tikidoc

I too was told not to use plastic with egg whites but I have also read that this is more of an issue with hand whipping. I make sure not to use the scrubby portion of the sponge on the plastic bowl, and since the metal bowl covers the vast majority of what I do with the machine, I don't think it will be difficult to keep the plastic bowl in good shape. The replacement plastic bowl is relatively cheap ($25) so I think if I got into making lots of meringues, I would consider getting a spare bowl just for egg whites. Most of what I do is bread and pizza doughs, and occasionally cookies (I use the roller scraper for that), so for me, this is a much better machine than the KA. For someone who makes lots of lighter batters like cakes and meringues, the KA may be a better choice. Or even a hand mixer might be fine.

Yikes, all these beautiful pictures. I need photography lessons before I post a picture here. We had stuffed pizza, Chicago style, with fresh homemade pork sausage. Delicious but not pretty!

I have not done egg whites with it yet, but I don't think it would be a problem. I have made whipped cream, and it did a fine job in a very short time. I also made whipped pumpkin cream cheese and it got very light and fluffy. You can whip from 1-18 egg whites, per Pleasant Hill Grain (where I bought mine). The folks on the Yahoo mixer group (a good source of information that I used a lot for research before buying the Electrolux) give it rave reviews for egg whites. The Verona comes with 2 bowls, the metal bowl which uses the roller/scraper combination and the dough hook, and the plastic bowl for the whisks and the cake/cookie beaters. I find that the roller scraper does 80% of what I want to do - bread doughs, stiff cookie doughs, quick breads. I use the dough hook for larger batches of stiffer dough. The plastic bowl has a center column and the beaters attach to the top of this and spin more like a planetary mixer, so when you do egg whites or whipped cream, it will be more like using a KA except for the column in the middle. The whisk is for egg whites or whipped cream or frostings, the cookie beaters for heavier things that need to be whipped, like creaming butter or making cakes or cookie batters. For really heavy stuff, I go back to the roller/scraper, although I am still experimenting. I have only had the machine for a couple of weeks. I generally give lots of baked goods out over the holidays, so I will update my impressions once I have more experience with it. One of the other things I like about this machine is that the top is pretty much open, so adding things to the mixer as it is going is easier than with the planetary mixers, with either bowl. I often ended up with flour all over my counters with the KA (even with the bowl cover with the chute), but that has not been an issue with the Electrolux. I only have one optional attachment so far, the flaker mill, and I am happy with it and am looking for more attachments. The flaker makes great fresh oatmeal from oat groats, and can be used for other grains too. I enjoy the texture of the fresh oatmeal, and I would think the nutrition is better since it stays in it's whole form until the last minute. Jess

Benefits of the Electrolux, to me: 1. Build quality - they last like KAs used to. On the Yahoo Mixer group, there are several people with Electroluxes well over 30 years old, still going strong. I was tired of having KAs go out after 2 years. 2. Huge capacity - you can make a LOT of bread at once with this thing. I don't need the capacity every day (or even every week) but on occasion I do, and it is nice to have a machine that can handle both small and big batches. 3. Gluten development - based on my fairly limited experience (and comments on the Yahoo board as well), the gluten development seems superior to that I got with the KA. My breads have better texture with the Electrolux. 4. A timer - you can set the mating to knead for a certain amount of time, and unlike even my big KA, it does not bounce around on the countertop, so I don't have to babysit the machine when it is kneading dough. I have also used the whisk and plastic bowl for making whipped cream, and it does just as good a job as the KA did.

Mmm, fried mush. My mom used to make that for me when I was a kid. I don't really like sweet stuff in the morning, so I usually just ate it as is - fried in a little salted butter. I very much identify with your comments about liking to be able to make stuff from scratch even when you don't have to. We have a few goats and cows (none milking at the moment, unfortunately) and sometimes make our own butter and cheese. We buy most of the butter that we use but it is nice to make occasionally, and goat butter is a real treat. I have a hand churn, but usually just use the food processor to make butter. Much easier since my stupid horse tripped when I was riding him, and I broke one wrist and separated the opposite shoulder this spring. The food processor does a good job, and it takes only 10 minutes or so. I'm looking forward to trying your cornbread recipe. I have not tried corn in my grain mill (I have an old Whisper Mill, which is not as adjustable as your NutriMill) but I'd like to give it a try.

