5
PRACTICING WITH FOOD
Try practicing with some food before you process
food to eat. A zucchini or carrot is a good choice.
First cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
Insert the metal blade and put the pieces in the work
bowl. Put on the cover and the pusher assembly;
press the pusher assembly down to lock it into
place. Press and release the OFF/PULSE lever two
or three times and see what happens. Each time the
blade stops, let the pieces drop to the bottom of the
bowl before you pulse again. That puts them in the
path of the blade each time the motor starts.
Using the pulse/chopping technique, you can get
an even chop without the danger of overprocessing.
Check the texture frequently by looking through the
cover of the work bowl. If you want a finer chop,
press and release the OFF/PULSE lever until you
achieve the desired texture. Onions and other food
with a high water content will quickly end up as a
purée unless examined through the work bowl after
each pulse to make sure it is not overprocessed.
Try chopping other food, like meat for hamburger or
sausage. Then make mayonnaise, pastry or bread,
as described in the recipes in this book. To obtain
consistent results:
- Be sure all the pieces you add to the bowl are
about the same size.
- Be sure the amount you process is no larger
than recommended (see table inside front
cover).
REMOVING PROCESSED FOOD
Before you do anything, wait for the blade to stop
spinning.
When it does, remove the cover first. You can
remove the cover and pusher assembly in one
operation. Hold the pusher assembly with your
fingers away from the descending tabs and turn it
clockwise. Lift it off, and the cover will come with it.
Never try to remove the cover and the work bowl
together; this can damage the work bowl.
Remove the bowl from the base of the machine
before removing the blade. This creates a seal to
prevent food from leaking. Turn the bowl clockwise
to unlock it from the base and lift it straight up to
remove it.
A locking device prevents heavy dough from driving
the blade up the motor shaft. If the blade holds the
bowl locked when the motor stops, move the handle
of the bowl rapidly back and forth – first clockwise,
then counterclockwise.
To prevent the blade from falling out of the work
bowl onto your hand, remove the metal blade before
tilting the bowl, using a spatula to scrape off any
food sticking to it. Or insert your finger through the
hole in the bottom of the work bowl, gripping the
blade from the bottom, and grip the outside of the
work bowl with your thumb. Or hold the blade in
place with your finger or a spatula while pouring
out processed food. Be sure hands are dry.
TECHNIQUES FOR CHOPPING
AND PURÉEING
To chop raw fruits and vegetables:
First, cut the food into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. You
get a more even chop when all pieces are about the
same size.
Put no more than the recommended amount of food
into the work bowl (see Capacity Chart, page 2).
Lock the cover in place. Press the OFF/PULSE lever
at the rate of 1 second on, 1 second off until the
food is coarsely chopped. Then hold down the OFF/
PULSE lever, letting the machine run continuously
until the food is chopped. Check frequently to avoid
overprocessing. Use the spatula to scrape down any
pieces that stick to the sides.
To purée fruit and cooked vegetables:
First, cut the food into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. You
get a smoother purée faster when all pieces are
about equal in size. Put no more than the
recommended amount of food in the work bowl (see
Capacity Chart, page 2). Lock the cover in place.
Pulse to chop coarsely, then press the ON lever and
process continuously until the food is puréed.
NOTE: Cooked potatoes are an exception to this
procedure. They develop a gluey texture when
processed with the metal blade.
When making soup, you will want to purée
vegetables that have cooked in liquid. Don’t add the
liquid to the work bowl – just the cooked vegetables;
remove them with a slotted spoon. They will purée
faster and smoother without liquid. Then add just
enough liquid to make the purée pourable, return it
to the soup and stir to combine.
Occasionally, a piece of food may become wedged
between the blade and the work bowl. If this
happens, unplug machine, remove cover, lift the
blade out carefully and remove the wedged piece.
Empty the bowl, reinsert the blade and lock the
cover into place, first removing the small pusher.
Press the ON lever and drop the food pieces through
the small feed tube while the machine is running.
After adding a cupful this way, add the remaining
food to the bowl and process in the usual way.
To chop hard foods like garlic, hard cheese:
Remove the small pusher, press the ON lever and
drop the food through the small feed tube while the
machine is running.
Small foods like garlic can be dropped in whole.
Larger foods like hard cheese should be cut into
1
⁄
2
to 1-inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) pieces. This method of
processing minces garlic, shallots and onions. Hard
