_3 Not for the Faint of Heart: Making a Sinful Smoothie


Serves: 5

Ingredients

Directions:

The good news is that it isn't necessary to have an extensive array of equipment in your kitchen to prepare a sinful smoothie. In fact, all you need is a modest number of tools: a sharp knife for prepping fruit, measuring spoons and cups, a rubber spatula to remove every last drop from the blender, airtight freezer bags for storing freshly cut fruit in the freezer, and, of course, the essential blender. There are, in addition, a couple of optional items that you might want to consider. As you glance through the garnish recipes found in this cookbook, you will note the mention of two useful tools that may not be standard equipment in your kitchen. The first, a silicone mat, is a reusable laminated food-grade silicone sheet with a nonstick surface. It can be used to line a baking sheet for making cookies, cakes, and pastries, or as a countertop surface when working with gum paste, caramelized syrup, chocolate, or fondant. The second is a mandoline slicer. It is a handheld kitchen implement containing a variety of cartridge blades that perform precision cutting of foods in several modes such as very thick, very thin, and julienne, just to mention a few. These are very useful items, but neither is an absolute necessity. Finally, although a food processor can be used to make a smoothie, most smoothie experts would agree that a blender is definitely the preferred appliance. A food processor can be used to purée fruit and ice, but it often leaves small chunks of ice behind. A blender breaks up the ice and fruit into tiny particles and is better able to process liquids and solids into a fine, smooth, and well-aerated purée.

THE BLENDER
The blender is by far the most important piece of kitchen equipment when it comes to making a proper smoothie. Credit for the invention of this indispensable appliance goes to Stephen J. Poplawski, who, in 1922, first conceived of placing a spinning blade at the bottom of a glass container. By 1935, Fred Waring and Frederick Osius had made significant improvements on the original design and began marketing the Waring Blender. The rest is history.

A blender basically consists of a tall, narrow stainless steel, plastic, or glass food container fitted with metal blades at the bottom. These blades usually have four cutting edges placed on two or four planes, allowing for the ingredients in the container to hit multiple cutting surfaces. The rapidly spinning blades cause an upward motion, creating a vortex in the container that allows for the incorporation of more air in the final product, giving it a smoother consistency.

When selecting a blender, you should assess certain basic qualities, including its durability, ease of operation and cleaning, capacity, and noise production. With such a wide variety of blenders to choose from, I hope the following information will help you narrow your choice.

* Blender containers typically come in two sizes: thirty-two ounces and forty ounces. If you will routinely be preparing smoothies for more than two people, choose the larger one.

* Blender motors come in different sizes. Those with 290-watt motors are adequate for most blending jobs, but not optimal for smoothies. Those with 330- to 400-watt motors, considered to be of professional caliber, are excellent for crushing ice, a very important feature for creating the best smoothies.

* Blenders can be found with a variety of blade speed options, ranging from two speeds (high and low) to multiple (between five and fourteen) speeds. Variable-speed models provide more options, such as the ability to liquefy and whip.

* The blender should have a removable bottom for ease of cleaning.

* Container lids should have a secondary lid that can be easily removed. This allows for the addition of ingredients while the blender is turned on.

* Avoid plastic container jars because they become scratched over time and do not wash well in the dishwasher.

Recently, new blenders specifically designed for making smoothies have become available. One whirring wizard, called the Smoothie Elite (by Back to Basics), has several useful features, including a custom stir stick to break up the air pockets, an ice-crunching blade that assures consistent smoothie texture, and a convenient spigot at the bottom of the container that serves up the finished product.

Although a blender is the ideal appliance for making smoothies, you may prefer a food processor because of its overall versatility or, more important, because it is an appliance that you already own. The New York Times described the food processor as the "twentieth-century French revolution." This unique appliance can mince, chop, grate, shred, slice, knead, blend, purée, liquefy, and crush ice.

Unlike the blender container, the food processor bowl is wide and low, causing food to be sent sideways rather than upward by the spinning blade. This motion results in food striking the sides of the container, with less incorporation of air than in the upward motion produced by a blender. Still, if it's all you have, it should do fine. Your smoothies just won't be as perfect.

Once you have decided on the features you would like in a blender, I encourage you to visit several appliance or department stores and personally view the various models available. The salesclerk should be able to provide you with information to help you make the best decision. The Internet is another resource. Many of the companies that manufacture these appliances have very informative sites describing their individual product, and some also provide a phone number so you can speak to a representative. Finally, CONSUMER REPORTS and similar publications provide comparison quality ratings of a variety of blenders.

HELPFUL TECHNIQUES
Now that the blender (or food processor) has taken its rightful place, center stage on your countertop, it is time to rev it up and make a sinful smoothie. I hope you found equipping your kitchen with the necessary tools to make smoothies a relatively easy process. You will be pleased to learn that mastering the techniques required to prepare them is no more difficult. In fact, preparing a smoothie may be one of the most uncomplicated tasks you will ever perform in your kitchen. All you do is simply place the appropriate smoothie ingredients in a blender and you will end up with a wonderfully delicious final product. However, for those who want to create the truly perfect sinful smoothie, there are a few additional helpful techniques that I have discovered that will help you reach that lofty goal.

* To get the most delicious fruit, buy it when it is in season and at peak flavor.

* Before freezing fruit, wash and dry or peel it, then follow the preparation instructions given in the previous chapter.

* Store-bought individually frozen fruit can be substituted for fresh frozen fruit, but it should be used within six months of the purchase date. Avoid using frozen fruit packaged in sweetened syrup.

* To be certain that you have a supply of your favorite seasonal fruits, stock up before they are no longer available for purchase. Although fruits have the most flavor when they are kept frozen for only one to two weeks, they can be kept in the freezer for a slightly longer amount of time and still be edible.

* If the fruit you have frozen becomes clumped together, gently pound it within the sealed bag with a mallet or blunt object until the pieces have separated.

* When adding ingredients to a blender, always add the liquid first, then the frozen fruit, and the ice cream last. Start the blender on low speed to crush the fruit and blend the mixture. Gradually increase the speed until the mixture is smooth. It takes three to four minutes for a smoothie to reach its optimal consistency. It may be necessary to turn off the blender periodically and stir the mixture with a spoon, working from the bottom up.

* If the smoothie is too thin, add more fruit. Conversely, if the smoothie is too thick, add more of your favorite juice, milk, or spirit.

From SINFUL SMOOTHIES: more than 130 dessert smoothies & other indulgences. Copyright © 2004 Donna Pliner Rodnitzky. All Rights Reserved.

This _3 Not for the Faint of Heart: Making a Sinful Smoothie recipe is from the Cook'n Sinful Smoothies Cookbook. Download this Cookbook today.




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