Krissythecook's Profile
Kitchen Essentials on a $500 Macy's Budget - Input is GREATLY Needed!
Hope everything's goine well since you started your new kitchen! I wanted to add a note that may be helpful for shopping garage sales & estate sales. These are unpredictable, and only rarely offer the classics of traditional kitchens such as Le Creuset pans and fine knives. But if you shop them regularly over time, you can find marvelous treasures. Most kitchens are created over time, not too fast, and they change over time as the cook's interests, skills, and family needs change. Welcome to the open universe of cooking!
Kitchenaid vs Cuisinart food processor?
PS The capacity measures on FPs are weird--I don't think they mean that they process X number of cups, because there is a mark on the bowl for the maximum liquid. Usually that is about even w/the height of the central bottom part. They play with the capacity, must measure chopped cabbage or something; eyeball it and look at the manual before you buy for minima and maxima. Nothing matches the FP for puree, cheese cake, cheese balls, fine, fine grinding. Just don't be over impressed by the cute little bowls that come with the KA--they are not that big a deal. If you plan your work to do the dry foods first, you don't need different size bowls. The bowls and blades are dishwasher safe but they take up a lot of room in the dishwasher, and they are hard to clean well by hand. K.
Food processor, kitchen aid, what do you really need?
What you really need depends on what you cook most often and your own energy level and preferences. A lot of kitchen appliances are noisy and ugly and awkward to clean, compared to elegant knives and cutting boards. With practice, you can cook almost anything with a good knife, a cutting board, bowls, spoons and spatulas, a good pasta pot and saucepan and fry pan. As a frequent traveler and former gypsy (5 long distance moves in 10 years), I also have some recipes for wrapping foods in foil to steam or bake, and humility for the fact that it's hard for me to cook energetically at the end of a long day. On weekends I go to town, but when my feet are tired, I'm not spending 2 hours standing in the kitchen. Whatever makes your favorite dishes easier ti make is useful; everything else is junk.
Kitchenaid vs Cuisinart food processor?
I carefully studied reviews and bought the KA 11-cup, because of the 3 bowls it came with. It works great, but the studies didn't mention the cleanup chore--you have to have all the bowls in to use the small ones, which means you wash all of them often. After the initial euphoria, I put away the small ones and just use the large one, so I might have saved some money with the Cuisinart. Check the warranties and the capacity--if you use it much at all for 6 servings, you need the 11- or 12-cup bowl. Customer service is an oxymoron for these companies any more, although I have had good luck with service on my KA mixer. Another way to choose is to go look at them and see which one you like the look and feel of. Machines in the kitchen are tactile hand tools, just in a different way from hand tools.........imho. And, it is a helpful tool, mainly when I'm cooking for a crowd. It's faster and less messy to chop by hand for small quantities, as in dinner for two. I use it for onion quantities (chop + slice), grating cheese, mixing cheesecake & flavored butters, making sauces, jams, chopped nuts, puree veggies, occasionally pie crust & cream puffs. My first food processor was a great little machine from JC Penney, just too small--7 cups means doing lots of batches which is time consuming and inefficient. Good luck. Have fun! I bought the discs for grating Parmesan cheese; several came with the machine.
Seriously Now -- Which countertop appliances do you leave out on your counter?
Such a fun discussion, like visiting everybody's kitchen! My electric drip coffeemaker is on the counter because I program it almost every night to brew at 5:30 a.m., since I have to leave for work at 6:30 and I love having coffee ready when I get there for breakfast. Time and alertness are short, so keeping it easily available is sensible. I keep other coffee makers in the cupboard. My kitchen is based on the 1898 footprint of my old house, but we remodeled in 2004 to make a beautiful space--still not a lot of counter space. It sounds like we all use things that are visible more often, when it's convenient. I've also learned to use the kitchen table for work space, and to double check often that I'm actually using the appliances on the counters--KA mixer, toaster oven. Non-appliances: knife block, cutting board, jars of tall utensils, pot of salt, pepper grinder, bread basket, long narrow ceramic holders for tomatoes and pears. By the sink, soap and hand lotion. I have a rotating double shelf under one counter corner for the FP, blender, rice cooker, immersion blender, hand mixer, and popcorn maker. Works great, but if I were buying a new one I'd be double sure it was heavy duty--it is not happy with the weight on it. On a very old marble top bureau, I have a bread machine, and on the sideboard a radio/CD player. Bon appetit, everyone!
Visiting Colombo, Sri Lanka
Hope you had a great time. We just spent a year in Kandy & enjoyed the terrace at the Amaya Hills Hotel--spectacular view! Bar food is served on the terrace but their restaurant is first class, also with views but from behind windows. Second choice, for location more than menu, was inside the Queens Hotel--Chinese Sri Lankan food with a lovely view of the lake. Third choice was the Swiss Hotel on the east side of the lake It's very popular with locals and visitors, interesting old style decor, good buffet.
cooking classes in india
It may be too late to be helpful, but the homework you do before you go is really important. I just spent a year in Sri Lanka and traveled in China and India, and was delighted to try to understand the complexities of food in India. There are important geographical, cultural, religious, and other issues in many languages, so I can't urge you strongly enough to start reading. One of the good news items is that equipment is simple--don't let anyone sell you any elaborate pans. Generosity with spices is breathtaking, and liberating at the same time. I learned by watching street vendors, who cook in front of you and will often be friendly and answer questions if you buy a snack. My treasure from the trip is a spice box, a large tin holding smaller ones for quantities of favorite spices, all with tight lids. Just forget the puny 0.75 ounce bottles we have in the U.S.! Good luck.
Radishes... what to do w/ them?
Try the Russian radish salad published by Jeff Smith (Frugal Gourmet), in the Immigrants cookbook as I recall: Wash and trim about a pound of radishes. Quarter each radish. Mix with sour cream and small amount of sugar. Delicious!
Seriously Now -- Which countertop appliances do you leave out on your counter?
It's easier to clean a counter with less stuff on it, and it gives you more work room, but it seems like I use most often the tools that I can see. My kitchen has limited counter space, but I keep a huge maple cutting board out at all times (18" round); knife block; 5 jars full of spoons/spatulas/whisks int he corner; drip coffee maker; toaster oven; KA mixer. No room for more--but in a revolving shelf inside a corner cupboard are my food processor, blender, immersion blender, and FP blades. On the stove top, a beautiful copper tea kettle.
Report on 2007 North India trip – before I forget all the details
Thanks for the details! We are planning a trip to N. India in July, living until then in Sri Lanka. We have found a similar challenge with seasoning in Sri Lanka, and only conclude that a lot of Western travelers must be excessively plain eaters. It's hard to know whether to feel sorry for them or quite vexed with the problems they cause the local cooks, and those of us who do like spicy foods. I also sympathize with the vegetarian dilemma--a hard thing to live with for so long. Thanks again for all the tips.
Singapore and Kuala Lumpur recommendations?
Ask locals when you arrive, and look for busy places that are clean. Singapore and Malaysia have effective health boards (possibly the most effective in the region), so you can eat virtually anything you see. We spent two weeks in S. and M. last fall and enjoyed the hawkers in Singapore, along with the locals. Bring your own tissues for napkins!
Food souvenirs from India?
I am planning a trip to India too but have been warned that U.S. Customs will confiscate any food items--it might be wise to double check before going to the trouble of shopping and schlepping.
