Recipe Book Tweaking and Reviews!

[brazen20au]

judy, it's definitely my oven! it's the same for any recipe not just thermomix - mine cooks way too hot and once i turn it down i generally have to cook a little longer

[JaneeZee]

Just want to put the recipe/test kitchen thing into perspective.  Please bear in mind that Grace has fought to be able to supply Thermomixs here in Australia.  It was all built by her on word of mouth & most of the early consultants had no background in sales, they simply loved their machines & told people about them.  In the past couple of years (as I gather, I have only had mine 12 months) the growth in ownership has been phenomenal & - as you would probably be aware - they have recently moved into much larger premises in Perth with more staff.  It is my understanding that a test kitchen will be built there.  At the risk of making a sweeping statement I don't know that the Western Australians are as pedantic about their food as those of us in the southern & eastern states are (something a little bird told me!) so, it could just be that we are fussier & really putting the TM through it's paces.  Personally I was a hopeless, unsophisticated & resentful cook before my TM.  My everyday cookbook lived in my handbag for the first month so I could plan what we would eat that night & have the ingredients.  Now I LOVE cooking & showing off with the help of "Thelma" 
Having said all that, I agree that there is serious tweaking that needs doing with some recipes.  Why would anyone cook Bolognaise sauce without herbs in it???   I too made the Tomato & Lentil Dahl;
Everyday Cookbook Pg 89 & Vegetarian Cookbook Pg 79
Start with milling cumin & mustard seed, chop carrot in with garlic, ginger & onion then saute. Add coriander in at the end by snipping with kitchen shears...too fiddly to chop this first & take it out.  I used hot chilli powder as it was all I had.  Flavour was wonderful.  Only gripe was that the tomatoes were a bit big & chunky for me - would aim to chop them much smaller - or use diced, canned variety.  Accompanied it with rice cooked in basket with vegies steamed over that.
Minestrone Soup with pasta
[b]Everyday cookbook Pg73
Used tiny pasta can't remember what type but 250g was WAY too much, it came out more like stodgy pasta veggie stew than soup; certainly nothing like the picture!!  Would only put around 50g in in future.  There was also a huge quantity which the dogs enjoyed on day 3 after we had added tuna to it on day 2

So, the message from this evangelist  is keep on trying & sharing & lets be grateful to Grace Mazur that she had the vision & the guts to put her money where her heart is.  Remember life before TM? Who wants to go back there??

Apologies for lengthy post............Jane  in Melbourne

[JaneeZee]

Me again!!!

One thing I didn't make clear is that Thermomix in Australia is not owned by Vorwerk so Grace Mazur has had to get the whole thing going herself............3 cheers for Grace!!!!!!

[bron]

When you say Thermomix is not owned by Vorwerk, how can that be?
Am very confused

[brazen20au]

wow i didn't realise she had done it all herself. they are not a very supportive company then are they?

[I Love Bimby!]

judy, it's definitely my oven! it's the same for any recipe not just thermomix - mine cooks way too hot and once i turn it down i generally have to cook a little longer

Same with mine. I usually have it set at about 10C lower than the recipe because it cooks too hot.  We rent at the moment so I'm not going to worry about it too much.

[I Love Bimby!]

So, the message from this evangelist  is keep on trying & sharing & lets be grateful to Grace Mazur that she had the vision & the guts to put her money where her heart is.  Remember life before TM? Who wants to go back there??

Apologies for lengthy post............Jane  in Melbourne

Everyone's taste and preference is going to vary.  Perhaps we could view the recipes as a guide to modify for your own tastes 

[JaneeZee]

When you say Thermomix is not owned by Vorwerk, how can that be?
Am very confused

Apologies for confusion.     Vorwerk manufacture the Thermomix but Thermomix Australia - the company - is not owned by Vorwek.  It took an individual, who was passionate about the machine, to persuade Vorwerk to allow her to distribute them over here.  So, Grace has a licence to distribute them in ANZ.  While they are sold throughout the world via home demonstration every market seems to do things slightly differently.  Grace does get support from Vorwerk but as ILB noted everyone here has different tastes let alone between different countries.  Thats why this forum is so great - we get to share tips & tricks without borders.  I just felt there was disproportionate criticism. I have no idea what the after-sales service is like in other countries - would be interested to find out.  I am happy to include "orphaned" owners in my band that I keep in contact with - especially Melbournians - just let me know. 

[Thermomixer]

When you say Thermomix is not owned by Vorwerk, how can that be?
Am very confused

Thanks JaneZ - just went and hit send with much of what you have said and so cleared the screen.

