Gotten any fun stuff lately?

[KennethT]

I had high hopes for this device:

https://www.amazon.com/STIRMAX-Multi-Cooker-Automatic-programmable-Simmering/dp/B0DC1T1F36/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2ALKEQSAU0MDC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KmC0Kqgeq7oXNwgT_2sw-5hsWS7uOtFbUMINaFZa8MbHNckPFfQwRRcGqfm-B8wDUueN3WoXczgWEwjDenv-KiijkLjZaBhU7nZ6rC5uMobLeusKxQ1cCOSV_7jUAs06TV-mY6hQrfhSAbWiY8I0ZY4eykebKJ-ji4uyHhzM51xWhhhxEwD3Fy01YhW8VszGuUCoYgd9hUmWvWFRqETUcUgVaObuL6G51hRqmCKt6KM.1pEqI7ArR6lICHA15thBtJeV__Md33IBL4hngdXEXZ0&dib_tag=se&keywords=power%2Bxl%2Bstir%2Bmax%2Bmulti%2Bcooker&qid=1742489461&sprefix=power%2Bxl%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

 

It's designed to automatically stir foods that are cooking in it - I thought it would be a great thing to use to automate frying Malay/Indo/Nyonya curry pastes (typically fried in oil prior to adding liquids) or making long cooked (and constantly stirred) stuff like rendang.  I received it the other day and finally got to try it out last night.  I tested it with frying some pureed onion.  Unfortunately, the stirring doesn't work nearly as well as I'd hoped it would - there's a decent sized gap between the stirring blade and the pan's bottom and there's 4 spots on the corners of the square pan where the food accumulates and A) doesn't actually cook there as there's only little heat and B) doesn't get out of there unless manually moved (which kinda defeats the purpose of an automated stirring mechanism, no?)

 

Disappointed... and it's being returned this weekend...

[Shel_B]

I found another supplier for the Pasilla de Oaxaca chilies, and am very happy with their product. A two-ounce package was ordered, larger than what I'd generally been getting. More importantly, they are well-sized, supple, and fragrant, with a nice, but not overpowering, smokey aroma. I was surprised to see them shipped from Nashville, TN, a place I'd not expect to find a well-stocked spice shop.  They have a varied assortment of chile peppers, and their prices look pretty good ... worth a look, IMO. The price was $8.00 an ounce and shipping was $5.25, one of the two best prices I've found for this pepper.

 

I'm a very pleased pepper purchaser and now have enough of these peppers to last a while.

 

https://www.surajspicesteas.com/collections/spices-chiles

 

Edited March 20 by Shel_B
Clarify price and quantity (log)

[rotuts]

@KennethT

 

Im glad you were able to return it .

 

 

this looks a lot like Late Night TV ad's   :  4 easy payments ,etc .

[KennethT]

41 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@KennethT

 

Im glad you were able to return it .

 

 

this looks a lot like Late Night TV ad's   :  4 easy payments ,etc .

Ha!  It seemed like a product sold on late night TV but it actually looked pretty solid when I unpacked it.  It's a good idea - just too bad it didn't work as well as it could've!  Part of me feels like I should design my own version - that could be fun.... Not of a complete cooker, but the automated stirring function...

[rotuts]

@KennethT

 

it is a good idea .  but to be done correctly , it's got to be something like a KitchenAid mixer

 

that sort of quality .  with those add-on paddles that have a flex edge that truly scrapes the edge of the bowl.

 

Consider their IceCream bowl, well made

 

but a bowl you heat .   unfortunately , heating to saute temps might make it quite expensive.

 

you bet the idea .

[TdeV]

@rotuts and @KennethT,

 

That pan cannot possibly be SEVEN quarts!

 

3 hours ago, rotuts said:

@KennethT

 

Im glad you were able to return it .

 

 

this looks a lot like Late Night TV ad's   :  4 easy payments ,etc .

 

[KennethT]

2 hours ago, TdeV said:

@rotuts and @KennethT,

 

That pan cannot possibly be SEVEN quarts!

