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Chuck roast becomes ground chuck.

Ever since reading the hamburger story in The New York Times a couple of weeks ago, I've been wondering just how hard it could be to grind my own burger at home. I mean, we don't generally buy frozen, pre-formed hamburger patties, but we do occasionally buy packaged ground beef at the grocery store. And one theory is that when the beef scraps used to make ground beef come from all different parts of the cow (and possibly different parts of the country, or the world) there's just a better chance of some illness-causing bacteria getting in the mix.

I am not losing sleep over this, but what could it hurt to make homemade burger? It could be a good way to control the fat content since I'm trying to diet, and perhaps it would even taste better.

First, the tools: My Kitchen Aid mixer came with a rebate offer for a free attachment, and I, thinking maybe I'd make sausage someday, chose the grinder. Which comes in quite handy now. But not everyone owns a grinder attachment, much less a Kitchen Aid mixer (mine was the result of years of whining). I did some checking, and meat grinders can be had for as little as $30 for a hand-cranked model that clamps to the edge of a counter or table. They range all the way up into the hundreds of dollars.

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Most beauteous wonder

This weekend, my husband, friends and family gave me the most awesome birthday present I've received in a long time. I'm trying to remember a better birthday present, actually... other than the Barbie dream house or something, I just can't come up with one.

And of course, the Barbie dream house was not a wondrous machine of great strength and intrigue. It was not the 5-quart Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer with 325 watts of sheer cream-whipping power. I have basically wanted one of these ever since I was a teenager and my mother bought herself a cobalt blue, 300-watt Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

Now, I need to create an attachment fund. First item of business: a pasta maker. Second item of business: an ice cream maker. Actually, hubby did such a good job of shopping for this mixer that I get a rebate deal for a free grinder or chopper, my choice. I'm leaning toward the chopper... I don't grind much meat. But what if I decide I want to make sausage? Oh, the decisions!!

Anyone out there own a Kitchen Aid mixer? If so, what have you found to be some of the best uses for it? I broke it in by baking this cake. I guess you could say I baked my own birthday cake, even though I'd already had one cake! This is just a basic strawberry cake, but when I made the cream cheese icing I used fresh strawberry juice in place of milk. It gave it a pretty pink hue and a strawberry flavor.

Strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese icing

Behold, my most beautious new kitchen tool -- a Fagor 6-quart stainless steel pressure cooker.
You know you've purchased a serious gizmo when it comes with an instructional DVD that shows you how NOT to blow yourself up.
All former concerns about pressure cookers aside, this is an incredibly easy tool to use. The pressure cookers of the 1940s or even 1970s are things of the past-- or at least, they should be. If you're still using one of those dinosaurs, consider updating.
This bad boy made me two batches of falling-off-the-bones chicken wings last night for the Super Bowl in six minutes!! Six minutes! Since when can you cook anything that fast?
All of the food at my house -- jalapeno dip, pigs in a blanket, veggie pizza, chicken pizza, spinach dip, cheese and crackers -- was delicious, but the guests descended on those wings like a swarm of locusts.
Do any of you use a pressure cooker on a regular basis? After I've had more time to experiment with mine, I'd like to do a column on them. I'd be interested to hear about your experiences.

Anyone who has read my column and blog long enough knows that I have no problem with taking some shortcuts in the kitchen. Without certain shortcuts, I just don't think double-income families (or even single income, for that matter) would be able to put a nutritious meal on the table on some nights.
I didn't become a fan of cooking bags until I met my husband, Howard. And even after he began to sing their praises, I balked for a while. I considered them pedestrian. And if anyone reading this considers this whole topic pedestrian, just come back tomorrow, when I'll be talking about flan.

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Here's a new gadget for you-- the amazing One Click Butter Cutter.
That's right, now you can store your butter in a vertical container that also dispenses perfect pats of butter with one easy click. It even comes in a variety of colors. I'm thinking about getting the American flag model.
Here's my favorite feature, according to the site: "Cut slices individually as wanted or cut an entire stick of butter into slices in less than one minute!"
Whew! That's a darn good thing, because I'm always in need of an entire stick of butter cut into pats in under a minute.
OK, now I'm just being snarky and unfair. When you think about it, it would save a little time. Instead of getting out the butter dish and a knife, you just squeeze and this thing produces a perfect pat. No need to dirty a knife.
But what do you do when you need more than a pat or you have to measure out a quarter cup of butter or something? How many pats equal a quarter cup?
That's a mystery for another day.

