I was trying to blend some homemade pumpkin the other day in the tiny/cheap blender I bought when I realized that mothers in Japan MAKE their baby food because it isn't available in the stores in the single food types for the beginners. My cheap streak, kicked into overdrive by sleep deprivation, resulted in a small/worthless blender. Somehow Jun was fed during those formative months, but...
I realized I will never be a good cook because I don't own, and really don't plan to own, any cool kitchen equipment, and if I do buy anything, it will be second hand or cheap because I am CHEAP! ARGH! I've dreamt of food processors that blend butter and flour, but I have a pastry cutter - my splurge. I've dreamt of mixers with dough hooks, but I've found recipes that don't take much kneading. I've dreamt of juicers, but then I'd have to buy fruit - and I'm too cheap for that usually. Our ceramic lemon juicer is adequate. I've dreamt of a hand-held electric mixer to make cakes, but a former co-worker showed me I could make them (from a mix) just fine with a fork. And, if I had something to whip cream, well, I couldn't just buy the pre-whipped stuff, could I? And, I don't like whipped cream all that well either. How's THAT for talking myself out of equipment? Now, I have heard of a "silpat" that is popular for baking things. I have no idea what it is. Kind of a re-usable oven paper, I think. But, I am even too cheap to buy oven paper - I grease and flour my pans when necessary. What was that, Mom? Heavily grease and lightly flour?
I would like another set of measuring cups - with the 2/3 and 3/4 sizes included. A 3/4 tsp. would be nice too. Oh, and I DID splurge on a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients for Japanese recipes. I LOVE scales and tape measures and thermometers. Am I crazy?
So, most of my recipes call for more elbow grease than perhaps their counterparts would. But, hey, THAT kind of grease tastes like Love - Right?
left-overs
12 years ago
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3 comments:
Just wait, you can go to garage sales & get good stuff (& cheap) in the States... Just hang on! Then you will LOOK like a good cook (cuz you ARE a good cook!) Tam
In our 49 years of marriage, I have had 2 new hand held mixers. When the 2nd one quit, I bought one at the thrift shop. Guess what, the beaters wouldn't stay in! That was probably a year ago, and I have since found that a spoon and a bit of vigorous elbow does the job just fine. Could be that your CHEAP is genetic. Mom
P.S. That's right, well grease and lightly flour!
I never splurged on a scale, and Stephen's parent bought me one when they were here and they took the little guys to Royal Home Center on a walk. I love it! Before I always had to use the Internet to Google approximate measurements in cups etc. What a pain that was.
I have fancy kitchen equipment from our wedding gifts (like a juicer) but most of it's in my parents' basement in Wisconsin - didn't want to ship it. I'll use it one day! All of our wedding dishes are over there, too - a nice set of Denby that I can't wait to use someday. All brand new.
I guess I'm glad I didn't bring the juicer because buying fresh fruit here is so outrageously expensive. I tend to buy Kagome veggie/fruit juice mix.
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