Work smart, not strong

That's what they say anyway and I'm tired of spending hours filling my oven when I can have 24 loaves of bread done in less than an hour instead of the three hours it currently takes. I picked up this commercial oven for just $300. I'm waiting for the electric upgrade, but once that's done, I'll be able to produce so much more.

Electrolux Magic Mill DLX 2000...say what!?

A couple of weeks ago I ranted about my Kitchenaid dying just weeks after the warranty ended. I had read numerous similar tales on eGullet so its clearly not a unique problem. And while some people swear by their KAs, I'm ready to move on to something more reliable. When it comes to issues such as this I turn to an online friend, andiesenji, who's opinion I trust more than almost any other. She has quite the background and certainly knows her equipment. She suggested the DLX. Its a price jump, but time will tell if its worth it.

I bought it at PleasantMills which has the best price.

Let me take some of their description:

The Electrolux Magic Mill DLX Assistent has been a Swedish secret for over 50 years. An exceptionally strong dough mixer, the Electrolux DLX has an impeccable reputation for long term reliability and quality results whether you're mixing a cake, whipping a meringue, or baking ten loaves of fresh, light, scrumptious bread.

The Magic Mill DLX Assistent mixer creates smooth, silky, elastic dough quicklyand easily with its unique roller and scraper design. This method effectively mimics kneading by hand, minus the time and effort. As the stainless bowl revolves, the deeply fluted roller of the Magic Mill DLX acts as your fingers, with the scraper mimicking the palm of your hand.

The Magic Mill scraper folds the dough with a rhythmic motion while the roller provides a powerful massaging action. Dough comes out smooth and elastic, in large or small batches. Any speed from 40 to 140 RPM can be selected, and an electronic speed sensor automatically adjusts motor torque to the load. A timer is standard equipment, so the Magic Mill DLX will do its work while you do other tasks, stopping when you want it to. The control panel is angled for comfortable use, and the large timer and speed controls are attractive and easy to read.

The large 8 quart stainless steel bowl of the Magic Mill holds up to 28 cups of flour (7 lbs.), to make approximately 15 lbs. of bread dough (7-10 loaves). The efficient, high-torque 600 watt motor runs smoothly and quietly; coupled with an advanced transmission design, it providing ample power to mix and knead even the largest batch of heavy bread dough without straining. The Magic Mill was given its nickname, "The Workhorse Mixer" not by its manufacturer Electrolux, but by users who praise this powerful kitchen helper that's so enjoyable to use.

So far I agree with this description. I did a large batch of dough today and couldn't figure out whether I was supposed to use the roller or hook, but I made 12 batards where my old KA could only do 6. Its interesting that this machine moves the bowl, not the attachment. Makes sense to me - one big honkin' gear to do the job. Here's some more from their site:

The Magic Mill's whisk beater bowl (the white bowl in illustration above) will create beautiful meringues, beating up to 18 egg whites (or as few as one) with excellent results. You can also cream butter, margarine and shortening with sugar to the creamiest texture for all your cookie needs.

When white bowl is used, it is stationary (unlike the stainless bowl, which turns during use), and the whisks drive from below via a center column in the bowl (the white bowl is shaped something like a bunt cake.) This arrangement provides total access to the top of the Magic Mill bowl, with no overhead motor drive in the way. The beater bowl is sold separately by Magic Mill, but we include it with your mixer at no additional charge. When mixing with either this bowl or the stainless bowl, the only metal in contact with your food is food-grade stainless steel.

The Magic Mill DLX mixer measures 13.5"H x 10.5"W x 15.7"D, weighs only 19 lbs. with stainless bowl. It sits firmly on solid rubber feet, and will not walk on the countertop during use. The entire motor enclosure is made of metal, and is available in your choice of four attractive finishes. The Electrolux Magic Mill DLX mixer has a 3 year manufacturer's warranty on the power unit, 1 year on other parts.

The biggest difference between dense, heavy baked goods and the delightfully textured products you want to enjoy is proper development of the gluten in the dough. The Magic Mill kitchen mixer is unexcelled in its ability to turn out fantastic dough. With the array of available accessories displayed below, it offers to add a myriad of exciting dimensions to your cooking experience. The Magic Mill DLX is a lifetime investment.

