Stephanie Larkin asked:


Food processors started to make their appearance way back in the early sixties. Since then this product has steadily grown in popularity up to a point where the food processor has become an essential component for many modern cooking methods. Chefs have created countless delicious recipes through the use of this appliance. The food processor is a kitchen aid that no cook can do without.

A necessity in every kitchen

Considering how much time and labor is spent when using the traditional methods of chopping, grating and kneading, it has become very difficult indeed for the modern parent to prepare a decent home cooked meal. As most parents opt for having careers rather than staying at home, cooking time has become very limited. The repetitive action of chopping, shredding, pureeing or slicing is enough to make any working person disgruntled and run off to the nearest fast food outlet.

The food processor has virtually eliminated all the labor involved and has cut down on the preparation time. Modern chefs make extensive use of food processors. The appliance has become such a necessity that it can no longer be seen as a showpiece item that will only be used occasionally.

Virtually every single food program on television will show the chef armed with a chef’s knife and a food processor. This has increased the usage of the appliance even more as most of these dishes are designed for the home cook. The creation of wholesome, nutritious and delectable dishes have become a breeze and done in no time at all. This is precisely what the home cook requires and is difficult to achieve without the use of a food processor.

How does it work?

A food processor is an electrical appliance that is made up of a mixing bowl and a range of blades and disks. The mixing bowl would ideally be able to hold 9 cups as the processing of liquids just about cuts the capacity in half. The feeding tube on the lid should wide enough for larger pieces of food. The processors are fitted with a safety feature and will only start processing once the lid and bowl is locked and sealed.

These safety features are a requirement and apply to all makes of food processors. Some of these appliances are fitted with suction pads at the base to prevent the machine from moving around during processing. There are basically two types of blades that come with the processor. The essential ones are the s-shaped stainless steel blade and the plastic blade. The stainless steel blade can be fitted at the bottom of the bowl to allow for easy chopping, shredding, mixing or blending of vegetables and meat. The plastic blade is mainly for mixing bread and pizza dough. The two disks that usually come with a food processor are designed for slicing and grating purposes.

The slicing disk has various thickness settings. Disks used for grating purposes also come in different sizes. The processor is usually fitted with more than one speed option. The pulse controls come in very handy when making bread or pizza dough, as it will help to create a perfect texture and not over mix it. A citrus press for juicing oranges, limes or grapefruit and an egg whip that can be used for baking purposes are other essential attachments. Some food processors have extra or optional features and attachments that could be useful for certain people depending on what their requirements are.

A mini processor that can be used for grinding spices like cardamom and cinnamon stick is quite a nifty attachment. It can also be used for chopping smaller quantities of vegetables, fruit or herbs. Appliances fitted with touch pad controls prevent any liquids from entering the panel and can therefore be easily cleaned. Another handy option is the chute that leads to another bowl. Large amounts of food can be processed without stopping as it simply enters into another bowl when the main one starts filling up.

Be selective when purchasing a processor

These options are useful but not always necessary as it can affect the price when purchasing a food processor. Investing in a good quality food processor can become a costly affair, but a food processor can save time and help to create healthy and delicious dishes in no time. If you do have a family and prefer home cooked meals then a food processor will be a worthwhile investment.

If you do not have a family to entertain on a regular basis, then you will be able to prepare gourmet dishes at a fraction of the cost with a good food processor. The range is wide and varied and will certainly meet all requirements for the ardent home cook.

Judith Kelly asked:


Açai is a member of Euterpe Genus (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) extensively distributed in Northern South America. It is most abundant in the floodplains of the Brazilian Amazons. Acai (pronounced ah-SAH’-ee) is a lanky, multi-stemmed, monoecious palm that can grow to over 30 meters height. The most important aspect of this palm tree is the acai palm berries. The acai berry fruit grows in 7 species of palm through central and South America found along the basins, rivers and swamps. The acai berry fruits are mainly harvested from July to December. Each palm tree can produce from 3 to 4 clusters of fruits, each cluster can weigh 3 to 6 kilograms, and it contains about 700 to 900 individual grape sized berries. The globular shaped fruits change their color from green to dark purple during the process of ripening and their size range from 1.0 to 1.5 cm in diameter. The majority (about 90%) of the fruit is the large seed in the middle; the edible layer of the fruit is very small and covered by a slim fibrous layer. That is one of the reasons why acai is not that cheap. The edible layer is prepared as pulp and then made into a thick juice. The pulp has roughly 2.4% of protein and 5.9% of lipid. The juice has been prepared for human consumption. The taste is a combination of berries and chocolate. A lot of historical and biochemical evidence indicate that it is the healthiest fruit we have found so far.

It is commonly blended or combined with other fruits, juices, and made into energetic snacks, liqueur, jelly, ice cream and the freeze dried powder, which actually has higher potency than the liquid form due to the higher concentration of the nutrients. The powder has been used to make pills. It has been found that this magical fruit is a natural metabolism booster, hence a great healthy answer to a lot of dieters. It does not suppress your appetite, you still eat the same amount of delicious enjoyable meal as you like, what it does, in layman’s term is burring more calories while you are doing your normal activities. Acai has been used initially by surfers for better athletic performance, due to its ability of increased metabolism.

As we noted before, we do not just consume acai alone, we use acai in combination with other beneficial products to gain the most benefits form acai. The obvious benefit of the acai berry and its potential economical value has drawn a lot of companies into creating and producing their brand of acai products to aid weight loss and other health issues. But, every product is different. The formulations of existing acai products can be quite different, in the composition of choice of ingredient, the sourcing of the ingredients and preparation of the ingredients. All factors can affect the quality of the final products…

Hence, it is best to research and find out what is really in an acai product of interests before you spend your valuable hard earned dollars.