REVIEW: Food Processor

I like the Cuisinart Elite Collection 12-Cup Die-Cast Food Processor.

It has a 12 cup capacity (one of the highest outside of commercial machines) and it has a 4 cup insert so you don't have to get the whole thing dirty if you have a small job. That last is one of its best points, in my book.

It also comes with a 1000 watt motor. So the blades won't be binding just because you gave it three carrots at one time.

The Cuisinart food processor comes with an instructional DVD (I suppose for those who have never watched a cooking show). More useful will be the recipe book.

REVIEW: Sauce Pans

In an earlier post REVIEW: 14-pc. Stainless Steel Cookware Set I pointed out a really nice fourteen piece set of pots and pans that will set up an entire kitchen. If, however, you need to buy sauce pans separately, I found three sauce pans that I like from the same maker. I think of them as small, medium and large (mostly because 1.8 quarts, 3.5 quarts, and 5.75 quarts is just too cumbersome).

Stainless Steel Sauce Pan with Handle - Capacity: 1.8 Quarts

Stainless Steel Sauce Pan with Handle - Capacity: 3.5 Quarts

Stainless Steel Sauce Pan with Handle - Capacity: 5.75 Quarts

They make bigger sauce pans but what's the point? Any larger and you have a stew pot with only one handle. Large, single handled pans are just too difficult to use unless you have arms like Conan (the Arnie version, not Ronin the Barbarian).

All of the pans have a copper layer to distribute heat evenly and riveted handles.

REVIEW: 14-pc. Stainless Steel Cookware Set

If you need pots and pans, this Cuisinart Chefs Classic Stainless 14-pc. Stainless Steel Cookware Set will cover most everything you will need.

This 14 piece set includes:

1 Qt. Saucepan with cover
3 Qt. Saucepan with cover
4 Qt. Saute Pan with helper handle and cover
8 in. Skillet
10 in. Skillet with cover
9 Qt. Stockpot with cover
20 cm Universal Steamer with cover (fits 3 qt. Saucepan)
24 cm Pasta Insert

The easy to clean stainless steel pieces have been given a mirror finish for a restaurant quality look. The aluminum encapsulated bases heat quickly and they heat evenly to minimize hotspots. The riveted handles will withstand vigorous use and are designed to stay cool while on the stove. If you stick the pan in the oven you should, of course, use mitts to pick it up.

Rims of the pans are tapered for drip-free pouring and the lids have a really tight fit. The Tight fit of the covers seal in moisture and nutrients for healthier, more flavorful results.

I also really like the the steamer for cooking vegetables, keeping their color, texture and vitamins intact.

REVIEW: Whisk

If you are dealing with egg whites, you need a good whisk (except for the lazy people, like me, who use mixers). Though, truth be told, sometimes I'm too lazy to clean the mixer for a small job and I find myself reaching for the whisk.

I like the OXO 9-in. Good Grips Egg Whisk. It has a nice gripping handle. So, I don't need to grip with as much force to keep a hold of it and my hand doesn't get as tired.

If you have a small job that you just need to knock out quickly, a whisk is a good choice. For larger jobs, you probably want a mixer (unless you are trying to impress someone).

REVIEW: Green Eggs and Ham

Come on, this web site is all about eggs. I couldn't not include Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs & Ham.

This version of the book includes stickers and lift-the-flaps for the kids. It takes my favorite childhood book and adds interactivity.

REVIEW: Egg Rings for Breakfast Sandwiches

If you want to prepare your eggs as they do in a fancy restaurant (or emulate an Egg McMuffin), you can use Egg Rings to give your eggs that round, tall appearance. These egg rings have handles that are tall enough to keep even a klutz like me from dipping the back of my knuckles in to the egg as I handle it.

The Set of 4 Egg Rings for Breakfast Sandwiches can also be used as a round cutter for other cooking projects.

REVIEW: Ice Cream Maker

I like two different ice cream makers: White Mountain 6 Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker F69206X and Cuisinart ICE-50BC Supreme Commercial Quality Ice Cream Maker.

