Hi from the Windy City!

[spinnerama]

Hi everyone!  My spouse and I have just purchased our first TM.  We live in Chicago, had to buy it mailorder from Canada.  We have not had the opportunity to attend a demo, and don't know anyone else in our area with a TM!  So....we are learning as we go.  If any of you live in Chicago and/or know where we can get some local hands-on learning, we'd love to hear about it.  I'm also looking for a recipe for making classis Cajun roux in the TM so I can adapt my gumbo recipes.  Thanks, and I'm really looking forward to this forum! 

[cathy79]

Gumbo, yum!  Had it for the first time last week and it was divine.  Hope you can adapt it quickly, but no pressure. 

Check out this link - there are a few videos and slideos that are really helpful, and more keep appearing.  Hopefully this will help in lieu of a demo.

http://thermomixbimby.com/2009/2819/how-to-peel-garlic-with-thermomix.html

Feel free to post any recipe that you want to convert, there are lots of people who will be able to give you conversion hints.

[judydawn]

Hi and welcome Spinnerama, hope you manage to work the TMX out for yourself.  Must be hard with no demo or no-one to turn to.  Very brave of you and I'm sure you will soon be cooking up a storm and converting your favourite recipes.  Don't forget to share them with the rest of the world.  Our recipes on here are pretty easy to follow once you work out what all the buttons are for - I prefer them to the ones in the recipe books (sorry Thermomix H.O.) and there are so many to choose from. Good luck with your new adventure.

[spinnerama]

Cathy, thank you ever so much!  I watched the video on peeling garlic cloves and it answered a question we were discussing today--the purpose of "reverse".  Cool!

[cookie1]

Welcome Spinnerama.
Reverse is very useful. I use it mainly when I wish to incorporate things such as nuts or sultanas into mixtures and not cut them any finer. Also when stirring casseroles or any dish that only needs stirring. On reverse the blades go backward and use the blunt edge not the cutting edge. Read your big instruction book and ask here with your queries. People are wonderful.

[Thermomixer]

Welcome spinnerama - hope to be able to help you with some conversions.  Do you speak any languages apart from English?  the Spanish and Italian sites have lots of recipes.  See what we can do.  You're a long way from the Bayou to be doing gumbo?

[Tebasile]

Welcome and happy cooking Spinnerama.
You should get the new book for not having a demo: My way of cooking from Vorwerk. There are many helpful pictures and tips in it as well. It is good to be in this forum.

[gertbysea]

Welcome spinnerama. I am originally from Syracuse but have lived in Australia for 49 years. I am soooo looking forward to your Gumbo recipe. No pressure.

Gretchen

[trudy]

Welcome.

[Dublin Girl in Oz]

Welcome to the forum!  It's fantastic for teething problems! A great sense of information and recipes.  Great to hear from thermomixers from all over the world!

Sylvia

[bron]

Spinnerama (love your name!)
Welcome to our Thermo world, you will find lots of assistance here from all over the world, can imagine that without a demo, it feels too complicated at first, but hang on in there, and make simple easy quick things at first, follow the instructions in your book or the recipes on here, and slowly slowly you will be cooking up a storm like the rest of us! Choose something everyday, and experiment! Enjoy your new toy! Any queries, just ask us! Good luck!

I personally think one of the hardest things is putting the blades in place, but once you learn the exact position they have to be in to then do the click...you will be fine!

[meganjane]

Welcome! Gumbo! YUM! I've made it a few times and everyone loves it.

[CreamPuff63]

I have no bl**dy idea what gumbo is -- sounds like a stew? Have heard of it tho but my idea of it is maybe lots of things thrown in together? bit of curry or spice and all things nice... look forward to a recipe to enlighten me

[cathy79]

CP - I had no idea what it was either until recently.  I went out for dinner and one of the ladies had gumbo.  She was quite a fan of gumbo in general, and thought it was great.  The next day I was at the same place for lunch and decided to try it.  Delic!  Not sure how to describe it, but it was fantastic.

[spinnerama]

Wow, thank you all!!!  I don't think I felt this welcome since I walked into a jewelry store with my credit card in hand! Thanks for all the tips and suggestions, especially about the reverse issue.  I have been in touch with the marketing director in Canada, and she said that if I get out there (sounds like a nice vacation, I love Montreal) she will schedule a demo for us.  We knew going into this that we wouldn't have that opportunity here in Chicago, but the TM was sooooo seductive, we just had to have it.  My spouse is an engineer, and you know how they can be about gadgets...

As for gumbo, yes I am a Chicago girl but love New Orleans, just was there last month for my birthday (one of those big ones that ends in a zero...).  For those of you who aren't familiar with Cajun food--and I note that there are a lot of Aussies out there on the forum!--gumbo is indeed a stew, usually contains the Cajun "holy trinity" (bell pepper, onion, celery) and various permutations of Cajun staples like duck, chicken, spicy andouille sausage, tasso ham, shrimp, crab, catfish, etc. It has a fairly soupy texture (as opposed to jambalaya, which is more like a paella) and is usually served over rice.  The problem with gumbo-making is that it always starts with a roux of flour and oil, which must be stirred for approximately 30 minutes non-stop until it turns a lovely shade of brown.  If you stop stirring, it will burn and you have to start all over again.  So you can see that the TM (oh, I love the word "Bimby"!!) would be a life-saver here. 

Has anyone bought the Indian cookbook?  Is it good, and where could I get it?  I also adore Indian food, was taught by an Indian friend many years ago when I lived in Brussels.  All that non-stop stirring of onions would also be a thing of history with the TM.  And any other TM cookbooks you know of would be great.  I collect cookbooks (probably have about 400 and read them cover to cover like novels! As for other languages, I do speak French, so recipes from French websites (or Canadian) would work.