Thanks for the offer to take on "orphans" too.  You are kind.

I don't want to sound like I'm "bashing" Grace etc.   

The recipe books are improving and testing is being done.  Tenina especially is doing a great job.  I believe that many of the original recipes were included in books without independent testing and that may have led to some "less than wonderful" results. 

I think that this Thread is likely to attract more criticism than praise, but there are Positive reviews. 

Keep smiling Jane, I'm a supporter. 

[Thermomixer]

Everyone's taste and preference is going to vary.  Perhaps we could view the recipes as a guide to modify for your own tastes 

Agreed, and same goes for my recipes, but some have just got completely wrong timing etc (the potato rosti springs to mind) and TMX Oz needs to be brave enough (and smart enough) not only to change recipes in the new editions of the cookbooks, but to contact customers and say, "Hey, we have been doing some testing of the recipes and found that we needed to make some adjustments.  Any alterations/amendments can be viewed at a website...  Please contact us if you find any other recipes that you feel can be improved."  

I have the old Everyday cookbook and know that there have been changes made - but nobody has told me what the changes were.    

It is a new machine in Australia and we expect that there will be mistakes made with recipes etc, but more open communication channels would help.  When I suggested that they set up a Forum on their website last May, I was told that nobody would use it and nobody would send in recipes.

PS - JD has stolen my thunder (or grumble) while I was writing.

[JaneeZee]

I have the old Everyday cookbook and know that there have been changes made - but nobody has told me what the changes were.    

You're not on your Pat Malone there Jeff!!  

I am waving my white flag now  

I and I am sure other consultants, will keep pushing the barrow. It makes good business sense to listen to your customers after all.  I have set up a monthly email newsletter to my customers to do some of what we are doing here on the forum - give feedback on recipes.  We are looking at having an alternative type of cooking class on the Mornington Penninsula where customers come together to share recipes & hints & tips.........will let you know how it goes once it has happened.

I do have a list of corrections for the Varoma book but short of going through the EDC page by page I don't know what the changes are.

As far as the TM Aus website is concerned I personally think it is sadly lacking.  Is it only in Australia that the recipe books don't always come up to scratch or are there complaints from other corners of the globe??

I guess I never thought to blame the recipes for things going wrong as I have had 30 odd years of blaming myself!!!!!

[Thermomixer]

I am waving my white flag now  

Sorry if you feel that we have beaten you intop submitting - we have our ways (joking)

I have set up a monthly email newsletter to my customers to do some of what we are doing here on the forum - give feedback on recipes.  We are looking at having an alternative type of cooking class on the Mornington Penninsula where customers come together to share recipes & hints & tips.........will let you know how it goes once it has happened.

Would LOVE to be included on your monthly email - you have my email address.  Do you know if Mr Rick('s TMX blog) does something similar?

I have a consultant nearby work and said that I thought she may be able to become my consultant as she is closer.  She said that she may have to work out some sort of deal/trade with my original consultant !!  Hey - unbelievable - I'm a tradable commodity      I do have value after all !!

[JaneeZee]

Grrrrrr - don't know how to partially quote you Thermomixer!!!! (Not that blog literate!)

Think you can pick your own consultant if you know one & you are not being serviced by your original one.  You wouldn't keep going back to the same veterinarian if you got better service from another one would you??!!

As for submitting - I just don't want to always seem like the "political" consultant making a noise down here.  I think what is being done on the forum is fantastic & I keep coming back for inspiration.

Don't know about Rick sending newsletters.............it's up to each consultant to run their own show within reason.  Be warned however, my cooking is definately not up to your level so my newsletters are pretty basic!!!!

If you would like to travel to Mornington for our soiree on June 24th you would be welcomed with open arms

[Thermomixer]

Grrrrrr - don't know how to partially quote you Thermomixer!!!! (Not that blog literate!)

 

LOL - I'm not very bl***y literate full stop !!!     Is it better to leave it all in one big block with .... between the chopped out bits??  

I was so glad that I found somebody who had started a blog to parasitize !!  I spent days to trying to figure out how it all goes together. 

[Thermomixer]

Sorry JaneZ - thought you were saying I'm not very blog literate - and I'm not !!!!!

But I can help you (hopefully) with partial quotes - don't worry, it is easy.

Just hit the QUOTE - button - then all the quote will come up.  You can then remove anything after the first line, but leave in the last line which will say [/quote]

Sorry again - have modified my post to show my complete illiteracy (not yours!!)