Fun with a Food Processor

[m1469]

So, I am recently discovering the fun of food processing, he he, but I have wondered a thing.  Wouldn't you agree that, one can taste the difference between vegetables (or anything for that matter) that are chopped and sliced by hand and those that are done away with in the food processor ?  Is it just my imagination ?

ALSO, I am thinkin' lately "what the heck else can I make with this machine" ?  he he.  I am going to make curried chicken salad, have already made hummus, egg salad, carrot salad... any other great ideas ?

bye bye
m1469 

[BoliverAllmon]

yes, I think there is a difference in taste. maybe the speed of the blade causes some heat and therefore cooks the vegetables just enough to make a difference in taste.

don't know really

[Siberian Husky]

its all in the brain people..

your brain HEAVILY effects the process of stimuli when interacting withyour senses

[galonia]

I think the food processor chops things more evenly - so the difference in taste between something done in the processor and something done by hand might be attributed to texture?

[BoliverAllmon]

that could be or just a psychological thing as was pointed out by husky

[Siberian Husky]

yes i doubt our human taste buds can really be so refined and sharpened to distinguish between a hand chopped food between a processed food...by knowing which one was hand chopped..your brain will have an automatic appraisal and predetermined favoritism towards this more "cultured"..more "homestyle" cooking that we oh so favor in our age of boxed microwaved food..machinery..and..processors like these...

i rest my case..everyone can go home now..you can lock this thread nom1469i just made your life easier..

THE END

[pianonut]

dear mayla,

i don't know which of your threads to answer first...so will go with this one (still laughing at bernhards answer to 'do i know your name?') hmm.  i go through the alphabet - while just saying 'hello.'  often forgetting people's names, i just consider it a given and tell the person - i have to say your name three times to remember it (so forgive me whilst i say your name a few times).  after several years of living here - i now know my indian neighbor across the street well enough to remember her name (and it's difficult - alpa -  i used to say alva or alma, and she NEVER corrected me - so i kept on making the mistake with other neighbors tilting their heads at me ??)

ok. cuisinarts save a lot of time, and make things look nice (evenly chopped, sliced, etc)lexi was herelexi was herelexi was herelexi was here lexi is my daughter, and yes, she was here. 

hubby likes to take sirloin steak and grind in the food processor (adding parsley, soy sauce or steak sauce, and a little lemon and salt/pepper).  makes good hamburgers or addition to meat dish.

my favorite things are bakery stuff.  a box of brownie mix, 1 cup whole wheat flour, cherry juice (w/ water), cherries, nuts.  voila. really good brownies.  you have to add more water than called for when you add extra flour.

[m1469]

I was wondering if hamburger could be made this way, thanks for the recipe pianistimo 



I just made a very delicious chicken salad from random things in the fridge and had to post it ... LOL


grilled chicken
purple onion
fresh basil
fresh cilantro
pine nuts
peanuts
garbanzo beans
coconut milk
olive oil
juice from lime
cumin
ginger

**
chopped apple
raisins

pepper


mmmmm... yummy foods

m1469

[pianistimo]

yes, i like to use random things from the fridge, too.

interesting you brought this thread up again.  just watched that 'southern lady' what's her name? make fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, cheese biscuits, and chocolate rum cake. 

this is all i can remember since i didn't write anything down...ok. you put one cup of self rising flour in the cheese biscuits adn then add 1-2 more tsp. of baking soda.  this makes sure they rise.  she uses and ice-cream scoop to dole them out.  (basically basic biscuit recipie with buttermilk instead of milk and lots of cheese).

for the mac and cheese, she added SOUR CREAM.  this makes it more creamy than just cheese. of course, it's more fattening, too, but tastes really good.

collard greens, she says she 'strips' the greens by first breaking off the stem major, and then the minor stem in the center she just hold the end with one hand and pulls her other hand down and the leaves rip off the stem.  now collard greens leaves, she says, need to be rolled up and sliced .  for flavoring she cooks with smoked turkey and of course, butter.  she doesn't seem to care about calories.  only taste.  that's why southern cooking is so good.

i feel asleep before the chocolate cake was discussed. sorry.

here's an idea for potroast revisited (in latest fine cooking).  warm the leftovers just enough to liquify the sauce.  shred or chop the meat and combine with vegetables.  aadd enough sauce to make the mixture taste nicely moist but not super juicy.  transfer the mixture to a casserole dish and cover with 1" layer of mashed potatoes (flavored with cheddar or horseradish, if you like) drizzle the potatoes with a little olive oil and bake at 375 for thirty minutes.