 

 

I didn't measure, but it is pretty big...

[Maison Rustique]

@Smithy sent me a couple of her nut picks! Sorry I didn't take a photo and I've already put them away, but I'm so happy. I won't be pickin' and fiddlin' (leaving that to Smithy), but if I've got nits or bones to pick, I'm all set!! 😉

 

I won't post the whole list, but this little envelope traveled a long way, back and forth for many days. And Nancy, if you can believe it, even though I got it yesterday, I got an email from USPS this morning saying the package had exceptions and would be delayed. 🤣

 

Thanks so much!! ❤️

[Smithy]

7 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

@Smithy sent me a couple of her nut picks! Sorry I didn't take a photo and I've already put them away, but I'm so happy. I won't be pickin' and fiddlin' (leaving that to Smithy), but if I've got nits or bones to pick, I'm all set!! 😉

 

I won't post the whole list, but this little envelope traveled a long way, back and forth for many days. And Nancy, if you can believe it, even though I got it yesterday, I got an email from USPS this morning saying the package had exceptions and would be delayed. 🤣

 

Thanks so much!! ❤️

 

You're very welcome! And I'm glad it has arrived!

 

My little jar of Aji de Amarillo (Peruvian chile paste), that I ordered on March 6 and was shipped on March 7, is still zinging around the country! I've lost track of the delay notices, but there have been at least four.

 

[weinoo]

Ahhh, the good old USPostal Service.  Ain’t what it used to be.

[gfweb]

On 3/20/2025 at 3:02 PM, KennethT said:

Ha!  It seemed like a product sold on late night TV but it actually looked pretty solid when I unpacked it.  It's a good idea - just too bad it didn't work as well as it could've!  Part of me feels like I should design my own version - that could be fun.... Not of a complete cooker, but the automated stirring function...

 

 

Consider Thermomix!

[KennethT]

2 hours ago, gfweb said:

 

 

Consider Thermomix!

Isn't that more of a blender that heats?  Does it continually scrape the bottom or does it have blades that turn to stir a soup or something?

[gfweb]

41 minutes ago, KennethT said:

Isn't that more of a blender that heats?  Does it continually scrape the bottom or does it have blades that turn to stir a soup or something?

 

Maybe someone on eG has one and can give the details

[ElsieD]

https://www.thermomix.ca/pages/thermomix-tm6

[Dave the Cook]

1 hour ago, gfweb said:

 

Maybe someone on eG has one and can give the details

 

Where's @Kerry Beal when you need her?

[ElsieD]

28 minutes ago, Dave the Cook said:

 

Where's @Kerry Beal when you need her?

The link i posted will give you the info on the Thermomix.  My model has graduated temperatures you can set from 37C to 100C.  It also kneads bread, comes with two steamer baskets, , one fits inside the Thermomix, the other on top.  I've never had a problem with the blades not clearing the bottom.  I use mine mainly for risotto, but there are a lot of different things you can do with it.

[Kerry Beal]

2 hours ago, Dave the Cook said:

 

Where's @Kerry Beal when you need her?

I'm here - I'm here. 

 

Really about the only machine you need in the kitchen if you only have room for one. I use it for anything I would use a food processor for, to mix and knead doughs, to cook and stir. Beating cream, egg whites etc. About the only thing the model I have doesn't do well is caramel - but I'm under the impression that the next edition actually does that better. 

 

Cooking in your thermomix

Edited Saturday at 10:57 PM by Kerry Beal (log)

[Shel_B]

Mutti Merriment: My friend Barbara gifted me these four tubes of triple-concentrated tomato paste this morning. She knew my supply was at zero and, since she happened to be across town at the Berkeley Bowl market, she grabbed a few tubes for me.

 

Mutti has become my preferred tomato paste and, unless there's a tomato paste emergency, it's the only paste I'll buy. Recently such an emergency fell upon Casa de Shel, and a tube of the Whole Foods branded paste was called to fill in. It was insipid and uninspiring. My deepest thanks to Barbara.  Anyone want half a tube of Whole Foods tomato paste?