This is not fancy, but I get requests for it every year around the holidays and it gets rave reviews, and it can be made in under 30 minutes. I just started my holiday baking/treat making and made two batches today. 1 lb. unsalted butter 2 cups chopped and lightly toasted pecans 1 cup slivered almonds 1/2 tsp salt 3 Tb water 2 cups granulated sugar (I use raw sugar) 12 ounces chocolate - I use good quality semisweet chips, but you can use whatever you want, either chips or finely chopped. You could even use milk or (gag) white chocolate, if you prefer. Line a half sheet pan with foil or a Silpat type liner. Melt butter in a saucepan, add salt, water and sugar. Bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the almonds. Boil until it reaches 315F, stirring constantly. The last 10 degrees or so, it will darken in color and start to smell like toffee. Dump it on the sheet pan and spread to cover the bottom. Sprinkle the chocolate all over the toffee, give it a minute to melt, then spread evenly over the toffee. An offset spatula works well. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the chocolate, lightly press to set them in the chocolate. Cool 6-8 hours and break into pieces. Yum. Happy Holidays.

I don't know exactly what is wrong with it. I called a repair place, they told me a minimum of $100 to do anything to it. As for what happened, it started smelling of burning things and then quit. Prior to that, it got very hot mixing anything thicker than egg whites or cream. When I get the time and inclination, I suppose I can open it up and see, and then sell it if it is fixable for a reasonable price. But this is my second dead KA in 5 years (the other was examined by a repair guy, was told about $200 to fix for that one). Both out of warrantee. I'm done.

I have the meat grinder for the KA too, but it always struggled and the attachment sometimes fell off when in use. The Bosch and the Electrolux both have a variety of attachments available, just like the KA. Both have meat grinders available. This is a link to the place where I got my mixer. http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/magic_mill_dlx_mixer.aspx http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/Bosch_Universal_Plus_Mixer_MUM6N10UC.aspx - this is the bigger Bosch, the Universal Plus. The Compact also has a bunch of attachments but if you want a heavy duty mixer, you would likely want the Universal. I have the flaker attachment for the Electrolux and it works great. I'm keeping an eye out for other used attachments on eBay. Used attachments are not as easy to find as for the KA but they are out there. The Hobart is a great machine too.

I don't know if it had a plastic gear or not, but my KA "Pro 600" died making a relatively small batch of wet dough, at the age of 2. $400+ down the drain. I will never buy another KA. I got rid of my old small one (big mistake) to upgrade, then it died so I got the 600, then it died. I now have a Bosch Compact, which looks like a toy but doesn't even strain on doughs that used to make smoke come out of the KA, and an Electrolux Verona (formerly called the DLX). My only complaint about the Bosch is it's light weight, so you have to hold it to keep it from walking off the counter. The Verona is a tank. There is a bit of a learning curve to get used to the non-planetary motion but once you are used to it, it is awesome. My advise? Get an old KA (pre-Whirlpool) or go with an Electrolux or a Bosch.

I want to sell the house we moved from recently (which has a kick butt kitchen that I miss terribly) so I can redo the unbelievably crappy kitchen I am currently tolerating. Please, Santa?

Hmm, I subscribed a while back, got issue 1 from Amazon but still waiting on issue #2...

A really good resource for all things coffee is sweetmarias.com. They specialize in importation and sale of small lots of excellent green (unroasted) coffee, most of which is bought directly from the small farms, but also sell just about anything you need to roast, grind, prepare or serve coffee. I bought my Silvia and Rocky from them, as well as lots of green coffee over the years. They have a HUGE online library of information about just about everything related to coffee, and they seem really committed to selling the right equipment to each individual customer. I called them several times before settling on the Silvia and Rocky combination. This is also a great place to go if you are thinking of getting into roasting your own coffee. I used to roast all my own but have gone through several home roasters over the years (they ALL burn out within a couple years). Since my drum roaster died, I have not wanted to commit so much money again, and I am going to give the air popper method a try. At least if it dies, it will only cost $20 to replace. I'm also looking at another popular equipment modification, using an old bread machine to stir the beans and a heat gun from the hardware store to cook them... it is supposed to do as good a job as a drum roaster, once you get over the learning curve, and the investment is under $100. I do love my Rancilio equipment. It is very well built and will last a lifetime but the initial cost outlay is significant. It takes up a bunch of room on the countertop though, and I have not found a place for mine since our recent move, so I'm drinking French press at the moment.

You find this surprising on a forum where there is a 48 page thread about cooking with a cookbook (yes, I know it's more than a cookbook) that costs $500?

