![]() Favorite Tool from a Northwest Wine Country Dining Institution
On a recent visit to Seattle, Jan dined at the highly acclaimed, four-star The Herbfarm restaurant. The Seattle Times calls it, “an unparalleled dining experience.” Reservations for this 21-year-old Northwest institution are highly sought after, so it is wise to book months in advance.
The Herbfarm Restaurant started from humble beginnings, selling fresh chives at a roadside stand in Fall City, Washington, about 30 miles east of Seattle. Then more herbs were offered for sale. Followed by lunch in a barn. Then dinner. Humble no more. The glamorous, over-the-top-decorated dinner-only restaurant is now all theater. The stage is an open kitchen where you watch the culinary staff assembling each of nine pre-set courses from your seat at the table. The diners are the audience. All theater productions come with props, so GadgetGals asked what props they use (aka kitchen gadgets) to get the Northwest cuisine to over 100 diners with nary a missed “line.” One of their most useful and favorite gadgets? The immersion blender. For Jan’s dinner, Chef Keith Luce used it to whip a chestnut soup to frothy perfection before ladling into very small tasting cups. Invented in Europe in the ‘60s, the immersion blender was first introduced in the U.S. to restaurant kitchens. Then 30 years ago, Braun started selling them to consumers. But it took the Food Network and celebrity chefs using this magic wand to show viewers its amazing ease and usefulness. This culinary wizard can puree, emulsify, and foam right in the pot in short order.
We love the immersion blender and use it to make smoothies, whipping cream, creaming soup. Moms will love it for pureeing baby food. The blender comes with extra-long cords, making it easy to move it around the kitchen from countertop to stovetop. Use a beaker or tall cylinder (often included) to whip small quantities of food most efficiently and spatter free. Buying tips:
Immersion blenders range in price from $40 to $130. We would not recommend spending any less. You want it to last, and it will with care. Purchase an electric model over battery operated; the electric motor is more powerful and will not die on you during use.
GadgetGals tested many brands of immersion blenders and found the following all perform a variety of tasks very well:
Bamix Mono: A one-piece, two-speed model for the serious cook who wants to make pesto and hollandaise sauce without a moment’s hesitation. Comes with three attachments. Available in black, red, silver and white. 1-year warranty plus a guarantee that replacement parts are available for 10 years after purchase. Suggested retail: $130.
Dualit Professional 88860: Variable-speed control on the top of the handle, which provides added power when pureeing thick mixtures, such as potatoes. Includes two beakers and a whisk. 1-year warranty. Suggested retail: $ 100.
KitchenAid KHB100ER:. Variable speed control from one to nine with a stainless steel shaft. Includes a plastic beaker. Suggested retail: $100 Cuisinart Smart Stick CSB-76: Lightweight. Comes with one speed but whips up smoothies with ease in its tall blender cup. 3-year warranty. Suggested retail: $55
For information about immersion blenders go to www.amazon.com
For The Herbfarm information on go to www.theherbfarm.com ROASTED CHESTNUT SOUP
Here is our version of Roasted Chestnut soup. Using dried chestnuts saves roasting and peeling of whole chestnuts, which is not difficult, just time consuming. The immersion blender make this soup so easy because you can puree it directly in the stock pot. It is a good do-ahead recipe for the soup and freezes well.
3/4 pound dried whole peeled chestnuts or 1 pound whole chestnuts, toasted and shelled)
Water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 small leeks, cleaned and white part only chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 large onion, chopped
8 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried sage or poultry seasoning
2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1. In 3-quart saucepan, heat dried chestnuts and water to boiling. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Drain the chestnuts; discard the liquid. Remove any bitter inner skin from the chestnuts. ( Note: if using fresh chestnuts or canned chestnuts, omit this step.)
2. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter until butter is melted. Add leeks, onions, and carrot and cook over medium heat until vegetables have softened. Add the chestnuts, chicken broth, and sage. Return to boiling. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes over medium low heat until chestnuts are soft.
3.To puree, plunge the immersion blender into the stock pot and stir around the pot until all the soup is uniformly pureed, scraping the sides and bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula. (Can be made ahead. Spoon into a freeze-proof container and freeze up to one month or refrigerate up to two days.)
4. To serve, heat soup to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and taste for salt and add, if needed. Serve immediately. Makes about 11 cups
TOM AND JERRY'S
This toddy ( a hot drink) is THE perfect après ski or skating drink to help warm things up a bit. The sweetened egg base is heated with hot water or milk and flavored with brandy, bourbon or rum plus a sprinkling of nutmeg. The immersion blender works its magic in beating the dozen egg yolks to fluffy perfection.
12 eggs whites
12 egg yolks
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bottle (750 ml) dark rum, bourbon or brandy
Freshly grated nutmeg
Hot water or milk
1. In a large mixer bowl with an egg beater, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry.
2. In the beaker that comes with the immersion blender, beat egg yolks, sugar, allspice, and cinnamon with immersion blender until light and fluffy. Fold into the beaten egg whites. (Can be made ahead. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 hours. Stir before assembling each drink.)
Makes about 18 to 20 servings.
For each serving: Spoon a generous 2 tablespoons egg mixture into an 8-ounce mug with 1 jigger (3 tablespoons) of your choice of liquor. While stirring, fill the cup with hot water or milk. Garnish the top with freshly grated nutmeg.
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