Process This!: New Recipes for the New Generation of Food Processors plus Dozens of Time-Saving Tips

By Jean Anderson

Book Overview

Compared to today's racy new food processors, early models seem positively antiquated. Among the cutting-edge innovations: mini bowl and blade inserts for standard models ... kinder, gentler dough modes that knead yeast doughs to perfection ... reversible blades, one side for grinding, one for chopping ... powerful braking actions that allow you to control the degree of chop ... sleek keypads that make clean-up a breeze.

The new generation of food processors, so powerful, so versatile, needs a new deriver's manual, a cookbook to teach you how to use them to their best advantage. Process This is that book.

Award-winning cookbook author Jean Anderson has spent two years putting the new processors through their paces and developing recipes specifically for them. (Don't worry, they work in older machines too; in fact they'll make them perform better than ever.)

Anderson has turned some 150 popular recipes upside-down, changing the order of mixing so that you can now prep almost anything by processor. Flaky piecrust? No problem. Pat s, rustic or refined? A snap. Melt-in-your-mouth shortbread? You bet. Salsas and guacamole with plenty of texture? Sure thing. Asian stir-fries? Of course. Feathery cakes? Why not? Anderson has even turned the food processor into a bread machine, using it to do everything but shape and bake.

Throughout Process This you'll find dozens of time-saving tips and techniques. Why not mince parsley while you crumb bread? With meatloaves and casserole toppings so often calling for both, it makes sense. Why not processor-grate strips of lemon-zest? It's easy if you add a little sugar or salt. Chop onions and bell peppers in tandem? Whiz together all the dry ingredients for a cake or quick bread, then cut in the butter instead of creaming it separately? This is one-bowl mixing at its best.

Process This is much more than a cookbook, however. Its dictionary of foods teaches you how to slice, dice, chop, shred, and pur e everything from apples to zucchini. There's even a handy table of equivalents to tell you exactly how many slices of bread you need for one cup of crumbs or how many onions it takes for one cup of coarsely chopped.

The 150 recipes range from simple to sophisticated: Two-Pepper Parmesan Wafers ... Chicken Liver and Red Onion Jam Pat ... Instant Icy Avocado Soup ... Penne with Midsummer Tomato Sauce ... Crispy Parmesan-Crumbled Chicken ... Ossobucco ... Old-Timey Corn Custard ... Two Potato Gratin with Bacon and Leeks ... Cheddar Scones ... Focaccia ... Frozen Lemongrass-Mango Mousse ... Toasted Hazelnut Tart ... Rugelach.

Whether you are a new cook, an experienced one, or even a professional, you will find Process This as indispensable as your food processor.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060185651
• ISBN13: 9780060185657
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 0.9" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

A Rare Find

If you're looking for meatloaf and potatoes book, this one is not for you. But if you're looking to surprise your guests and yourself, from the back porch party to a funky soirée, this book will do it. It's not a mammoth like the Joy of Cooking is or other "anthology" type collections. Process This! is more of an art show, the few carefully chosen pieces displayed for effect. In other words, don't expect the plethora of basic things. These are highly polished, wonderfully eclectic (from French countryside to American south), thoughtfully researched interpretations of beloved foods. A lot of the recipes are quite old but modernized for the our kitchens. In some way, the book is technical: it presumes that cooks follow its logic on ways of measurement, treatment of ingredients, etc. The introduction is devoted exclusively to technique. But the basic premise is intuitive and accessible to even the most basic of cooks. And while there are no pictures, a staple in American cook book publishing nowadays, Process This! provides foolproof guidance with many tips and personal commentaries. As a result, there is a sort of respectful intimacy that arises. I know I can always count on it to plan my party menu. I also know that it's not for everyday use. There is something romantic about its collection that just begs a special show off occasion. Except for deserts. The Toasted Hazelnut Tart redefines comfort food.

Now Even I Can Process

I have to admit that I was thoroughly intimidated by my food processor until I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Jean Anderson's Process This! With mistrust and full of doubt, I began scanning How to Use This Book and Getting Down to Basics, and by the time I reached Equilavents, my confidence had blossomed and I couldn't wait to get started. With company coming for Thanksgiving, I decided to try a new vegetable dish and chose Red Cabbage Braised the Bavarian Way. By following Jean's excellent directions and tips, I did it! and it was a big hit with my guests! I have also mixed up a batch of Parmesan Wafers (easy!) and am saving it for my 5-year old grand-daughter to help push through a cookie press as Jean suggests. I can hardly wait to try that fat-free ice cream! Thank you, Jean Anderson!

GREAT

Someone just gave me a copy of PROCESS THIS! and to be honest, I didn't think it was a book I'd use. Then I saw the author show how to make a killer fat-free ice cream at a local bookstore and was blown away. I've now made at least a dozen recipes from the book and they have all been terrific. And EASY. One night I served the Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut Milk, Lemongrass, and Cilantro, and man, was it a hit. I also love the Toasted Hazelnut Tart, Jansson's Temptation, Swiss Steak and Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes. I never knew I could make cake in a food processor and I certainly never knew I could make ice cream in it in a couple of minutes. Amazing! Now that I know how many things I can make in my food processor, I'm going to keep it out on the counter. There are a lot of other recipes in the book that sound really good and I'm going to try them soon

I use this book every night!

When my twenty-year old food processor stopped working last year I filled its space in the cupboard and thought I would just not get another one. Then I was shopping for a present and noticed a crowd watching Jean Anderson, author of Process This!, making an amazingly-quick Soft Raspberry-Lime "Ice Cream" and Lemon Poppy-Seed Cupcakes. Now I not only have a copy of her book, but a brand new food processor and thanks to Process This!, the food processor isn't going into that cupboard. In addition to making several whole meals from this book, I made a birthday cake using the Lemon Poppy-Seed Cupcake batter, my family just loved the Cheddar Scones, and the Processor Pastry for Tarts and Pies is so easy to make, it is habit forming. I just ordered two copies for my children who each got food processors for wedding presents and are always looking for fast, good-for-you recipes to make when they get home from work.

Fast and Fabulous

Every recipe I tried was easy to do and resulted in compliments to the chef. Though I love the praise, the honors should go to the author of Process This. Recipes are easy to follow, contain helpful hints and result in meals that please the palate and wake up the tastebuds. As a working woman, one of my biggest challenges is to prepare meals that are more than just something to eat. I made three of the recipes immediately after buying the book: Two-Pepper Parmesan Wafers, Jansson's Temptation, and Sweet and Mild Red Pepper Salad with Tomatoes; all three were easy to make and went perfectly with the main course I selected. I took the leftover potatoes (Jansson's Temptation) to work and my co-workers feasted so happily I couldn't get a bite myself.This cookbook has opened up a new world of fun in the kitchen and delightful dining. My food processor can thank Jean Anderson for its move from the back of the cabinet to a place of honor on my kitchen counter.