SC - non-member submission - Re: SC mashing favas (food mill styles)

[Michael Gunter]

Yes, we are on the same page.  The second link shows a picture of what I
call a Mouli (although it is clearly a different brand - actually, Mouli
make a few different things, including the large and small (for baby food,
thus called "Baby Mouli") food mills.  I also have one of the slicing
machines which has blades for grating (fine and not so fine), crinkle
cutting, slicing, et cetera.  I love it!).

>I thought you meant the sort of
>Mouli that has the circular grating blade that rotates
>within a handle and a little compartment to hold stuff
>against the blade (couldn't find a picture of that,
>though).  No wonder your description of the process sounded
>odd!

Suddenly it all makes sense!  God, can you imagine how long it would take to
do anything with this machine!  I don't own one, I really don't see the
point.  Either I am grating enough to warrant bringing out my Mouli grater,
or I can just use my regular, many faced, cheese grater.

Basically, the internal design of the Mouli food mill (hereinafter called
"Mouli") is very similar to the other food mill; there is a "squisher" -
much the same as you describe it - which presses food through holes in the
base.  The difference is that, with the Mouli, there are a variety of
different bases, which just slot into place, for different grades of puree.
The finest base has slightly raised edges on the holes to assist in the
puree process.  I got this Mouli second hand and have had it for many years.
I now find that things I would have expected it to handle easily, it cannot
do.  I am sure that, when I have looked at new ones, the top of the finest
base was slightly rough, which is where I got the idea of it having slightly
raised edges, and why I refer to mine as blunt.

To do the Potage of Beans I used the, far sharper because it has been less
used, grating blade (that is, it resembles the standard face on a cheese
grater; the finer one resembles the size up from the zester on a standard
grater - if that makes any sense).  With my "logic chip" enabled, I would
probably have added the almond milk, as I said, before even trying to mash
it and then put the beans through the grating blade first following it with
the finer blade, which should have then been able to handle the mixture.  I
find that the Mouli can handle large quantities of food rather more easily
than the blender - it is just boring - turn, turn, turn, turn ...

One day, I will buy a whole new Mouli (I just wish that I could find the
blades alone - my present one is good and solid and made out of metal, not
one of these modern plastic things!  I used to dry mine in the oven so that
it wouldn't rust, can't do that with this newfangled plastic!).

Gwynydd

>OK, I see the confusion.  I went looking for pictures of
>food mills and found the sort you used.  I'd never seen
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com