KA Cyber Monday Deal

Amazon has a 1-day sale today on the KitchenAid Pro-600 mixer for $249, new (not refurb). Only in Empire Red color, but unless I'm mistaken this is an extraordinary deal. By way of comparison, Woot.com just had the 5-quart classic on sale for $230 the other day - a much lower model. If I didn't have two already, I'd be all over this one.

** Jenise: you NEED two! **

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PZU3AEI/ref=gbps_img_s-3_4782_c8cb76cf?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=2292984782&pf_rd_s=slot-3&pf_rd_t=701&pf_rd_i=gb_main&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1XE388162YASBDXA50YH

[Jenise]

Dang it all. That Empire Red was my 2nd choice color and for a $50 savings, I'd have swung the other way.

[Jenise]

Mixing my first double batch of Buckwheat Cinnamon bread in the new KA 6 series as I type. What a terrific machine!

Woo hoo! Lemme know how it plows through all that stiff dough - I'm curious to see if you think there's a difference with the larger motor.

In a bit of kismet, I just pulled out my trusty K5SS in preparation for making cookies. "Experiment cookies", as my wife (always) calls them. My friend gave me a pair of monster butternut squash the other day, and this morning I roasted off one and a half of them. (The half I didn't roast was made into a squash curry biryani in Jasmine Sous-2, the ever faithful and always magical rice cooker.)

Anywhooo...one full roasted squash is now simmering in stock, to be made into cream of roast squash soup (wife's favorite).

The OTHER half of roasted squash is being made into cookies! I hope. No recipe, just blind faith in my godlike ability. So wish me luck

[Jenise]

Oh, absolute and definite difference!! This dough is the exact same buckwheat dough, and quantity of same, that the old machine was laboring noticeably over when the motor blew. And even stiffer doughs like pasta? With the old one, I had to stand there and hang onto the bowl or it would jump the locator pins. The new one? No job too big. It's like mixing whipped cream. It, and me, are happy happy happy.

[Jenise]

Good luck with those cookies. You are obviously an inventive and intuitive cook--I have every confidence they'll turn out well. Going the ginger-spice route?

Oh, absolute and definite difference!! This dough is the exact same buckwheat dough, and quantity of same, that the old machine was laboring noticeably over when the motor blew. And even stiffer doughs like pasta? With the old one, I had to stand there and hang onto the bowl or it would jump the locator pins. The new one? No job too big. It's like mixing whipped cream. It, and me, are happy happy happy.

Alright! Show that stiff necked gluten ball who's boss: "Who's yer mixer? Who's yer mixer? Who's yer mixer? Say it, beyotch!" Give 'em hell (and pasta), Harriette!

Happy happy happy indeed

Good luck with those cookies. You are obviously an inventive and intuitive cook--I have every confidence they'll turn out well. Going the ginger-spice route?

Ginger-spice route? Now what kind of inventive cook would I be if I went down that well trod road?

Nope! For me, the road less traveled, thanks.

Here's what I did, and god help me if I can even guess at quantities:

While the meat was roasting I simmered the seeds and scraped fibers in butter to make a squash flavored brown butter.

When the squash came out of the oven I peeled it and cooked the flesh down more in a saute pan to dry it out, then flamed a good amount of whisky in it, and cooked it down to sec again. Chilled it outside.

In the KA bowl I beat an egg, brown sugar w/ a little white, the squash scented butter, and some cream cheese. Then vanilla, the zest of a whole lemon, and - yes - a few scrapes of fresh ginger. What the hell. It was just sitting there glaring at me. I had no choice. Finally, the cooled squash.

Then dry ingredients: AP flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. The usual suspects. I went a bit heavy with the sodas, as I thought the squash might weigh the batter down.

Just made drop cookies, onto a parchment lined half sheet. After half the batter was gone, I mixed some chocolate chips in just for fun. When they came out of the oven I draped them with some candied clementine peels I'd candied a few weeks ago and was storing for just such an occassion.

The verdict?

I am the Cookie Monster!

The bit of lemon zip put it over the top. Wifey said they were the best cookies she's ever had, and almost clobbered me when I told her that because I winged it, I'll probably never be able to duplicate it.

