Monday, April 1, 2013

Old School Chef New School Technology




I admit it. I'm old fashion when it comes to cooking and kitchen tools. I do own a food processor only because we were able to get it free with frequent flyer miles.  I do own a bread machine but thats because I suck at making bread.  Now that I think of it we have more recent kitchen appliances that I would like to admit. But honestly I don't use them all.  

I have always been a old fashion kinda girl.  Memories of watching all the adult women in the kitchen at my grandmothers preparing meals flood my brain.  My favorite memory is my grandma Mary cutting pasta by hand. Those were the best thick noodles ever. I can still taste them!  So when my grandma Mary passed away I knew what I wanted from her house. All her kitchen tools and garden tools. From her kitchen timer that doesn't work at all but ticks, her beautiful green creamy glass bowl, all her cast iron pans/pots and even her metal and wooden hand mixer.  

So this morning when I went to peel 2 organic potatoes to make fried potatoes it dawned on me. I have a slicer blade on my food processor. Took me a minute to figure out how to use it but I did. Then 2 seconds later my 2 potatoes were sliced. I was amazed. Part of me wanted to slice them by hand which would of taken me a good 5 minutes. I can tell its going to be a love hate relationship. Takes energy to use my food processor. Not only that but it will take water to wash my food processor.  If I cut them by hand it takes no energy or water. Hmmm time to ponder........I came up with a decision. I will peel by hand when its just a potato or two. If I need to cut a whole bunch up the food processor is coming out. 

Part of me wants to live in the past.  Part of me wants to save the world and use only things with elbow power.  Then the other part of me ( the cooking wife part) wants help getting meals out faster. Luckily because I hate plastic so much I don't  buy many kitchen gadgets at all.  Now days just about everything is made of or partly made of plastic. Yeah cheap now but in the long run they will break and eventually have to be replaced.  I look for mine in thrift shops. I can usually find older things made well and for cheap!

So whose with me here?
 Anyone else out there stuck in the past kitchen? 
How do you get around buying things plastic-free?
Are you a old school or a new technology chef? 


2 comments:

Queentob said...

I'm old fashioned too. I always say it's greener to go old school! I don't use many appliances..partly bc of the counter space/that's precious real estate! I think taking an appliance out, using it, cleaning it and having to find room to put it away...all is way too much effort!

I do use my kitchen aid mixer for my big big jobs!

Queentob said...

I'm old fashioned too. I always say it's greener to go old school! I don't use many appliances..partly bc of the counter space/that's precious real estate! I think taking an appliance out, using it, cleaning it and having to find room to put it away...all is way too much effort!

I do use my kitchen aid mixer for my big big jobs!