Agreed. I was told mine would cost over $200 to fix, so it sits in my shed because I may eventually fix it to sell it, if I can get it done cheaper. I also have attachments for the damn thing, which I need to get sold on eBay. I made the mistake, years ago, of getting rid of my old basic KA mixer in order to "upgrade" to a bigger model. Bad idea. I have owned two crap KA mixers since then and would love to have my old one back. You won't regret going with the Electrolux, as long as you spend a little time learning about how it works first. It is not a planetary mixer, so if you are used to a KA, it takes a little adjustment to get used to how this thing works, but it does an awesome job with bread doughs. I have had mine a week and love it. It is SOLID. I also got one attachment for it, a used flaker mill, and it works wonderfully. I love the freshly flaked oatmeal it produces. I'm going to be on the lookout for more used attachments for it, as the new ones are pretty pricey.

Yea, I knew he had died. It was a couple of years after we built the house. I emailed him with pictures of the messed up oven and he gave me the name and contact info of the guy who eventually came out and inspected the oven and told the builders how to fix it. I never met him in person, but he was very helpful. We are now in another house, and I need to buy some new plans, since the builder promptly threw them away after "using them".

Good point, Panaderia. If you can get an older (Hobart-made) KA, even at the price of a new one, it would be money better spent. They last forever if cared for. The price of the KA has barely increased in 30 years. Why? They look the same but the insides are much cheaper to manufacture. You can also sometimes find used Bosch or Electrolux mixers on eBay. I would spend some time on the Yahoo group I mentioned (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mixer-Owners/) before buying. Most there have a Bosch or an Electrolux, and a large number of them bought them after going through multiple KAs. There is lots of discussion about the "learning curve" of the DLX but I just watched a few videos about the DLX (on YouTube) before I got mine, and I have not really had an issue with it. It does not mix like a planetary mixer (except when using the plastic bowl and beaters) but I was able to do a great job on my first bread with it. The Bosch is quite a bit cheaper than the DLX, which just went up in price with the new model.

What do you want to do with it? If the answer is "make bread", do not buy a KA. Look at either a Bosch or an Electrolux mixer. As you can tell, I am not a fan of the KA mixer. I have gone through two (including a Pro 600) in under 5 years, and both died making fairly loose bread doughs, out of warranty, of course. No stiff doughs, and no huge batches or long kneading times. The Pro died making a 80% hydration dough. KA used to make great mixers when they were made by Hobart, but when they were bought out by Whirlpool, they started putting cheap motors with lots of plastic parts in them. They are no longer the mixers that are handed down from parent to child. I now have an Electrolux DLX, a bit pricey and a bit of a learning curve to use, but it is a beast. Makes awesome bread dough, and whipped up a creamy pumpkin cheesecake with ease this morning. I also have a Bosch Compact, which costs less than the KA, and is much more powerful. The two drawbacks for the Bosch - it will not look as impressive on your counter as the KA, and due to the light weight, I sometimes have to hold it to keep from bouncing. But the motor does not even strain with a 2 1/2# batch of stiff bagel dough. I have also heard good things about the Bosch Universal - the big brother of the compact. Bigger capacity and bigger motor, priced similar to a high end KA, and will last many times as long. If you are doing light duty with the mixer, either KA should work fine. I also preferred the bowl lift model. Before it died. There is a yahoo group on mixers, which is a great source of info. I wish I had gone there before getting my last KA.

When building our last house (one that I mourn leaving, it was my dream home with a killer kitchen and a HUGE pantry) we put in an outdoor wood pizza/bread oven. I got a full set of detailed plans from Alan Scott, who literally wrote the book (The Bread Builders) on this type of oven. Key thing for the internal lining of the oven - firebricks abut one another. No grout. At 800F+, grout falls out. I made a point of telling the masons about this, and told them to read the plans carefully because this is not the same as building a fireplace. They proudly finish the oven - 1/4" of grout between each brick. Had to pay a guy who worked for Alan Scott in the past to drive up (around 300 miles round trip) to "inspect" the oven because the masons told me it was fine. Of course it was not, confirmed by the expert, and they had to rip out the guts of the oven and initially wanted to be paid to do so and rebuild it correctly. Um, no.

Diana, the easy solution is to just ask for your check if the guy is still eating when you need to leave.

I have had good success using Cooks' Illustrated's suggestion of brining and then butterflying the turkey, and placing it on the top (flat) part of a broiler pan than then sits over a disposable tin pan full of dressing. The turkey cooks quicker this way, the dark meat stays moist, the skin is crisp, and the dressing is flavored with turkey drippings. The backbone is removed when butterflying the turkey, so this, plus the neck and giblets, are used to make the gravy.

