Food Processor

When they first came out in the ‘70s, we all thought food processors were magical devices, miraculously blending, chopping and beating. Rather like learning to cook with an Aga, we told ourselves that this was all we needed, one simple machine for everything. Food processors are still remarkably useful pieces of kit, but they do not do everything. They do not chop meat so much as bludgeon and tear it into a woven mass. They do not purée, but brutalize, extracting starch and turning potatoes into wallpaper paste in seconds. They slice onions so violently that excessive water is produced, making frying impossible. They are, however, brilliant for grating, for making mousselines, and will produce a good cake batter and a reasonable instant hollandaise. With practice you can make workable yeast doughs, but not as well as using a dough hook in a mixer.