My inbox this morning was jam-packed with foodie news of the most urgent variety.
Kids, get ready for this: Mrs. Butterworth's is talking again.
That's right, the big, sweet breakfast character we all came to know and love with our pancakes and waffles, will be chatting in commercials again after 10 years of silence. I missed her so much. She is so motherly.
Moving on to carb world, a company called Jay Robb enterprises has developed a product called YAMMIT! It's a entire line of energy supplements made out of sweet potatoes.
Here's what the company said about it:
"Since no one wants to carry around a yam or sweet potato to munch on throughout the day, Jay Robb Enterprises has developed a simple solution

Check out this bizarre press release I got today:

"Catania Wine Enhancer's Unique Technology Improves Taste Of
Wine, Beer & Coffee. It's a product that can turn a good
beverage into a great one. Using a trade secret technology, the
Catania Wine Enhancer creates a harmonically balanced resonate
frequency that balances a wine's tannins and boosts the flavor
and aroma. Additionally, the Wine Enhancer has been known to
reduce or eliminate headaches among wine drinkers, based on many
users' testimonials."

I'm told you can find more information or buy the stuff, which costs $45-$150, here.

Question: Why wouldn't you just spend that money on a DECENT bottle of wine? Inquiring minds want to know... if you try this stuff, let me know how it works!

Next up: Good old liqueurs that probably need no enhancing whatsoever. They're new from the Starbucks line and include both coffee liqueur and cream liqueur. The Starbucks folks sent me some yummy recipes for the stuff, which cannot be purchased at your local Starbucks. For these products, you'll have to visit the ABC store.
Check out these summerlicious treats:

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Office manager Nona Nelson tried the Stok black coffee shot. Here's what she had to say:
"I poured the shot of Stok into a venti Starbucks latte and so far as I continue to sip it I have not noticed much of a difference, not much of a difference at all, no, no, no, not the slightest bit jittery, so just fine here, except I am typing really fast...but other than that I am juuuuusssst fiiiiinnnnne....not manic at all...all is goooooooood here...where can I get mooooooore of this stuff?????"

Our sports writer, Doug Doughty, also tried a shot. Although he opted to take it straight.
He wrote:
"That elixir tasted a little bit like cough medicine."

Okay, so much for our very unscientific analysis of this new product. Now, how 'bout a recipe for some creamy asparagus soup? Might be a good weekend for it. Read on:

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I stopped by the 7-11 for gasoline and a decaf this morning and noticed an unusual black box positioned near the sugars, creamers and other flavorings.
In it were what appeared to be coffee creamers, except they were black with silver lids.
They're Stok black coffee shots, apparently. The label says "Limit 2/day. Warning: High Caffeine. Not for those under 18, pregnant or caffeine sensitive."
I fall into the last category, but I snagged a few anyway so I could do a little research on them. Supposedly, Stok black coffee shots have as much caffeine as a cup of espresso. Although they are called creamers, they technically contain no cream or dairy product at all. No, this just contains caffeine. Which you pour into your, well, caffeine.
According to www.energyfiend.com, which is dedicated entirely to everyone's favorite legal drug: "A 0.44 ounce shot of Stok Black Coffee Creamer contains 40 milligrams of caffeine. The "non-dairy creamer" shots come from Whitewave foods under the Stok brand. There is a "sweet" version and a non-sweetened version."
I won't be trying this stuff because it'll cause my heart to jump out of my chest. But a brave soul in the newsroom here, Nona Nelson, has agreed to be my test subject.
I'll write back later and let you know if Nona is hanging from the ceiling by her fingernails.

It's a cold and dreary day, so it's a good day to fantasize about grilling out on a warm summer night. Looking at this big Weber catalog I just got in the mail makes me feel a little like Ralphie on A Christmas Story.
"I want a Genesis E-320 gas grill in dark blue with electronic crossover ignition system, porcelain-enameled shroud with a center-mounted thermometer and accent-colored, cast-aluminum end caps and 507 square inches of primary cooking space!"
"You'll burn the filet, kid!"

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