An ode to my Kitchen Aid - New Recipe Sunday

So folks – new recipe Wednesday did not go according to plan, and I thought that I would make it new recipe Sunday. I invited my sisters over for lunch and AS USUAL we are having curry. I have lost count of the number of times I have made curry for lunch when anyone has come over, but it is extremely consistent, and everyone likes it, so I find that I always return to it. As for dessert.... Well judge for yourself!

Ode to my Aid...

It’s been many many days and weeks since last I saw your face

I can’t believe you aren’t sitting here in your rightful place

Every day I walk past the spot you once frequented

And now it seems my struggles are truly never ended.

You used to help me with so much, I never had to ask

I only had to touch you and you would begin the task

And now that you are not here, I can’t make plans nearly as grand,

Since anything I have to do relies on my right hand!

I remember those fluffy cakes, or springy loaves of bread

You would whip them up in no time, when I put on a spread

And even as I write this, I have a hunger pang

For your crumbly light pastry and a towering meringue!

I still remember that first time I threw butter in your bowl

I didn’t even soften it, just threw that stick in whole!

You worked on it with so much ease, it gave my life new meaning,

And took about the 10th the time of when I am hand creaming!

Today I wanted just to make a cake so moist and tender,

And instead of your fantastic skill, I used a pastry blender!

You whip, you mix, you cream, you rub, and you can even knead

I never knew that cake making could be done with such great speed!

You made my life so simple, baking was such a treat

And before long the timer would sound and there would be cake to eat!

I don’t remember how I ever did any baking before -

I love you kitchen aid stand mixer, now and ever more!!

When you were in my kitchen, making anything was a joy

I miss you my kitchen aid, you sexy sexy boy!!!

(Dawn if you have read this poem down to the very end

BRING BACK MUH MIXER CHILD!!!! Else me and you ain’t no friend!!)

Have you ever had a piece of technology or gadget that when you first saw it, you thought you could take it or leave it, but once you took it, then it became such an integral part of your life that you don’t know how you survived without it? Well that is my standing mixer for me. I can still remember mixing cakes by hand with a wooden spoon – creaming that butter and sugar until it was “light and fluffy” and my home economics teacher standing over me and shaking her head, while rubbing a pinch of the mix between her finger to see if she could still feel grains of sugar. I remember mixing for what seemed like 6 months before she deemed it worthy to go onto the next step. I even remember trying to make meringues with a fork! (It did NOT work!!!!) Now, with just the push of a button, those food network worthy baked goods could come out of my kitchen. Anyway – a good workman does not blame her tools – the show must go on. If I have done it correctly, above will be a picture collage of what I managed to produce in the post-kitchen-aid era that is my current kitchen.

And as for today’s new recipe Sunday, I tried onion bhajis. You can find the recipe I used here

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/nov/13/how-to-make-perfect-onion-bhajis

There is a photo of them above along with my country cake which I made using my pastry blender, and my right arm! So the good thing about the onion bhaji recipe – you can customize it, so if you are “highly” allergic to onions (and for some reason, I know a number of persons who don’t eat onion, so this is a useful tip), you could probably use mushrooms or some other thing. You can add or reduce flavouring – I was cooking for my nephew so I left out the spicy peppers (apparently he doesn't mind eating peppers, it is my sister...). And lastly, they are a quick and easy treat for those out there who are gluten free or vegetarian (or both – and I also know people like that!!) On the downside – lets just say that I have learned NEVER to trust a recipe that has as part of its instructions “add enough cold water to bring it to the consistency of double cream”, and doesn’t tell me if this is Marks and Spencer heavy cream, or the UHT stuff that I buy here. And believe it or not, the thin and slightly more watery consistency of the UHT cream would probably have worked better!! So all in all 4/5 stars. Oh and if you make them, let them cool down a bit before you taste them – they taste waaaay better that way!!

Ok – its lunch time so I am off to get some food.

I send you big love from a small island

PS if anyone has an alternative to making curry when there are a group of persons coming for lunch please let me know. It is easy, predictable and expandable, but I think I have consistently made it every time my friends have come for lunch in the past 5 years (except for once when I made a Mexican feast).