 

 

Edited Sunday at 03:18 AM by Shel_B (log)

[KennethT]

13 hours ago, Kerry Beal said:

I'm here - I'm here. 

 

Really about the only machine you need in the kitchen if you only have room for one. I use it for anything I would use a food processor for, to mix and knead doughs, to cook and stir. Beating cream, egg whites etc. About the only thing the model I have doesn't do well is caramel - but I'm under the impression that the next edition actually does that better. 

 

Cooking in your thermomix

Thanks, but can it stir small quantities while frying in a small amount of oil?  Not a quart of soup, but stirring (and wiping the bottom so it doesn't burn) say a half cup of spice paste?

[chromedome]

Huh. I don't know if it qualifies as "fun stuff," but one of our two national grocery chains (Sobeys) is now carrying a range of products from its UK counterpart, Sainsbury's. It seems to mostly be incidental stuff, like marmalade, candy, canned beans, cookies (sorry, biscuits) and lemon curd.

 

UK peeps, are any of their products especially notable?

[liuzhou]

This should be fun.

 

 

On the right is what I ordered. 牙买加辣椒 (yá mǎi jiā là jiāo), Jamaican Scotch Bonnet seeds. A whole five seeds!

 

On the left is what they threw in as a "freebie".  柠檬滴辣椒 (níng méng dī là jiāo), lemon drop peppers aka Ají Limón which are Peruvian, 

 

How they got to China, I don't know.

 

This lot cost me $1.45 USD. Hope they germinate!

 

[Shel_B]

1 hour ago, liuzhou said:

How they got to China, I don't know.

This lot cost me $1.45 USD. Hope they germinate!

 

Good price compared to the US prices.

 

Peru has a large Chinese population, about 10% to 12% according to some sources. Seeds may have crossed the ocean with any number of travelers. There was a large influx of Chinese to Peru in the 19th century, and their population exerted a fairly strong influence on Peruvian culture, especially the food, so it's not surprising that there would be some Peruvian items and influences found in China.

 

Aji Amarillo peppers would make a nice complement to the Ají Limón. I don't know what your climate is like, but both peppers grow very well in the Berkeley, California area. A Peruvian acquaintance had bushes of both growing in her yard. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to the peppers or the property, but some memorable dishes were made with them when access was available.

[liuzhou]

25 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

 

Peru has a large Chinese population, about 10% to 12% according to some sources. Seeds may have crossed the ocean with any number of travelers.

 

Yes. I know Central, South America and the Caribbean has a largish Chinese population. However the majority of crossing has been from and not to China. I've been looking for allspice and Scotch bonnets for 30 years and only just found them this month. There is very, very little in the way of Mexican or Caribbean ingredients here.

 

My climate is tropical, but I got these seeds from Heilongjiang, China's northernmost province bordering Siberia, so that isn't a factor.

$1.45  for 5 seeds is a good prices in the USA?

 

 

[Shel_B]

2 hours ago, liuzhou said:

However the majority of crossing has been from and not to China. 

$1.45  for 5 seeds is a good prices in the USA?

 

I'd imagine that over almost two centuries there would be some folks traveling to China and bringing with them some items from their new home, both physical and cultural.

 

Seems like a good price to me, but the US has many different regions and I can only address those with which I'm familiar. While I have travelled throughout the US (missing Hawaii, Louisianna, Mississippi, and Alabama), the places I've lived - called home - have all been comparatively expensive.

Edited 15 hours ago by Shel_B
Clarity (log)

[FauxPas]

4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

$1.45  for 5 seeds is a good prices in the USA?

 

 

I used to order from Sandia Seeds when I was living in US as they have a good selection of hot peppers. The Lemon Drop peppers are there for $3.99 USD for 10 seeds or $3.39 if you buy them in an assortment that includes Orange Scotch Bonnets and Chile de Arbol seeds.  🙂

 

I hope they do germinate well and that you let us know how they grow!  🌱