George Geary, CCP, teaches in cooking schools throughout North America and is a regular contributing editor to magazines and newsletters. He was the pastry chef and production manager for the Walt Disney Corporation and for the Marriot Corporation. The author of three cookbooks, including 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes he lives in Fullerton, CA.

Introduction

The food processor is magical. You can create such great things with this machine. It's time saving, too. It can cut your kitchen prep time in half. Yet when I talk about food processors in my culinary classes and workshops I get a sigh. Most of the students have them but don't use them daily like I do. I wondered why. The answer was cleanup. Most recipes require you to clean the work bowl three to four times within a recipe. In this book you only have to clean the bowl at the end of the recipe. In the cookie chapter you can even start at the beginning of the chapter and make every single recipe without cleaning the bowl for the entire chapter.

Equipment and Safe Usage

When you remove your food processor from its box for the first time, it can be an enlightening and overwhelming experience -- all those parts, blades and bowls. This section will help you understand how to get more use from your processor and how it works. Safety is a big issue with food processors. Years ago you could get a finger caught or food lodged in the working blades. Today most processors have stopping mechanisms and locking devises to prevent injury. Before you start to use your food processor, check your machine and read the manual and any other literature that came with it.

I teach in a different cooking school almost every night and have used a variety of food processor brands. I've gotten to know most of the makes, models and varieties available on the market today. Before adding any food to the machine, I put all of the parts together and then turn it on to make sure I'm familiar with the way it works. I call this a dry run. I even do this in front of the class. It saves time and trouble if the machine is assembled correctly before you start. It can be frustrating and messy if you have to take the machine apart with the work bowl filled with ingredients.

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Excerpted from 125 Best Food Processor Recipes by George Geary
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