I suppose it's partly because I try to keep kitchen clutter to a minimum. No Unitaskers for me. Somehow I convinced myself that a food processor or a blender fit that category. I can chop anything I need by hand, and blend anything I need with a whisk.
It's partly because I used to think of myself as an Annie in Father of the Bride type. You know when she gets so upset because her fiancee's romantic gift for her is a blender and she's like 'You just want me to be a brainless little barefoot wife.' I used to think that I should think of a blender that way. But the truth is, underneath it all, I can't wait to kick off the heels I wear to the office and put on my apron and get to using my new blender. Excuse me, blender/food processor, this is definitely no Unitasker.
It surprised me just a little, but researching, buying, and using this Cuisinart Duet (isn't that name pure culinary poetry?) absolutely made my week. It has already saved my life, and my arm which did not fall off from whisking a double batch of roasted red pepper pine nut aioli.
You know how it's hot here? The last thing I want to do is contribute to that little problem by turning on my oven. I want cold soup. And more cold soup. I especially want the Creamy Asparagus with Toasted Almonds soup we had at Pazo's in Baltimore for my birthday but they wouldn't give me the recipe when I nicely asked. I made a few creamy cold cucumber and avocado soups last week. Sounds delish? Not so. They were disappointing at best and gag inducing at worst. I'm beginning to think that personal recommendations are much more successful than Google's. So I need yours. If you have an amazing cold soup recipe, especially one involving something I might find at the Farmer's Market next weekend, please please share!
P.S. Thank you Mom and Dad, this Duet was made possible by your Christmas gift last year.
3 comments:
Yes, now that I have my food processor, I will never go back.
Speaking of soups, next on my list of non-essential coveted items is a hand-held blender.
I think the secret to most cold soups is creme fraiche. Right now I am cooking a potato leek soup (yes, cooking, but it's a cold day here), but once the veggies are soft, I'll let it cool, and then puree it in the aforementioned food processor with creme fraiche and serve it cold.
I try to make soup in a large batch on a cold day so that I can still enjoy soup for the rest of the week with out bringing anything to boil.
Keep us posted! I love soup.
Aah, Yes. Cuisinart food processor. Your Grandma W. and Aunt Mary busted the limit on gifts and went in together to get me mine the Christmas you were born ( you were absolutely going to have home made baby food.) I still have that Cuisinart. It is quality, even after it walked itself off the counter one day probably 20 years ago.
One of the magazines I get has a feature in which they con a restaurant into divluging a recipe at the request of a subscriber. Is it not Bon Appetit? I will try to remember to check when I get home but you should call and ask me. There is a tiny bit of hope for acquiring that soup.
Summers got darn hot where I grew up and we did not have anything different that you do... a window unit (except that your Grandfather cut a hole it the wall of the livingroom to create a custom "window" for the A.C.... probably did it 2 hours before Grandma had guests coming!) We often had a cold dinner of fruit salad topped with sherbet (that is the antiquated version of sorbet) or vanilla ice cream. I loved summertime.
Mm
I missed this post! How did I miss this post???
That machine looks great. I got a food processor and thought I could double it as my blender, but you know what? It doesn't work.
When J & I lived on Walnut St, she made an amazing cold cucumber soup that even Brian liked! I called her to ask her which book she got the receipe out of a few months ago, and she told me she didn't remember making a cold soup. But I remember! It was fabulous!
Anyway, if I find that receipe or another good one, i'll let you know.
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