I tend to anthropomorphise inanimate objects. My oven is Bob, the laser printer is Ralph, the car is Buddy. But I’ve never given the food processor a name, because I’ve never been overly attached to it. It’s over 20 years old and for the past ten of those, I’ve willed it to break, so that I could replace it. You know how you end up sick of something, but just can’t justify replacing it because it still works?
About six months ago, something finally did give – the little button that starts the blade spinning when you close the lid broke. As a temporary fix, Pete drilled it out so that I could operate the machine with a chopstick. And now, bizarrely, I can’t bring myself to part with it. Pete’s been trying for months to buy me a new food processor – a whiz bang stainless steel one with multiple bowls – and I keep refusing. It’s like the old one suddenly has personality. So now it has a reprieve and I’ll be using it until the motor burns out. Maybe she needs a name..any suggestions?
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It’s interesting to observe the domino effect food blogs have on each other. I was inspired to make Dorie Greenspan’s Fifteen Minute Chocolate Amaretti Torte today by a piece that Barb wrote on her blog, Babette Feasts. She, in turn, was baking this cake as part of a weekly bake-off run by another food blog. The recipe is featured here and it’s a very easy cake to make – using just seven ingredients. The batter really does take just minutes to make in a food processor (even one that’s chopstick operated) and uses these gorgeous amaretti biscuits in place of flour. They’re so addictive that I ate a dozen of them in the short time the mix was whizzing in the food processor (fortunately I could eat them one-handed, while operating the chopstick with the other). See how hollow they are inside?
The end result was this dense, fudgey, almond and chocolate treat. A perfect dinner party dessert!
By the way, this recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking from My Home to Yours. I ordered a copy from Amazon earlier this year and have made half a dozen dishes from it already. It’s the sort of cookbook you take to bed with you at night to plan the next day’s baking.
Is this the amazing thing you made us for dessert that night?
No, this is a new recipe I was trying! I’ll post that recipe soon, Luce.
This is a recipe just for me, I will make it on the weekend as my belated birthday cake.
I LOVE amaretti biscuits.
I have even been known to crush them as a layer in a tiramisu, with amaretti liquor added for a full flavour hit.
The food processor already has a name, he has been crying it out for years, it is only now you hear it “Captain Chop Chop”.
It is clever on so many levels, it is what it does and how you get it to do it.
Love to the family xx
No, not “Captain Chop Chop”. I think it’s definitely female (not that a Captain can’t be a female).
“Anthro whaty!!!”. I am very impressed with the use of language. Cake looks pretty good too. Terri xxx