Cooking and culinary tips/recipes

[Wayne Potgieter]

Just curious, Wayne - how does it decrease your grocery spend? V interesting, if that's the case

Before we were buying a lot of pre made meals. I suppose its the cost of a busy lifestyle.

 

We woolies shop like laarnie white people.

 

Now we are buying one packet of carrots that lasts 1.5 weeks. or spinach that lasts for 5 days.

 

So because the machine cooks so quickly and easily, we can make meals from scratch in the same time if not less than it takes to heat up a woolies meal in the oven.

 

So, for example, the spinach and linguine pasta at woolies costs R160 bucks. My thermi makes it in 15 minutes for about R40.

 

I put everything in, set it. and leave it. dont have to watch anything. it beeps when dinner is ready, no stirring, no wathcing it etc. I carry on with kids homework or my work.

[Wayne Potgieter]

 

I am keen to know too, along with where can you get them and for how much.

A thermomix consultant comes to your house and cooks you dinner for free.

 

If you like the machine, you buy one. if not, you had a lekker dinner for mahala.

 

cannot be store bought.

 

i know, i tried.

 

It costs R17,995 - i know that sounds like a lot, but trust me. It has been worth every penny.

[marko35s]

A thermomix consultant comes to your house and cooks you dinner for free.

 

If you like the machine, you buy one. if not, you had a lekker dinner for mahala.

 

cannot be store bought.

 

i know, i tried.

 

It costs R17,995 - i know that sounds like a lot, but trust me. It has been worth every penny.

That is quite hefty.

If I bought one it would be purely for convenience (and possibly because my inner geek came roaring out) because we (and by we I mean me, the wife last stood in front of a stove around 2004) basically prepare every meal from fresh already.

But you have put that thing on my radar that's for sure.

[Wayne Potgieter]

That is quite hefty.

If I bought one it would be purely for convenience (and possibly because my inner geek came roaring out) because we (and by we I mean me, the wife last stood in front of a stove around 2004) basically prepare every meal from fresh already.

But you have put that thing on my radar that's for sure.

 

Thats my problem as well, i do all the cooking,.

 

In the last 10 days of getting the machine i have cooked once. 

 

My wife loves the thermi and i love the fact that she is cooking tasty wholesome meals.

 

I even made foot scrub in it.

 

I also have a recipe to make my own washing powder and lip balm.

 

The yoghurt this machine makes is mindblowing.

[Paul Ruinaard]

Disclosure: My Wife is a Thermomix consultant so i know the machines well. 

 

We have the new one (and i am selling the old one with a new bowl set if you are interested)

 

These things are not cheap but are amazing devices. You will see them all over the celebrity TV chef shows doing sauces and cooking all sorts of things.  Masterchef etc. Go to Luke Dale Robert's restaurants and you will see them using them for a lot of the sauces he makes. Even pro chefs use them, its mentioned in Feran Adria's books and at his restaurants.(if that is not enough) and Heston uses them to make some of his stuff.

 

Knowing what the recipes taste like, i will bet that a large percentage of your Thai curries you eat in your mid level diners are prepared in thermomix. Takes about 20 minutes start to finish for a prawn and chicken Thai curry, from first principles - even grinding the paste from first principles

 

For those of you that like Italian - A Mushroom Risotto in 17 minutes. From fresh ingredients. Try that at home.

 

This new model also has touch screen and a cook book on a chip. So it guides you through thousands of recipes.

 

Basically idiot proof.

 

A lot of my wife's friends who have never ever cooked now happily churn out suppers for their families after work.

 

Good food made fresh.

 

My wife has trained maids etc.

 

Cauliflower puree and creamed peas? Best you have ever tasted and smoothest you have ever eaten.

 

Banting friendly is a cinch.

 

This things spins so fast it will mill wheat to flour. This is done a lot in the demos.  Also grinds ice so fine and turns it in to sorbet. Add some fruit and you have ice cream for the kids.

 

You save money, but more than anything its more efficient and you save time. And you use fresh ingredients.

 

 

 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Before we were buying a lot of pre made meals. I suppose its the cost of a busy lifestyle.

 

We woolies shop like laarnie white people.

 

Now we are buying one packet of carrots that lasts 1.5 weeks. or spinach that lasts for 5 days.

 

So because the machine cooks so quickly and easily, we can make meals from scratch in the same time if not less than it takes to heat up a woolies meal in the oven.

 

So, for example, the spinach and linguine pasta at woolies costs R160 bucks. My thermi makes it in 15 minutes for about R40.

 

I put everything in, set it. and leave it. dont have to watch anything. it beeps when dinner is ready, no stirring, no wathcing it etc. I carry on with kids homework or my work.

LOL. Same. But it's made easier when we get 45% off the ticket price (25% healthyFood discount as well as staff discount of another 20%) so it's kinda cheap.

 

Only ready meals I buy are the ones for the monster, if we're going out. But I get the appeal of just banging it in and letting it get on with the doing bit! 

 

Just that the R 17k is a bit steep for my tastes. I'd personally rather spend that on a gas / leccie stove & oven and a few good knives & le creuset goodies!

[Wayne Potgieter]

 

Just that the R 17k is a bit steep for my tastes. I'd personally rather spend that on a gas / leccie stove & oven and a few good knives & le creuset goodies!

Yeah, i was nervous too.

