Monday, March 2, 2009

Full Immersion



I really want an immersion blender. It just really seems I would use it a lot and with such a small kitchen its a great alternative to a food processor. Unfortunately, since the accident I am a little afraid of that particular tool. It was silly really, not a big deal, but when I look down at my mutilated fingernail I do get a little queasy just thinking about it. It could have happened to anyone, at least anyone with a taste for gin martinis and a very attentive big brother...


It was Christmas Eve and I had just finished putting together the Christmas dinner for my family (13 people). I made a pork loin roast with wild rice and sausage dressing (see below) along with some roasted sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts and a few other accompaniments. Bro had been keeping me in good spirits with his special mix of Hendrick's gin, Via vermouth and lime zest (heaven). Dinner went smoothly. Everyone was feeling festive and full and as we prepared to serve desert I decided to experiment with the immersion blender to see how it would work for whipping cream. For those who were wondering, it works really well. I don't think everyone needs to hear the gory details of what precisely happened but suffice it to say I learned some very important lessons that evening:


1) Gin martinis and immersion blenders don't mix. Seriously. They should have a warning label or something. Who knows, maybe they do - I didn't buy the thing. Rest assured, when I do eventually purchase one, I WILL be checking for that along side the warning for risk of electrical shock.
2) Don't stick your finger in the blade thingy to clean it off. Seriously. The extra whipped cream that gets all jammed up in there IS NOT WORTH IT.
3) Alcohol thins your blood. Seriously.
4) That being said it is really easy to clean blood out of whipped cream... but seriously, we are all family, right?
5) Fingernails grow at least 1/8" below your cuticle. If you cut your finger there you will cut your nail as well; and when it grows out it will look seriously gross.
5) This may be the most important lesson (though the least related to immersion blenders). Don't drink four martinis on Christmas Eve or you WILL, the next morning, be getting the adult version of coal from St. Nick, otherwise known as a serious hangover.


Wild Rice Dressing
2 cups wild rice mix (mix of long grain brown rice and wild rice) cooked
2 tbsp olive oil
1 med onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 med parsnips, diced
1 med carrot, diced
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp sage
2 links Field Roast Apple Sage Veggie Sausage broken into pieces (or your favorite pork sausage)
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
1 cup dried cranberries or cherries
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup to 1 cup veggie broth



Saute onion, parsnips, and carrots in olive oil until soft. If using real sausage add it now and cook through. Add garlic and spices and cook for 2 minutes or so. If using veggie sausage add after spices and warm thoroughly. Add rice, almonds and cranberries and salt and pepper to taste. Place in a 8x8 baking dish. Drizzle veggie broth, cover with aluminum foil and cook @ 400 degrees (with roast) until warmed (about 20 minutes).

1 comment:

Candi said...

This is hilarious, seriously!