June 16, 2011 - 6:41am
Durability of mixers
Yesterday I was making a batch of Kolaches and the dough was being kneaded in my Cuisinart mixer. I was busy making the apricot filling. When I wasn't looking, my mixer "walked" off the edge of the counter crashing to my tile floor. My first words were not "Oh Golly". The top came off, the front door came off and it unplugged itself. I put it back together, plugged it in and it worked just fine. No damage! Remarkable! I know many of you use Kitchenaid mixers and I hope they are as durable. Does anyone have stories of "walking mixers" or how to prevent them from doing it?
Lastly, how do you pronounce Kolache?
Is it: Ko-lach, Ko-LACH-key, Ko-LACH- ee, Ko-lach-cha. Perhaps it depends on your nationality.
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I had a Kitchenaid Artisan and then a Pro 600, both walked alot.
I have a Bosch Universal now with suction feet, it doesn't walk ever now!
The Czechs in Omaha say " ko-LAH-chee". It might not be the correct way....
Mary Clare
My Czech grandma (Babi) said ko-LACH-key--but there were also fresh summer fruit ko-LACH --in Chicago area. I think the individual little ones with fruit in the center (prune, apricot, or cheese), were pronounced with the KEY on the end, but if my grandma made a bigger round peach or plum kolache, there was no KEY on the end. I mostly make ko-LACH----the dough makes 5 or 6 round or square (8" or 9"). Our local (S. Ind) peaches will be ripe soon, so I can't wait to start making Babi's kolache!
Thanks, my Kolache are about 3" round. Peaches have appeared in our stores as well. Going to try them for my next filling.
Unless your grocer peaches come from nearby peach orchards, I have not had good luck with those hard California grocery store ones. We live where peaches grow well, so I guess we taste the difference. The big kolache is a completely different recipe from the little ones, but I am sure a peach filling would be good in the small individual ones. It's nice to have them in the freezer and thaw out as needed. Another good Czech summer recipe is fruit dumplings! The dough is made with some mashed potatoes in it, but my grandma put in a pinch of this and that to get the consistency right. After the dough covers a half peach, or some bing cherries, for example, they are boiled in water and then eaten with a buttery breadcrumb topping. Some Czech restaurants serve something similar in Chicago, but not as good as my Babi's!
I keep hearing terrible things about modern KitchenAid mixers, and I've never had a problem with mine. I've put it through some pretty rough treatment. Aside from mixing some of my bread doughs, my wife uses it for making ice cream and cookies, and I use it for grinding meat and making sausage. Making sausage, in particular, requires grinding and mixing the meat when it is chilled and still icy or frozen in spots so that the proteins in the meat don't start to break down. Making sausage is not a gentle process and my KA has held up through it without complaint or any sign of wear.
While I've had a little difficulty with certain attachments, the mixer itself is just fine.
which KA mixer do you have? I'm thinking of buying a KA Pro but the posts on this site scare me since it is an investment.
Thanks, claudia
I have the 5.5 quart KA Professional from Costco. It's a really nice machine and seems to get good reviews elsewhere. It makes me wonder about the posts here.