For some reason, I become a maven of the kitchen on Saturday. Today I’m make the classic French Chef dish, Boeuf Bourguignon, made famous by Julia Child. It’s a time-consuming recipe rather than being difficult, but that’s not my story about the KitchenAid mixer. No, that is the other recipe I’m making which is called S’more’s Monkey Bread and is just another of the infinite Monkey Bread variations of which I have become enamored.
So anyway, this is a yeast dough and I have it all mixed nicely and am kneading it in my machine, similar to the one pictured at left. Mine however is ancient having been secured at a farm auction for the dear price of $60 over 12 years ago. Now given that it is probably from the 50’s or so, I figure this baby is in its yellowed condition, some fifty years old.
So, as I was saying, I have the Boeuf in the oven, (okay so it’s a fancy beef stew), and I have the KitchenAid a beating away, kneading, and I’m taking a moment to rest my weary tootsies and sip a bit of coffee for five while it does my work for me. The Contrarian is in the kitchen making himself an egg salad sandwich for breakfast, when all of a sudden such a crash was not heard since the aliens crash landed at Roswell up the road a bit.
I rushed into the kitchen, where the Contrarian is standing at the sink, holding his chest, and looking at the floor, which is now the new home of my good-old mixer. The bowl is askew and my dough is oozing out onto my immaculate floor (I am NOT throwing away that dough I can tell you that!). The back of the machine has sprung loose, and the cord is laying fully out, having stretched and pulled itself out as well.
Together we pick it up, me grieving like I have just lost a relative to a tornado, and deposit it back on the counter from which it walked itself off and over the cliff to the waiting CERAMIC tiled floor. I get the bowl which is only banged up and bent a bit. The mixer had apparently landed on its nose, and there was a chip gone from the snout and the cover plate was on the floor under the counter and wouldn’t go back in. The dough hook unlocked, and I retrieved it with my dough. The Contrarian ran to the garage for a screw driver.
I am moaning, since a new one of these costs more money that I can afford to display at one place at one time. I am figuring my serious baking days are about over. Since I don’t bake from boxes, I rely on my KitchenAid almost weekly for cakes, and various yeast doughs and fillings.
Meanwhile the Contrarian places the back casing back together and screws it back in place. He plugs it in, and well, I wait to hear the a new rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s, The Sound of Silence, or just as bad, a grinding, clanging, scream of “I”m broke and that’s that!”
I heard neither.
It hummed. It hummed with the same beautiful rhythm of old.
I cried for joy!
Seriously.
Now, you and I both know that all the normal mixers of average price which are made of plastic and look shiny nice, would have erupted into 25 or more pieces, and would have been fit for the trash.
There is a reason that KitchenAid products cost what they do. They are THAT GOOD.
So, if you are thinking of buying a mixer, one that is heavy-duty enough to tackle the heaviest doughs and batters, this is the one you want. It may take you a while to save up for it, but it will be worth it. Take it from me and my experience. As the Contrarian said:
“That is the first thing that has hit this floor and survived to tell about it.”
And before you ask, no I don’t have any deal with KitchenAid. I have been entering the Pioneer Woman’s contests for free KitchenAid’s for a couple of years. I so much would like a new one but alas no luck so far. But it seems that I shall always have my trusty Old Yeller (that is her name since she has discolored over the years) to rely on, and that’s a good thing.
PS: I’ll post the Monkey Bread recipe soon over at the cooking site: What’s on the Stove? in a few weeks. I’m a bit behind and plan to post a recipe called Apple Cheesecake Bars today.
Have a great day.