Motown Newbie

[robgrave]

Hello everyone --

I thought I might get by just lurking in the background, just browsing, reading here and there...

Thing is, though, I broke in my new Kenmore gas range with an apple crisp/crumble, using tips posted mainly on this site, and it came out so good -- really, considering how little baking I've done, it was quite the lovely dish -- that I decided I better become a bit more active here. More interactive, I should say, in the interest of learning much more. Can't live on crumble alone.

So here I am, ready to sop up the wisdom from all you experienced cooks, and ready as well to comment when it seems appropriate.

Now, if I can just make up my mind about whether I really do need a food processor...

 

[Uncle Bob]

Welcome to DC robgrave.....Glad you decided to join our merry band!

Join in & Have Fun!!!!!!

 

[Katie H]

Hi, robgrave. Welcome to DC. Glad your crumble turned out so well. Stick around with us and you'll have many, many more successes. This is a great place for learning and enjoying great company. We're glad you've found us.

 

[GB]

I am glad you decided to jump in! You will get a lot more out of the site now that you are even more active.

qas for a food processor. I have one and love it. I use it about 4 times a year. There is nothing that I use it for that I could not use other tools to do, but I am happy I have it those 4 times a year.

 

[robgrave]

...qas for a food processor. I have one and love it. I use it about 4 times a year. There is nothing that I use it for that I could not use other tools to do, but I am happy I have it those 4 times a year.

OK, GB, you can see where I'm comin' from, I guess. When you've learned to make do without a processor for so long, it hardly seems like an essential. But they do sound like something worth trying, and who knows, it may become as useful to me as my microwave (which I also once wondered whether I needed). Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[David Cottrell]

Hello robgrave - I too have wondered if I need a food processor - but so far I've decided to do it the old fashioned way. Only once have I seriously thought about a purchase - when I was chopping endless parsley for Tabbouleh but I survived and so did the salad. Enough said.
Oh - glad to have you here - let us know how you like your processor.

 

[robgrave]

How much I like it, DaveC, will probably come down to how convenient it is for cleaning. Chopping with a chef's knife may be time-consuming -- especially when skill levels are minimal -- but washing up the knife and board is quick and easy. I'm hoping the KitchenAid 7 cup I've got on order will not be too much of a bother in that regard. It will prove to be entertaining, in any case, at least for a while.

 

[robgrave]

So far, so good with my new KitchenAid 7 Cup (talk about fast processing, it arrived at my door less than 48 hours after ordering online from JCPenney).

A solid piece of work, this unit. Once you get the hang of fastening/unfastening the workbowl and lid cover, it is a cinch to use, and cleaning, so far at least, appears to be no problem. I may change my mind about that, however, if I get around to processing more liquid foods. The lower part of the workbowl handle, where the bowl fastens to the base, does make it possible for more liquid stuff to run up into the handle, making manual cleaning almost impossible (or so I've read).

But for now, I'm happy with it. Shredded some cabbage, made a tuna salad in the mini-bowl, and today I'll give it a veggie slicing workout. Smooth, quiet, and counter-top friendly -- heavy enough to stay put, light enough to move around, and small enough to stay out of the way. Good purchase, I'd say. Thanks again to GB for nudging me into buying it

 

[GB]

My pleasure. I am glad it has been a success so far.

 

[GotGarlic]

So far, so good with my new KitchenAid 7 Cup (talk about fast processing, it arrived at my door less than 48 hours after ordering online from JCPenney).

A solid piece of work, this unit. Once you get the hang of fastening/unfastening the workbowl and lid cover, it is a cinch to use, and cleaning, so far at least, appears to be no problem. I may change my mind about that, however, if I get around to processing more liquid foods. The lower part of the workbowl handle, where the bowl fastens to the base, does make it possible for more liquid stuff to run up into the handle, making manual cleaning almost impossible (or so I've read).

But for now, I'm happy with it. Shredded some cabbage, made a tuna salad in the mini-bowl, and today I'll give it a veggie slicing workout. Smooth, quiet, and counter-top friendly -- heavy enough to stay put, light enough to move around, and small enough to stay out of the way. Good purchase, I'd say. Thanks again to GB for nudging me into buying it

Hey, Rob, welcome to DC

I couldn't live without my food processor - that's just a little bit of an exaggeration. We love pesto and grow several basil plants during the summer - I just froze about 6 cups of it and made it all in the food processor. I also use it for shredding cucumbers for tzatziki and carrots for several kinds of salads, making salsa, and finely chopping mire poix. That's all I can think of right off the top of my head

For very liquid recipes, I use my blender. It seems better suited, since it's so tall. HTH.

 

[robgrave]

...For very liquid recipes, I use my blender. It seems better suited, since it's so tall. HTH.

I've been looking into blenders, as a matter of fact. The old Wards Signature I've got now is still good for milk shakes, but if I'm going to get serious about blenders, I've got my eye on a KitchenAid 3-speed that may make it into the kitchen in the months ahead.

Then again, my old Sunbeam hand-mixer probably should be replaced as well... Cheesh, it's something of a spending spree I've been on lately. Got to slow it down a bit.

BTW, the KA 7-Cup is not particularly good for slicing veggies, unless you like everything sliced wafer-thin. Good for potato chips, I suppose, but generally not so useful. There are no other attachments for this unit, so someone looking for more varied slicing (and shredding) options would probably prefer some other mid-sized appliance.

Doesn't particularly bother me, but I will be on the lookout for a good manual slicing tool. I've got an IKEA visit planned for the week of Thanksgiving, so perhaps I'll get lucky there.