Body-Wise
The Soup is On
Maybe it started at Christmas when I received a pizza stone, which I love, and a set of All-Clad cooking utensils, which I cannot believe I’ve been living without, but at Target last Monday, I bought something I’ve never bought before: an immersion blender. I did. Maybe, if I’ve thought of it at all, I’ve considered it an unneeded luxury; I do have a food processor after all. And, really, how often would it be used?
But the afternoon before, a rainy, chilly Sunday, I stole a few moments to curl up with my favorite reading: cookbooks and my current Cook’s Illustrated magazine. I was after an easy pizza crust recipe when I came upon the edition’s Equipment Corner—where they describe the features of everything from Pullman loaf pans to Dutch ovens to, yes, immersion blenders. They were recommending the KitchenAid Model because of its “stainless-steel shaft, which can be plunged into pans even as they sit over a direct flame.”
I then moved onto my New England Soup Factory Cookbook, looking for Chili Con Carne, because I’m tired of the recipe I’ve been following that came with my West Bend Crock Pot 25 years ago. I came upon Artichoke Bisque and forgot all about chili. My mouth began to water just reading the ingredients: roasted artichokes, fresh Parmesan, light cream all to be mixed with a hand blender. An immersion blender.
My heart skipped a beat when I bent down to the lowest shelf in the kitchen appliance aisle at Target and there was the exact blender. The last one.
The artichoke bisque nearly brought tears to my eyes it was so good—and soooo easy with the blender. Next up is spinach, feta cheese and toasted pine nut soup. Then tomato and ginger soup with grilled chicken. Then roasted yellow beet and pear soup with crumbled blue cheese….
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 03/04/11 at 04:20 PM