The White Mountain 6 Quart Electric Ice Cream Maker F69206X is an old fashioned ice cream maker. It uses ice and salt and has an actual wood bucket. It replaces the hand crank with a 12,000 rpm commercial grade electric motor. It makes 1.5 gallons of ice cream at a time. That makes it ideal for parties and events. It is also the less expensive of the two. Since it uses ice and salt, it does take more effort and planning than the Cuisinart but it is fun for kids. You get all the entertainment value of an old fashioned ice cream maker without having to endlessly crank it because you know that you are the one who would end up having to crank it.

The Cuisinart ICE-50BC Supreme Commercial Quality Ice Cream Maker is an ice cream machine like you see in restaurants and on cooking shows. You pour in the mix and it churns away until the ice cream comes out. The ease of use is offset by its capacity. The Cuisinart makes 1.5 quarts compared to the White Mountain's 1.5 gallons. I don't consider that much of a failing since that's still more than a family of 4 is likely to eat in one sitting.

REVIEW: Egg Timer

Everyone needs an Egg Timer (sometimes more than one). They are handy for dozen's of uses besides just timing an egg. Do you want to get 20 minutes of shut eye without having to figure out what time to set an alarm clock (assuming you have one handy)? Do you want to limit some of your phone calls to 30 or 40 minutes? An Egg Timer is perfect for those situations and many more.

I especially like the new electronic Egg Timer. They are smaller than a mechanical timer, meaning that you can slip one in your pocket or purse. They are quiet, so no annoying clicking (keeping you from getting the most out of your 20 minute nap). They don't have a spring that will wear out, so they keep time the same ten years from now as they do today.

Electronic Egg Timers also use so little juice that the batteries last the better part of forever.

Tip for Beating Egg Whites, #5

Egg whites can be beaten by hand or with an electric mixer. The main difference is how much personal effort you want to put into it vs. how much stuff you want to clean up afterward.

The bowl you use can make a lot of difference. According to Recipe Tips, copper is best because it is slightly acidic. The acid helps stabilize the foam as the whites are beaten.

The much cheaper stainless steel bowls can be used. The trick to using stainless steel bowls is to replace the acid without changing the flavor of the eggs. I pinch of cream of tartar will substitute for the acid in the copper bowl.

REVIEW: Liquid Egg Whites

Egg white substitutes are perfect for recipes that call for extra egg whites.

One product that I like is: Liquid Egg Whites from Egg Whites International.

Egg Whites International's Liquid Egg Whites is all natural 100% pure liquid egg whites - USDA and it is Kosher approved. Their pure liquid egg whites are pasteurized, salmonella tested, and avidin neutralized. Pure Liquid Egg Whites are the purest form of protein known to man in the entire world and are 100% bio-available, which means none of the valuable Amino acids are wasted.

Although great for cooking, because the Liquid Egg Whites are completely tasteless and odorless, you can use them in place of water or milk when mixing your protein powders. Eight ounces of Liquid Egg Whites supply 26 grams of pure protein that is 100% bio-available so you only need to use half the amount of protein powder that you would normally mix with water or milk... your protein powders will last twice as long - saving you money.

Liquid Egg Whites also store very well. Opened containers of Liquid Egg Whites can be frozen for long term storage.

REVIEW: Electric Mixer

Electric Mixers save you a lot of effort when beating eggs. When you have leftover egg whites, beating eggs to make meringue can be a useful solution.

They also help when you get a 'three handed' recipe. I hate it when the recipe wants me to add an ingredient while one hand is holding the bowl and the other is holding the whisk.

There are two good choices for an electric mixer: Sunbeam MixMaster 2594
and KitchenAid Artisan KSM150PS

The Sunbeam MixMaster is like the one your mom probably had in her kitchen. It runs under $100 and it will get the job done. It comes with it's own mixing bowl but will work with many different kinds of stainless steel or glass mixing bowls. It isn't as robust as a professional mixer but it is also significantly cheaper. The only downside is that it does not come with the whisk attachment for beating egg whites.



The KitchenAid is a professional style mixer with a professional style price. The bowl is taller but narrower which helps keep things in the bowl. Unfortunately, that also means that none of your other bowls will fit. The KitchenAid comes with everything that you will need including a pouring shield to keep the mess down when adding ingredients while mixing.




In either case, if you are mixing multiple parts of a recipe, you will have to clean the bowl and the mixing attachments. between the mixes. I usually consider that an acceptable trade-off to mixing by hand.