I have to say, going heavy with the soda(s) made it rather more cakey than I was going for. On the other hand, the squash kept things incredibly moist. That was the combo my wife really liked - cakey and not dry or crumbly. For myself, I might have preferred a slightly denser cookie, but that's really quibbling. The flavor was excellent, and the crumb - for a cakey style cookie - was spot on.

The chocolate chips were a distraction - a detraction, even. Much better sans.

Forgive me as I pause here to bust a scapula reaching around to pat my own back.

And the back of the wonderful 35 year old K5SS that did all the heavy lifting. Yay, industrial age conveniences!

Ok, gotta get back to the cookie pile before Wifey devours them all. A pig, I tell ya!

Bravo, bravo!

Bravo, bravo!

Thangu, thangu fans

[Jenise]

Tom, isn't it cool to discover that you can wing stuff like cookie doughs? Baking has such a reputation for the need for exactitude, and it's liberating to discover that you can put some flour, some leavening, and some wet stuff in a bowl to a good consistency, bake it, and have something wonderful to eat. As Jeff said, bravo!

Baking has such a reputation for the need for exactitude, and it's liberating to discover that you can put some flour, some leavening, and some wet stuff in a bowl to a good consistency, bake it, and have something wonderful to eat.

I know! I know, right?! It is crazy that so many people are under the impression that they can't even make a freakin' pancake without a laboratory grade scale and a micrometer! Yeah, if you want to duplicate EXACT recipes then you gotta get the proportions right. But if you just wanna churn out cookies, donuts, bread, or any number of other pastry items that are quite good (if not CMPC certified), it's surprising - amazing, really - how flexible things like proportions and even technique are. Even cake! Check out this cake I made last month. My doctor friend gave me a rice cooker as an early Christmas gift, and to christen it I decided to bake a cake then and there. I had some leftover orange marmalade, a bottle of rosewater, and some flaked coconut. I just tossed it in the KA bowl with some flour, eggs, etc. - again, no measuring - put it in the rice cooker, hit "ON", and within 2 hours we were all chowing down. ( https://www.pinterest.com/pin/551831760570593461/ )

It saddens me that "pastry is a an exact science!" is an unquestioned tenet of the cooking world, because I think it scares a lot of people away from even attempting it. I've found that quite the opposite is true: as in savory cooking, just getting in the ballpark as far as quantities and proportions go will often - usually! - produce quite enjoyable results. Like the old adage says, "Perfection is the enemy of Good." We must stop this tyranny! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!! (Who could be eating more homemade profiteroles )

And....thanks, Jenise!

(Er...sorry for the drunken rant. My sister mailed me up bottle of her homemade raspberry vodka, and it's Friday night, and....)

[Jenise]

Baking certainly attracts the more scientific kind of cook, the ones who love precision as much as they love understanding what makes things rise. But it's not a given that it's not a safe place to play for the rest of us who love to go off half-cocked and create something out of nothing. Rather: flour, moisture, leavening, and some good instincts in the consistency department will take you to a lot of interesting places. I figured that out years ago when I spent a lot of time in Holland. I had no recipe books with me, and started playing with bread doughs. I was amazed to discover how elastic, no pun intended, the process was. Some loaves were flatter and some cooked up taller, but essentially any good-tasting dough made a good-tasting bread. No recipe, no measuring, required.

Baking certainly attracts the more scientific kind of cook, the ones who love precision as much as they love understanding what makes things rise. But it's not a given that it's not a safe place to play for the rest of us who love to go off half-cocked and create something out of nothing. Rather: flour, moisture, leavening, and some good instincts in the consistency department will take you to a lot of interesting places. I figured that out years ago when I spent a lot of time in Holland. I had no recipe books with me, and started playing with bread doughs. I was amazed to discover how elastic, no pun intended, the process was. Some loaves were flatter and some cooked up taller, but essentially any good-tasting dough made a good-tasting bread. No recipe, no measuring, required.

I LOVE YOU, JENISE!!

If my wife ever wises up and dumps me, I'm comin' gunning for you, baby. We'll make beautiful pastries together!

Er...do warn your husband in advance, though

[Jenise]

He said to tell you he's 'unarmed'.

He said to tell you he's 'unarmed'.

Not that that would make a difference....