I started to max out my bowl with a double batch of butter cream, but I survived. I'll continue reporting on what I think of this and if its worth the investment.

A new cheese: Toma Maccagno

Toma Maccagno is a cow's milk mountain cheese from the Valle Cervo in Biella, Italy and was the favorite of the queen of Savoy.

This toothsome toma is made in the alpine pastures from the whole milk of the rare Pezzata Rossa d'Oropa cow during the summer months and in the valley itself in the fall.

Silky and sharp with rich buttery flavors, this semi-soft cheese is washed with saffron which colors the young rind a vivid red. Delicious eaten unaccompanied with a light fruity wine.

High altitude baking

I've talked about baking adjustments many times before on this blog, but this weekend demonstrated the single most important factor - oven temp. You can adjust leavener, sugar, fat, etc, but as the cake below shows, a simple slowing of the baking process cures most ills. The cake on the right was baked with no modifications to the recipe at 350º F. The cake on the left was baked at 340ºF. A one inch collapse versus no collapse at all. Makes sense doesn't it. The cake rises more slowly allowing it to set up at a rate closer to the rise. When it hits its peak, the structure is in place to stop it from collapsing. Both tasted equally good, however.

Recent desserts

I'm finally feeling caught up enough to play with some desserts (translation - its been slow at the store). Here are two I made this morning.

I was playing with a pâte à foncer dough and made a peach tartlet where I soaked the peaches in light rum and cardamom, and then drizzled a light caramel on top as it came out of the oven. That was a nice breakfast.

And, brushing up on some techniques...three layers of flourless chocolate disk (meringue based), two layers of cinnamon pastry cream, tempered chocolate, house roasted cacao nibs, rum soaked disk, mirror glaze, all surrounded by chocolate mousse. No chocolate was lower than 75% so that should give you a good buzz.

Trip Report: Oaxaca - Final Thoughts

I've been sitting on this final post for a while because I'm going to step out and suggest that Oaxaca is not the great foodie destination its been made out to be. Prior to going, we researched a variety of forums, sites and guides, many of which stated that Oaxaca is one of the premier foodie cities, a top food-lovers region, or other such claims.

What we found was a community that had a vibrant organic and slow-food movement, albeit not marketed to death like an American community might. But is that enough to live up to the claims. We hit a number of restaurants on the planeta.com suggestion list, as well as suggestions on Bayless' site and the foodie forums. Claims that Tllamanalli in Teotitlán del Valle was the best food in the valley appeared overblown. Meal after meal proved good, but not great. The food was clearly fresh and tasty, and often times very good, but enough to lift Oaxaca to the pedestal?

We both agreed that we would re-visit Oaxaca, and that we had a very enjoyable trip. We loved exploring the markets and neighborhoods and discovering the finds that they had to offer. We enjoyed the touristy moments as well as the more authentic local experiences. We particularly were pleased when we found non-tourist shops that featured specialty food items. There is no question that we would recommend Oaxaca to our friends, and would definitely consider it for a re-visit.

But, I still linger on the fact that the food was no better than most places that I have visited. Slow food movements, organic producers, great restaurants are everywhere these days. Is the claim to greatness because of Oaxaca's relative remoteness? Maybe a decade ago, but now there are direct flights from a variety of US cities including our route through Houston. At nearly 300,000 inhabitants, I would expect the quality of food that we found pretty much anywhere in the world.

One aspect that I do believe lifts Oaxaca to an important culinary destination is the convergence of cultures and how that plays out in the kitchen. Playing the historic role of buffer between the North and South, hosting the Spanish invaders, and currently playing home to Americans and Europeans seeking a unique affordable community - all of these aspects has influenced the cuisine of the community. And that is special, but not unique across the globe.

So, while many would suggest that we just didn't hit the right restaurants on the right day and order the right food, I will suggest that for people who are used to eating freshly prepared foods that celebrate indigenous ingredients, Oaxaca is a great vacation spot, but not a premier foodie destination.

Cursing Kitchenaid

My fancy KitchenAid, which is one of the more expensive models, is starting to sound like its on its last leg. I checked the warranty and they will cover it for one year. Guess when I bought it - one year and two weeks! Grumbles very loudly!