Blender on a stick

If you're up on your cook's equipment/kitchen gadgetry, you probably know the item in question as an immersion blender. But I like my name for it better.

The version of this appliance that graces my kitchen is called the Braun Multiquick, but that's not really important. What is important is that you imagine the spinny bladey part(s) of a blender on a long handle on an electrical cord, so you can wield it into whatever needs blending. Just plug it in, put the blendy end in the food, press the button on the handle (if you like the pulse setting on a standard blender, you'll love the control this gives you), and away you go.

Not impressed yet? Try the fact that this critter comes with attachments that make it into a cool miniature food processor (excellent for mashing chickpeas into hummus, grinding fresh basil into pesto, or mincing garlic for garlic bread), or an electric whisk/eggbeater thingy. That's pretty cool.

In addition to the aforementioned applications of this toy, you might want to check out:

• why fab might be going on an all-smoothie diet soon
• creating ground almonds for crescent cakes
• equal parts orange juice and frozen pineapple or mango makes a truly excellent tropical slushy-like dessert. More fruit for a thicker drink, more juice for thinner.
• creating ultrafine or casting sugar for recipes like sneff's excellent sticky toffee pudding
• Blended Tomato Soup with Accidental Garlic
• Farfalle Pasta with a Bean Soup and Sliced Roma Tomato Salad; the pasta sauce and the soup are both blended; I cannot speak highly enough of this meal. yum.
• Linguine with spinach pesto used the food processor capability again.
• more to come, as I discover them!