (5-3) - PHONE-INS [CD]
16 - A Scottish reel for the octette (9) - EIGHTSOME [DD]
17 - Con men’s IM reveal memory devices (9) - MNEMONICS*
20 - *It is gathered for the auditor (7) - MUSTARD (~mustered)
22 - Poor person from the east smuggles the magazine proof (5) - REPRO [T<-] )
23 - Selection of typos sent to the law group (5) - POSSE [T]
24 - Malicious burning of a bit of gallium for sulphur and gas (5) - AR(-s+g)GON