Consider the Cuisinart.
I found a really nice Cuisinart at an estate sale a year or
so ago. Small. Just right for two people. I brought it home and stored it down with my
1939 toaster. Then I considered it a long,
long time before I thought about using it.
I brought all the parts out, and laid them out on the counter. Slowly I put it together and attempted to
grate a carrot. There was a great
silence. Nothing happened.
Even more slowly, I took it apart and put it together again
perhaps thinking that in my enthusiasm I had done something wrong. Eventually, I figured out that I had the bowl
in the wrong place. At least there wasn’t
silence the next time, but it wouldn’t grate my carrot.
I called upstairs to my dear Geezer who came down to consider
the Cuisinart. Deciding what we needed
was an instruction manual, he ordered one online. Eventually, after a very long wait, it came.
Even with these faded instructions in hand, we couldn’t make it grate
carrots. I put it away in disgust, but
the Geezer went up to research the Cuisinart as a grater. It appeared that we didn’t purchase all the
parts when we bought it. G went on line
this time to order parts.
After another not so many month wait, a nice fat package
arrived. Inside there were little
things, flat things, round things with spouts, plates with holes in the middle,
and holders. We thought we were in
business. I put the whole mess away,
this time with the 1939 Sunbeam Mixmaster whose dulled grater had inspired me
to buy this used Cuisinart in the first place.
For a while last winter, I researched summer salads. Carrot raisin salad is one of my favorites as
is cucumber onion salad. There are also
roasted beets with gorgonzola, slaws, chopped salads, or endless minced,
sliced, or diced veggie salads. I knew I
was on a roll if I could ever get the machine running.
Summer finally came, and I faced the elephant in my
kitchen. I brought out all those many
gathered together parts and lined them up on my kitchen counter with the
instruction book. I brought out the
carrots and cucumbers, washed and peeled, they waited on the sidelines. I put the machine together and pushed the
button. Nothing happened. And a second time. After enthusiastic jiggling, finally the third
time it worked at last but it turned the cucumber to water not slices. I was laughing at this point.
Once again, I took it all apart, rinsed its parts in hot
soapy water, read the printing on the pieces, and turned one of them over. Back together, it sliced the cucumber. Like magic.
The salad was done in moments. I
washed the parts one more time and stuck a carrot in. Out the spout spit little carrot bits. It was very dramatic. Exciting.
All over the counter rained golden carrot gratings giving everything a
uniform orange glow.
I’d forgotten the bowl.
I bought my first Cuisinart about thirty years ago -- mail order from Macy's. (Very daring.) I used it often, especially after my husband began having trouble with chewing.
ReplyDeleteThree years ago -- with only my daughter and me in the house -- I bought the smaller version, and still use it quite often. I put the old one in the basement, as I knew I would need it if I made pastry. I don't think it survived the flood.
I have a tiny one just for me and I had long learning curve to use it. I admire your persistence.
ReplyDeleteLove the little cuisenart...but I have recently discovered the Chefn food chopper ($19 on amazon prime) / no frills, no electricity a great chopper. Very intriguing engineering on this simple machine. Happy chopping!
ReplyDeleteToo funny. Did I say that? Guess I am not a compassionate friend, although I do appreciate a good laugh (at your expense??).
ReplyDeleteMachinery baffles me. I have a machine that makes smoothies, but I have not yet used it to chop carrots. Dianne
Your account of the successful carrot prep, sans bowl, gave me a good laugh.
ReplyDeleteThanks for suggestion about sending info to Ronni Bennett.
I used to have a chopper of sorts and it finally wore itself out. Glad you figured this out....but wonder if it would have been less expensive and time saving to have bought a new one? Just asking....
ReplyDeleteProbably it would have been easier, but look at the number of comments. :) I could also turn this into a nice story. :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's wonderful that you and the Geezer can bond over the Cuisinart. :)
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I've been using my Cuisinart only to make bread crumbs at Thanksgiving. Well... actually my mother does most of the cooking so I haven't really had the need to use it. Oh wait! I also use it to slice cucumber and burdock root for my mother. It's invaluable for that. However, every time I use it I have to remember to make sure I'm using each part correctly or it doesn't start. Drives me crazy sometimes.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun, and do keep writing humor. That's your calling. Dianne
ReplyDeleteYou asked about the Samantha Power book. I am further into it now and can see why some judged it worthy of the Pulitzer.
ReplyDeleteI think this award is given to jounalists, so it is not correct for me to judge it on its historical merits, although it was assigned in one of my history grad classes.
She does us all a service by bringing the whole story together. Whether some of these examples in her book merit the definition of genocide can be argued (and have). The real issue is to define genocide operationally, i.e. how do you measure it. Always tricky, although not tricky for those undergoing it. Dianne
Bully for you! Bet it makes you feel good to be the one who figured it out at last. But it did give you a nice story to tell. Would you like us all to send you a few veggies to dice and chop and liquify? ;-)
ReplyDeleteThank you I am now totally convinced that I can survive without a Cuisinart.
ReplyDelete