Mini-Prep Weekend Purchase

Until this past Saturday afternoon, I had never before purchased an electronic kitchen device for myself. Toaster, coffee machine, hand-mixer, nope. All have been {very much appreciated} hand-me-downs for one apartment to the next. Though I've hunted for small game (ie: pots, pans, utensils, cutlery, flatware) in numerous T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods stores, there's something undeniably exhilerating about being the proud new owner of my very own food processor! A big thanks to my good friend Sabrina who generously gifted me a Williams and Sonoma gift card last May for my birthday. Indeed, it may have taken me several months to actually hone in on a purchase, (there were just too many fun things to chose from!), but I'm confident this selection will help further my cooking aspirations. Additionally, I've never owned anything comparable to it.

This little Cuisinart Elite Die-Cast Mini Prep, 4-Cup machine isn't only one of the cutest things I've ever seen in comparison to it's giant relatives, but I've already found it to be incredibly user-friendly and easy to wrangle around a kitchen countertop. It also fits my lifestyle. Sure, a 16-Cup beauty would be nice to have around for making dough and vats of gazpacho someday, but in the meantime neither do I have the counter space nor the need for all of those attachments and uses. I predict this mini processor, however, will have a long and busy life whipping up little batches of sauce, soups, pestos, dressings, slaws, egg salads, and tapenades.

So far, it's been impressively simple to clean, operate, and store. Emboldened to branch out with a new "from-scratch" creation this weekend, I attempted a basil pesto. Though it was, unfortunately, 3 cloves too heavy on the garlic this time around (as I discovered after brushing my teeth and rinsing 4 times with mouthwash in vain), I now at least have the tool to make classic pesto a steadfast recipe in my culinary repertoire. p.s. If you have a favorite pesto recipe, please, please, please send it my way!

The Cuisinart Elite Die-Cast Mini Prep, 4-Cup can be found at Williams and Sonoma - near you, or online - for $59.95.