Wow, it's nice to hear from someone else who lived there. I was there in '87-88. An interesting time politically, I was there for the coup attempt in the spring of '88. And thanks for the cookbook recommendations. I have Recetas de mi Suegra on my Kindle. I need to get the one you recommended. I worked at the STRI lab on Isla Naos, so I went through Fort Amador on my way to work every day, and have been to the Yacht Club several times. I loved how they would wrap the palm trees on the causeway I used to go to lunch at the little restaurant at the YMCA in Balboa several times a week, because I made almost nothing as a lab assistant, and it was cheap. Excellent tamales, the big square ones wrapped in banana leaf with lots of culantro (not cilantro!) and a big piece of chicken in the middle. They also had excellent chicken fried rice, which the Panamanians who went there inexplicably doused in ketchup. As far as other cheap restaurants, there was a place on Via Espana that had fantastic soup and pressed sandwiches, similar to Cuban media noches, that the bank workers downtown frequented. There was a great Argentine place that served whole corvina grilled with TONS of garlic, but I can't remember the name of the place. For nights out, several of us often went to El Trapiche on Via Argentina for dinner (tamale de olla!!) then next door to Manolos for coffee and churros (apple filled were my favorite). I also remember a place called Las Tinajas, where they had women dressed in the Polleras doing traditional dances - it was beautiful and the food was very good. There was also a really good German restaurant that was a special occasion thing, but I can't remember the name of that one either. Of course, anyone who visited Panama had to go to Las Cascadas just once for the experience. The food sucked but it was worth it to see the spectacle of Las Cascadas and to read the terribly translated menu. When we would go to the countryside, I loved to get the fire roasted cashews in the little paper bags. And I agree about the produce. We would make a weekly trip to the big fruit and vegetable market. The street food - hojaldres and patacones in the little places on Avenida Central. The pipas (immature coconuts) that you could get for a quarter - the seller would lop the top off with a machete and stick in a long paper straw, so refreshing on a hot day. Porto Bello was gorgeous. And the flight to San Blas scared the crap out of me, landing on El Porvenir. I loved going there though, staying at the Hotel San Blas on Wichub Walla, in the little thatch huts. They made the best spiny lobster and coconut rice. My typical weekends, when I wasn't working, consisted of at least one day lying on the beach at Isla Taboga. The round trip ferry was just a few bucks and there was cheap beer at the restaurant hotel. So do you have any good favorite recipes from Panama?

Back in the late 80's, I was lucky enough to spend a year living in Panama City, working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research institute (STRI) as a research assistant. While there, I fell in love with the food. The best tamales I have ever had (and very different from Mexican tamales). Fantastic ceviche. Wonderful, filling soups. Some of the best Chinese food I have ever had, believe it or not, since many Chinese helped build the Panama Canal, so there is a large Chinese population. Wonderful fresh breads similar to Cuban breads. Wonderful fish dishes with coconut from the San Blas Islands. A sort-or tamale casserole called tamale de olla. I have not been able to find either a good Panamanian cookbook or a good Central/Latin American cookbook with a decent selection of Panamanian recipes. I have found a few recipes here and there on the internet, but none I have really loved. Does anyone know of any good cookbooks with Panamanian recipes? English preferred but my Spanish, although rusty, is good enough to do OK with a Spanish cookbook. Thanks!

Yes, I have done several searches. There are an overwhelming number of threads that mention vacuum sealers, the topics wander tremendously, and a large number of them here concern the chamber vacuums, which are more than I want to spend. I have spent about 3 hours cruising through the threads and still have no idea which one would work. We have a FoodSaver that is a few years old and it has never worked well. What do I want it for? Right now, mostly for freezing food - meat, chickens (we raise a bunch of our own every year), summer produce, and some leftover meals (like when I make big batches of something). I am not currently doing any sous vide but I want to leave that option open. As soon as we sell a house (we recently moved), I will be remodeling our kitchen and will likely get a smallish "water oven", but not right away. But I want something that I can use to make sous vide meals in the future. I understand that the non-chamber sealers can't do as much, but until I really know that I would get my money's worth, I would rather go with a more moderately priced model. Potential ones I have found, the Tilia GameSaver (from Pleasant Hill Grain, $200), Sinbo (good reviews on several sites, uses cheap bags), VacMaster Pro 130, SnorkelVac VS-280 (cheap bags too), Best Vac from minipack®-america, and the Sous Vide Supreme brand. So, input as to the best machine for me? Any others in my price range that I missed? Thanks for any help! Jess

Thanks, Country, for some reason, I just could not come up with the word Cryovac!

I have not used this processor before, but my understanding is all the meat will be in flexible vacuum packages, like you often see with larger cuts of meat (whole tenderloins or briskets, for example) in the big box stores. We have used to other butchers (in another state) and that is what we got. Stuff stays good in the freezer longer, and less chance of freezer burn.