Food Processor

From food processor
My husband did not know what to give to me last Christmas (I already had every electronic gadget that I could possibly want, though not the latest ones. I tend to keep one as long as I could until it just breaks down.) Even if he would have wanted to surprise me, he did not want me disappointed with something I did not want. So, I asked for a food processor.

While a lot of homemakers with a food processor usually end up stacking theirs in the basement, I already had plans with what to do with it, especially that I love cooking and canning. The set that I got can also prepare dough, and every reader of this blog knows how I enjoy baking. With the plans that I had, I had to get a specialty disc set, because what I really would want to be able to do with this food processor is the fine grating -- of yucca, mainly, since I love pichi-pichi and cassava cake. Of course, aside from the fine grating, I also had in mind faster and easier chopping/pureeing, and slicing when I am canning produce from my garden during fall. I actually chose the fine grater first then the main gadget
to go with it (as recommended by amazon.com). The only brand that has this fine grating disc was Cuisinart. Nothing else. However, when I got the pair, they were not really a pair. I got the wrong model. I should have gotten another model that had a stem which would attach to different discs. Good thing there was no problem shipping back the item and getting the refund. (I love amazon!)

Recently, with a recent Filipina gathering, my trip to the Asian store and getting green papaya to turn into atsara, I went on to "break in" my new food processor, grating two big yuccas in 1/4 the time it usually took for me to grate them manually (minus the achy arm and wrist!); grating the green papayas, and slicing the other veggies. It took me seconds to grate what I would have grated in an hour. Wow! I was impressed! And the receptacle was large enough to hold a whole onion! Cool! I am so looking forward to making more jars of pickles, jams and jellies next year.

I also made ube haleya two nights ago, using pre-grated ube that I was not sure whether it was pre-cooked or not. And while I was cooking it, I realized it was uncooked, and it was drying up already without being fully cooked yet. I decided to add more liquid and puree it using the food processor (I was not sure whether I could have achieved the same result with the blender; I probably could), before putting back to the stovetop to cook further. I have been eating some haleya since then (my sons have been enjoying it as well), but saving some for an experiment with ube cake. Those two will be on future posts...

Verdict: Met my expectations and more. Easy to clean as well. Seems durable (time will tell, but I am hoping to make full use of it). Quite pricey, but it seems worth it for freeing up some of my time and wrist/arm aches. If you are into canning or even catering, this is a great help. If you are not going to make any slicing or grating in big volumes, this is not recommended.

Now if only there is an electric stirrer powerful enough to stir cooking ube haleya, and long enough to reach the bottom of a stock pot while preparing pasta sauce, I'd be a much happier cook! Not that I don't like burning the calories, but I hate having a sore arm and wrist and right shoulder after such a tedious task.

Comments

  1. I too have a food processor but not the latest one, it has the same discs as you have and a tube feeder. I used it for pureeing my baby's food and I don't have the manual to it since I bought it second hand. I don't know if it has the dough maker or something. Nice gift. :) Maybe you can invent one and sell it too. hehehe...

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  2. inday,
    you might be able to find the part you need. What brand and model is it?

    In any case, if you have a bread machine or stand mixer anyway, you will lnot need the dough maker at all.

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  3. I have just a mini-food processor and would like something larger but it's hard to justify it right now because I don't even use the small one that often. I'm really looking forward to seeing the atsara!

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  4. Hi Manang!So do you have a recipe for haleyang ube? If you have can I have it please? And what brand is your bredmaker machine?

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  5. TN,
    I think the problem with mini FP is that you are very limited with what you can do (the first one I got that was not the right model was actually smaller because I chose the cheaper). With the bigger one, although pricey, you will be able to do a LOT more. I have the atsara recipe/post up already, BTW. I just edited the "preview" post.

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  6. Luz,
    I will try to cook it again with a method that I think I should have done instead of how I approached it the first time. Just know that what I have for ube is tha grated uncooked one. All recipes I have seen so far talks about cooking the ube then mashing before adding all the other ingredients. So I am planning to cook haleya again soon. But I might experiment with the ube cake first with the first batch of haleya I made. I might post about what I did with the first batch of ube, then edit later when I have establish a more easy to follow method. OK?

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  7. Thanks Manang, I will wait for that, and I ask you earlier what brand is your breadmachine ,after I post it I just check all your Labels on left side and click the Breadmachine and you have a SunBeam so I bought it from Amazon.com and you are right there are bad reviews but I think that is the cheapest that I can get $54.88. I will try it hope I will like it.

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  8. Hi Manang! what kind of ube do you use to make halaya. I went to Asian store in St.Louis,MO..I saw different kinds of ube or sweet potato with different names. Need your opinion. Thanks!! - rnmimi64@yahoo.com

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    Replies
    1. HI Mimi, I use frozen purple yam (I recently found chunks instead of ground), Lucia brand.

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