This blog will detail my journey learning to cook with the Thermomix. For those who don't know what a Thermomix (or TM for short) is, please visit http://www.thermomix.com.au/.
It all started with one of those "what are you doing on the weekend" conversations with a colleague. I asked him what he was doing on the weekend, and he told me he was attending a cooking demonstration using the TM. He explained what this was, and referred me to the address above. A food processor that replaces 10 separate kitchen appliances, and also cooks! It sounded too good to be true. So, I ordered a home demo.
The home demo was awesome! The demonstrator, E, made sorbet, chopped coleslaw and blended dip in under a minute each. She kneaded bread in 2 minutes, and cooked the most delicious custard in 7! Then, to top it all off, E made the nicest vegetable risotto I've ever had in 20 minutes! I was completely sold!
It was all so easy and so delicious that I decided that if I could have a go myself at using the TM, and liked the results I was able to achieve with it, I would order one.
A week and a half later, E came to my house with the TM. We had decided to cook beef stir fry.
I should backtrack a bit here, and say that I am totally blind, and absolutely hate anything to do with cooking. I burnt myself when I was young, and have always been terified of heat, so have never been able to use the stove, electric frypan etc. I can use the microwave, but have never been happy with the results when cooking meat, especially beef.
Consequently, I have absolutely no confidence in the kitchen. E was the perfect person to help me make my first stir fry, as she absolutely exuded calm. Nothing was a problem - not even the mess I made!
Anyway, getting back to the stir fry, It was so easy. I mixed up the marinade, poured it over the cut up meat and julienned the vegies (a new experience for me).
Then, I chopped the ginger and garlic in the TM, a simple matter of turning a dial to the right speed (with E's help), and cooked it with a press of a few buttons - easy! The bowl didn't even get hot! The smell of the ginger and garlic cooking was fantastic, and I was able to stand and listen to it sizzle without being afraid, as it was all safely contained in the lidded bowl.
Then I added the beef, and then after a few minutes of cooking, added the vegies. After 2 more minutes, it was done! It was delicious, and my house was filled with a delightful cooking smell - a first!
This was the first thing I had ever cooked without yelling, tears or alcohol, and the first thing I had ever cooked that tasted really good. I can't wait for my TM!!!
