Topic: Tricks and Tips

[Nichi]

I do watch a couple of cooking shows on the Food Network Channel: 1.) I've learned a lot, and 2.) there's something oddly comforting in watching the chefs and cooks. I'm not sure why, but I didn't watch my mother or grandmother nearly enough, growing up. I only have the briefest memories.

These chapters on the Food Network are using fully-equipped kitchens, something I don't have at this time. (At this time, I don't even have a working oven - stovetop, yes, but no baking is afoot in this house at this time.)

Also, there are various tools absent from my kitchen - in particular, this one (the food processor):


(See attached...)

I'm not too mechanically inclined, and I can just see myself breaking the thing. I have had the blender and juicer in my day, but they disappeared in one of the many moves I've made over the years.

At any rate, I saw a couple of things made today which were amazing - but couldn't have been done without the processor - at least, no where near as well.

I saw a cole slaw being made which, using the processor, finely shredded red cabbage, regular cabbage, red onions, apples, carrots, celery, garlic, and sweet potatoes. Then it was dressed with a mixture of mayo, mustard, sugar, celery seed, paprika, and apple cider vinegar. They called it "Rainbow Slaw", and it looked really good. Yes, the right knife and shredding-skills could have come close to accomplishing the same, but oh, to see it all done in 2 or 3 minutes was a wonder ... There's something to this "tool" thing. 

Speaking of cole slaw, in other recipes I've seen these two vegetables used as ingredients - I've no experience with either of them, but they look intriguing:
celery root
herkama
They too were shredded in the processor.

[Nichi]

Another processing 'trick' I saw today was in making a bolonnaise sauce. The chef had his ground meat saute-ing and then, in the processor, ground down a mixture of celery, carrots, onions, basil, and garlic - the consistency was like bread crumbs when he was done. The consistency probably couldn't have been achieved without the processor. He added that crumbly mixture to the cooking meat, as if it was a pesto. (Then he went on to add his tomatoes, etc.)

[Nichi]

Also, when one is making soup, at the point it's almost ready, you pour a lot of the soup into the processor to puree it.

Another nifty tool for achieving that puree is the attached gizmo - a hand-held blender. Definitely on my wish list - I love to make soups.

[Ke-ke wan]

Definitely one of my fave kitchen tools is the food processor, which I do not have at home, but use often at work.  A close second is the hand blender, which I use at home all of the time.

Celery root is delicious vegetable raw, cooked, pickled in soups or salads.  First tried it in Paris where they used it in an interesting salad and fell in love with it.   I don't find it often in Canadian stores but it is available.  Herkama I've not heard of,  but sounds a bit like Jicama, a root--could be the same thing?

[Nichi]

Yes, that's the stuff - thanks for the spelling! Wouldn't have thought to search "j-i-c".

[Nichi]

(In grocery stores here, I've never seen celery root or jicama, though they could be on the stands in some organic shop somewhere. They're not standard fare here.)

[Michael]

I like a good knife myself.
But actually I confess to being very fond of the large Chinese cleaver - love the way it chops and can scoop up loads.

I also love good quality, heavy based pots and pans.

Also want to say that music makes cooking a joy.

[Nichi]

Also want to say that music makes cooking a joy.

That's a great tip! Some would add a glass of wine for the chef too.