A new member of the family

There is a new member of our kitchen appliance family this month.
And I am falling swiftly, deeply, in love with this machine and what it can do.
The Thermomix has come to live at the Pavillion with us while some dear friends live in the Big Apple for seven months. I am insanely envious of their overseas sojourn but am also becoming altogether grateful that their trip has pushed the Thermomix my way.

This machine is AMAZING.
Multifunctional, sturdy, exact and timesaving, the Thermomix is the food processor that cooks as well as does all of your kitchen processing tasks.
Saute, cook and stir risotto. Tick.
Cook and blend soups and purees. Tick.
Sorbets. Tick.
Bread dough. Tick.
Lemon or passionfruit curd. Tick.
Grind coffee. Tick.
Froth milk. Tick.
Grate hard cheeses. Tick.

You name it, this machine can do it. I am still discovering its capabilities and gathering confidence in using it but in a couple of weeks I can already see that this machine is THE kitchen appliance. One of the things that appeals is the ongoing education that comes when you bring one of these babies home. Your consultant stays in contact and there are opportunities to host demonstrations to learn new skills and attend cooking classes.

Once upon a time, I would have gladly stood by the stove and stirred risotto for half an hour to end up with the coveted creamy texture. Having the Batsman and the Bowler has forced me to become less of a purist and more of a pragmatic cook. Putting the ingredients for saffron and silverbeet risotto in the Thermomix, setting the timer and walking away to go and be with my kids is a pretty appealing proposition. Trust me when I tell you that the risotto tasted as good as any I could have slaved over. At almost two thousand dollars, the Thermomix is not a walk in the park purchase but I reckon in the long run it's worth it.

Let's just say I have started saving.