[pianistimo]

argh.  i thought i found a turkey for a good price, but then, at home realized i ran out of flour and couldn't do my herb/spices mix.  so, i tenderized (with meat hammer) a package of croutons and sprinkled them over the turkey.  think this will work?  (suppose they could be food processed, if my food processor wasn't broken).

will let you know if the turkey is good or not.

[xvimbi]

argh.  i thought i found a turkey for a good price, but then, at home realized i ran out of flour and couldn't do my herb/spices mix.  so, i tenderized (with meat hammer) a package of croutons and sprinkled them over the turkey.  think this will work?  (suppose they could be food processed, if my food processor wasn't broken).

Flour?? Wouldn't the spices be sufficient? Have you ever brined a turkey? That is really the best way I now to get a juicy bird.

[pianistimo]

never brined a turkey.  how do you do that? 

usually, i put about a cup of flour, spices, and all in a turkey bag.  shake it up.  put the turkey in.  make sure it's evenly covered.  poke holes in top of bag, and then let it cook.  turning the turkey over from leg to breast.  breast down at the end makes it juicier.  also, i baste it alot (usually put water below the turkey to moisten it).  this makes a lot of gravy when it's done and the juices are extracted from the pan.

i've found using dijon mustard all over the turkey before putting it in the bag tastes good.  or, soy sauce.

[m1469]

Well, as long as we are talking turkeys, the last one I made, I tried to marinade.  The company said they could taste the flavour, but I wasn't too sure.  The gravy is outrageous, however, imo.

Prunes
Garlic
Red wine vinegar
olive oil
spansih green olives
capers
Oregano
bay leaves

(brown sugar)
(white wine... I think...)

I don't know how to marinade a whole bird, especially a big one.  I also have never brined a bird... I am interested

Dijon mustard sounds delicious !

[xvimbi]

never brined a turkey.  how do you do that? 

Add salt, sugar and spices, if desired, to water, immerse turkey, let sit for a day or two in the fridge, take out, rinse quickly, let air-dry, roast. Works for smaller birds as well.

usually, i put about a cup of flour, spices, and all in a turkey bag.  shake it up.  put the turkey in.  make sure it's evenly covered.  poke holes in top of bag, and then let it cook.  turning the turkey over from leg to breast.  breast down at the end makes it juicier.  also, i baste it alot (usually put water below the turkey to moisten it).  this makes a lot of gravy when it's done and the juices are extracted from the pan.

i've found using dijon mustard all over the turkey before putting it in the bag tastes good.  or, soy sauce.

I usually liberally cover the bird with a mixture of allspice, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, mace, garlic, salt, and pepper (I probably forgot something). I do baste, but have the feeling it's not really required. I never get a turkey that has butter or phosphates injected in its meat. Free-range sounds good, but I haven't seen any advantages.

After covering turkeys, we can move on to deboning birds prior to filling with a stuffing. The deboning has to be done such that the bird is completely intact - no cuts in the skin! That is fun!

[m1469]

.

[pianistimo]

yes.  what if it keeps floating to the top.  what do you do then?

xvimbi, that actually sounds quite good and would be moist.  mayla, are you serious about prunes with capers.  i think you are most hilarious.  now, i'd like to see a video of you trying what xvimbi said. 

about the deboning.  why do you feel the need to debone before stuffing.  and why would you do this to a free range chicken? (just some random thoughts)  imo, free range chickens have less fat.  thus reducing poundage right there.  do you weigh the turkey after cooking?

ps you must have some really secret deboning strategy with no cuts in the skin.  it must fall right off the bone.

[m1469]

No pianistimo, I am not joking  .  However, I am not talking about food processing anymore.  I know the prunes sound weird, and then with capers too, but it's actually incredibly delicious.  The prunes become very rich and sweet and you barely want to eat a bite of meat without the perfect blend of spanish olive, caper, and prune.  MMMMMMMM...  my mouth is watering....

Oh yeah, and after you bake the bird, you sprinkle cilantro all over it.  It's one of my favorite dishes and you can put this marinade on chicken breasts or whatever.  he he, it's so good I can barely maintain... 

Now, I am also a bit interested in this de-boning situation... hmmmm  I don't think I will be creating any cooking videos anytime soon... we'll leave that to xvimbi 


m1469