OutSTANDing Stand Mixer by Breville

The stand mixer sends a serious statement to anyone entering your domain that you are serious about your cooking and serious about the equipment you use. Whether you use your mixer to mix batters for cakes, meringues for pies, or to give potatoes a good whipping, or you wish to use accessories which allow for other functions like grinding meats, kneading breads, stuffing sausages or making pastas--a stand mixer is hard to beat based on its versatility and its ability to make tasks like whipping and beating simple. Up until this point, this niche has been almost exclusively dominated by The Kitchenaid Company which first introduced the H-5 stand mixer over 90 years ago in 1919. Kitchenaid now boasts a full line of stand mixers in a variety of colors and specialty models including the pink Artisan "Cook for the Cure" stand mixer honoring Breast Cancer month, the red 90th anniversary edition released last year and even a US $900 Coppertone model. I say all of this to say that despite these prolific offerings already on the market, there is clearly room for competition. Breville, the Australian housewares company known for many products including panini presses, juicers, blenders and espresso machines has taken a bold step by introducing a new stand mixer this spring. By going where few other companies have gone before, they have developed a mixer that adds modernity, useful features, sophistication and a great price point that will undoubtedly provide many cooks in the market for stand mixers with a tempting option. This new stand mixer is a delight to use with many surprising features not found on other models including an LCD screen that indicates your mixing level the way that a stereo inflects the treble and bass of a pop tune. The design which includes a beautiful die cast stainless finish, harnesses the motor and includes a handle that is easy to manuever. The push button release ensures that the machine head locks in place both when in use and when in the tilt-back position. A ten-minute backlit LCD timer allows for a unique countdown feature which allows you to effectively time your mixing, a perfect feature for a novice baker and a convenient one that allows the experienced baker who also likes to multitask and move between the stove, refrigerator, oven and other appliances to do so without always having to monitor the mixer. Twelve different mixing speeds allow you to perform every task from folding to mixing to whipping to aerating with ease. Sold exclusively in the US at Williams-Sonoma, the mixer retails for a competitively priced US $299.95 and comes equipped with a 5-quart stainless steel mixing bowl, a splash guard and three additional attachments including a flat beater, dough hook and wire whisk. The scraper beater syncs with the planetary dual mixing rotation action of the head to effectively scrape the sides of the mixing bowl, to effectively mix all ingredients which provides professional results. The dial is also a wonderful feature that lets you easily turn on the machine, pause it and increase the speed of the mixer. The mixer has a powerful 550 watts and is an easy to move 16 pounds. The motor purrs like a well-tuned engine in a luxury vehicle at both high and low speeds. For more information on using a stand mixer contact us at cooklikejackie@gmail.com.

Crate & Barrel Wedding Parties

Calling All Brides!

Crate & Barrel will host a series of "Wedding Parties" at locations throughout the U.S. during the month of February. Brides can register on the Crate & Barrel website for these special in-store events. Look forward to working with the C&B bridal consultants, enjoy refreshments, build comraderie with other local brides and meet vendor representatives.

Jacklyn E. Bruce, founder of Cook Like Jackie, will be at various store locations representing Breville in the Washington, D.C. metro area during the month of February to answer questions about the wonderful line of Breville products including blenders, toasters, steamers and espresso machines.

For more info on creating the perfect foodie wedding registry, contact cooklikejackie@gmail.com.

Tea Time

As we wind up the month of January, do not forget to pay homage to one of the most amazing drinks ever created---hot tea. January is national hot tea month and it is a great time to learn more about tea, a drink that has been in existence for nearly 5,000 years. Tea even holds a unique place in American political history thanks to the infamous Boston Tea Party which produced the familiar phrase "taxation without representation."

Societies around the globe have universally recognized the unique qualities a cup of hot tea can produce. Tea is known to encourage conversation and to have soothing properties that provide warmth and comfort. Tea is produced from the camellia sinensis plant, a hearty evergreen that tends to grow in warm climates. Teas varieties result from differences in the health of the leaves and a process we learned in science class, oxidation. Green tea and white tea is formed from tea that is not oxidized at all, instead the tea leaves are steamed, rolled and dried. Black tea is oxidized for at least two hours and up to four hours. Oolong teas are typically oxidized for two to three hours.

Popular herbal teas do not come from the camellia sinensis plant and instead are combinations of leaves, roots, bark, seeds and flowers from a variety of plants. Notably, herbal teas have not been linked to many of the popular research which suggests that tea provides health benefits.

According to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., tea has grown to a nearly $7 billion industry with almost $2 billion dollars worth of tea sold at retail supermarkets. Tea is produced in many foreign countries located in South America, Asia and Africa including Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.

Tea in its purest form contains no sodium, fat, carbonation or sugar and is either low-calorie or calorie-free. Teas are also renowned for their flavanoids which are compounds that are said to have antioxidant properties which according to scientists block and neutralize free radicals which can cause damage to the body.

Tea is extremely easy to prepare and there are many products on the market which seek to optimize your tea experience. Breville has a variable temperature kettle that will boil water at varying temperatures depending on the type of tea that is brewed.

Tea Forte has some of the most beautifully packaged teas in their signature prism tea bag with ribbon. A ribbon box is quite affordable and makes an ideal gift at US $18 - US $24. The company is running a special promotion valid until January 31st. By using the coupon code FREEDOLCE, one can receive a free box of tea from the Dolce Vita collection with the purchase of a Sontu teapot which compliments the Tea Forte line exquisitely.

If you are interested in a more formal tea presentation, the Damman Freres Loose Tea Coffret 1825 sold online at Sur La Table provides a set of 18 teas including Jardin Bleu, Quatre Fruits Rouge and Citrons.

While traveling in San Francisco, I came upon the Red Blossom Tea Company who through a minimalist facade presents an awesome array of fine teas housed in beautiful large silver tins. Removing the lids reveals the fragrance of the teas like a fine perfumery. The store also features wonderful accessories such as specialty ceramics including a kyusu pot and a Korean ripple tea set.

For more information on tea selections, e-mail me at cooklikejackie@gmail.com.

Cook Like Jackie Founder to Represent Breville in Washington, D.C.

Cook Like Jackie founder Jacklyn E. Bruce has contracted with Australia-based high-end kitchen appliance maker Breville to represent their brand in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Ms. Bruce has several years of product demonstration experience with high-end brands including DeLonghi, Nescafe, and Krups and has also worked at major culinary events including the Metro Cooking and Entertaining Show.

Her region will include coverage of several retailers including Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, Sur La Table, Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond and Bloomingdale's. She will be responsible for accounts in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.