A Note About: Immersion Blenders

photos and pricing courtesy Amazon.com

Few electric kitchen gizmos are as essential to me as the immersion blender (also known as a stick blender). It's a great tool for creating soups and sauces, as well as the occasional smoothie-by-the-glass.

There are a few key benefits to the immersion blender opposed to a regular blender:

For one, you can stick it right into the pot to puree hot foods without waiting for them to cool, or worrying about steam and puréeing in batches. For anyone who has tried to purée a hot soup in a regular blender, you know what a challenge it can be as the steam builds up and threatens to pop the lid right off.

Two, they are generally small, and can easily be stored in a cupboard or drawer rather than taking up valuable counter space.

And lastly, they are generally quieter and easier to clean than their bigger cousins.

The Karen Cookie

On a recent photo shoot I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to experience what must be the highest achievable form of chocolate chip cookie, as produced by a woman - nay - angel, named Karen. This chocolate chip cookie was soft - but not too soft, sweet - but not too sweet. The ratio of chips to cookie dough was something to be studied by mathematicians.

But the crown jewel that put it right over the top was a light dusting of sea salt over the top. Salty, sweet, chewy, and dare I use the word - moist. It was single-handedly responsible for an uncomfortable addition of poundage, what an assistant friend lovingly called her "hot-pockets".


Needless to say, when the shoot ended, I was left in withdrawal. I quickly turned to my kitchen and several chocolate chip recipes to try and unlock the mystery.

I learned much in my attempts, and lo and behold a month later much of what I had learned was confirmed in the April issue of Cooks Illustrated.

Puréed Wild Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Soup

This is like your favorite sweater in a bowl. A warm, hearty brew that's perfect for those last chilly nights in spring or those first fall evenings.

For those who are fearful of fat, this recipe uses no cream and only a small amount of butter for sautéing. For those afraid of brussels sprouts, fear not - sautéing them and blending them to a puree removes all bitterness and texture that might be a turn off to you.  For those afraid of ghosts... I'm afraid there isn't much here that concerns you.

This recipe does require an immersion blender, which is a kitchen gadget I could not live without and can probably be found for as little as $15 at your nearest drugstore (where I got mine).