Entries Tagged 'equipment' ↓

I recently acquired a factory refurbished Vitamix 5200 Super. Suffice it to say I am in love.

Tonight I made a delicious juice that glows green such that I may call it Krank.

I packed the following in the big container:

• grapes, green, a little over a cup
• lacinato kale, two leaves, stems included, torn into several pieces
• celery stalks, 2, washed and broken into thirds
• cucumber, 1/2, cut into 4 thick rounds
• apple, Gala, past its prime, cut into 8ths
• ice, 1 cup

Blend for 2 minutes or so and drink the glow. Yum.

So, when it gets hot, I tend to lose my appetite. By late July I only want to eat plain yogurt and sliced cucumbers. Maybe some cold applesauce, or a tomato.

Strangely, since last summer, I haven’t really stopped with the yogurt. I crave it. Dipping into a bowl of Brown Cow whole milk cream-on-top yogurt is like heaven.

But it gets expensive. And I ran out of room for the quart sized plastic tubs.

So I decided it was time to start making my own yogurt.

We will not discuss my first attempt. Apparently maintaining the proper temperature is harder than I thought.

I broke down and bought a yogurt maker. The one I wanted was out of stock at the factory and all vendors. So I got this one, which is a bit more expensive than the other. But I got super saver free shipping and they happened to be running a $10 off promotion (valid through June 30, 2008).

Because I am a big old nerd and more and more of a tightwad, I made a spreadsheet to track my progress on recouping the yogurt maker expense with money saved by making yogurt at home.

And because I am an even bigger nerd, I published it on Google Docs for the world to watch my progress.

Item!

Sous-vide now has an Library of Congress Classification number:

Home economics
- Cookery
– Cooking processes
— TX690.7 Sous-vide

One day I want a vacuum sealer and an immersion circulator. And then I make the perfect eggs. Yes.

So a couple of years ago I started taking a medication. Soon after starting to take the drug, I lost my appetite for coffee. At the time I was drinking at least four cups in the morning and two in the afternoon. And suddenly I didn’t want it. Since then, I’ve been happy with my tea except for the occasional craving for a cappuccino.

But recently, my medication dosage was halved and Warner started making coffee at my house occasionally. Strange, coffee smelled and sounded almost good again.

I tried some Warner made using my Mr. Coffee. Blech. Mr. Coffee just can’t make the kind of coffee I actually like, even when set to Brew Strength: Strong. Nope. Mr. Coffee won’t do.

I’ve wanted a Bialetti Moka Express since Will and I went to Paris and there was one in the apartment we rented. Here’s me using it for the first time in the tiny kitchen:

A Southern Season sells them for some ridiculous price (as per usual), but every time I saw them there I was reminded that I wanted one.

Then, I recently saw a 6-cup model for sale at Target for $25. I almost impulse-purchased it, but came home and did comparative shopping online instead. That seemed to be the going price, so I ordered one at CutleryAndMore.com because I also needed a decent springform pan, which Target didn’t have and A Southern Season would over-charge me for. I was pleased with CutleryAndMore as far as shopping and shipping go.

Somehow I avoided spending more money than I have on a nice knife on sale to replace my Chef’s knife with the cracking handle. (Henckels Professional S 8-inch Chef Knife on sale for $89.95 from $129.95 — drool) I reasoned that I needed to handle a knife before I bought one (logical, true), so I should go to A Southern Season or elsewhere and spend a while fondling and taking notes on knives to shop for them online later.

Anyway, yes, coffee.

My Moka Express arrived yesterday and I made coffee in it. The only coffee we had in the house was some Decaf Espresso Roast that Warner got on Ocracoke (and then asked “Why did I get this decaf?”) and the coffee was still satisfyingly thick and good.

So I am happy. Tea in the morning, coffee in the afternoon.