 

But glad we did it.

 

Thing is, as you say, it depends on personal pref.

 

Most non foodies cannot understand why a wusthof knife costs what it does, or why Le creuset goodies are so expensive. 

 

I do, they are impeccable quality.

 

The thermomix is like that. It is not a cheap chinese thing.

 

I suggest you organise a demo Cap...you of all people will appreciate the engineering and workmanship.

 

Trust me, it really is super amazing.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Yeah, i was nervous too.

 

But glad we did it.

 

Thing is, as you say, it depends on personal pref.

 

Most non foodies cannot understand why a wusthof knife costs what it does, or why Le creuset goodies are so expensive. 

 

I do, they are impeccable quality.

 

The thermomix is like that. It is not a cheap chinese thing.

 

I suggest you organise a demo Cap...you of all people will appreciate the engineering and workmanship.

 

Trust me, it really is super amazing.

Yeah, and that's what I'm afraid of!

 

Or, rather, the fallout that will happen after she sees this shiny new object in the kitchen, that couldn't POSSIBLY have cost OHMYGODHOWMUCHDIDYOUSAY!!!!????

 

Chernobyl say Whaaaaaat!?

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

 

 

Most non foodies cannot understand why a wusthof knife costs what it does, or why Le creuset goodies are so expensive. 

 

I do, they are impeccable quality.

 

 

Oh - on this... I have  a set of Scanpan classic knives. Beautiful to hold, nice weight, and they are middling in terms of price (R 300 to R 500 per blade) but oh my sack, is the steel weak. 

 

They don't hold an edge (no matter how sharp) for more than 2 minutes of cutting (I sharpen them on a whetstone and cut on a wooden chopping board) but for anything with better steel (Global is rumoured to have the "best" mid-level shop bought steel) you're looking at spending R 2.5k for a single knife - at a minimum. 

 

Then le creuset. Damn, I love that stuff. I have 5 items from them. Square griddle skillet, 24cm casserole, stoneware oven dish, coffee mugs and some ramikins. All top notch stuff. 

[Paul Ruinaard]

Yeah, i was nervous too.

 

But glad we did it.

 

Thing is, as you say, it depends on personal pref.

 

Most non foodies cannot understand why a wusthof knife costs what it does, or why Le creuset goodies are so expensive. 

 

I do, they are impeccable quality.

 

The thermomix is like that. It is not a cheap chinese thing.

 

I suggest you organise a demo Cap...you of all people will appreciate the engineering and workmanship.

 

Trust me, it really is super amazing.

Oh man - other than the bike shop i fear Adams the most as  i love good knives and nice cooking gadgets.

Wusthof knives are a big weakness.

 

Then you need sharpeners.

 

Then there is Le Creuset. I am acquiring a collection of that.

 

Latest was an induction cooker plate.

 

I am now online looking for some cheap immersion heater cookers for Sous Vide cooking - will be importing once the postal strike is over.

 

Sous Vide is my next big adventure, but you can sous vide in a THermomix BTW.

[Tumbleweed]

For those of you that like Italian - A Mushroom Risotto in 17 minutes. From fresh ingredients. Try that at home.

 

 

This I have to disagree with. There is a certain romance to cooking a risotto. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

This I have to disagree with. There is a certain romance to cooking a risotto. 

Plus you just HAVE to shample the whinezzzz

[Tumbleweed]

Plus you just HAVE to shample the whinezzzz

Hahahahaha! I made a beef one with a Guinness the other night. Took all my resolve not to drink it. 

[marko35s]

Oh - on this... I have  a set of Scanpan classic knives. Beautiful to hold, nice weight, and they are middling in terms of price (R 300 to R 500 per blade) but oh my sack, is the steel weak. 

 

They don't hold an edge (no matter how sharp) for more than 2 minutes of cutting (I sharpen them on a whetstone and cut on a wooden chopping board) but for anything with better steel (Global is rumoured to have the "best" mid-level shop bought steel) you're looking at spending R 2.5k for a single knife - at a minimum. 

 

Then le creuset. Damn, I love that stuff. I have 5 items from them. Square griddle skillet, 24cm casserole, stoneware oven dish, coffee mugs and some ramikins. All top notch stuff. 

If you can go all out on a set of decent knives it is something you just wont regret (and they are useful for defending yourself when the wife finds out just how much you spent on them).

See them as a lifetime investment.

For what its worth I dislike Global, I prefer Wusthof and a more traditional feel to a knife, also Global are massively over priced on the back of being a bit trendy.

Have a look here and tell me you don't want...

http://www.wuesthof.com/international/products/index-3.jsp

[Disylizzy]

What's that thing-a-ma-bob called?  And where can I find more info on it?

 

Lets just say that I may need it...

 

I cooked dinner the other night and forgot to turn the oven on... fortunately 20 minutes later I figured out why nothing was actually cooking...

[Paul Ruinaard]

Plus you just HAVE to shample the whinezzzz

Agreed - when you are sitting on a Saturday afternoon and have nothing better to do than stir for an hour after the boks have crashed and burend again.

 

If you like your Risotto then get Giorgio Locatelli's book. He of TV fame. Some truly awesome recipes in there, real first principles stuff.

 

The Ragu (Bolognaise) is the best i have ever tasted but it requires a whole afternoon to cook it. No poncy ingredients like anchovies and Cinnamon etc.