Cuisinart MM-2M - Manual (Page 5)

USEFUL OPERATING TECHNIQUES
Size
Always cut large pieces of food into even pieces of about 1/2
inch (12mm) in size. If you do not put in small, even-size pieces,
you will not get an even chop.
Timing
The blade action is lightning fast, even faster than a food
processor. You will be astonished at how quickly it does its job.
To use the Mini-Mate Plus
® Chopper/Grinder effectively, try to
think about time in a new way: everything happens in seconds
or even fractions of seconds.
Pulsing Action
When using the sharp edge of the blade for chopping, operate
the unit for only a fraction of a second. Use pulse action by
pressing and releasing the control button until the food is
chopped. One to three pulses are enough to chop most food.
If you operate the motor longer, you will get a watery paste
instead of a fine, dry chop.
Continuous Action
When using the blunt edge of the blade for grinding, you may
have to operate the unit for several seconds - as long as 20 sec-
onds for some lightweight seeds or 30 seconds for coffee beans.
When operating for more than 10 seconds, use pulse action
every 10 seconds to allow food to drop to the bottom of the work
bowl and get in the path of the blades. This produces a more
uniform grind.
Ingredient Blade Position/Speed Comments
Sharp/ Blunt/
Low High
anchovies X
bacon X must be cooked crisp
butter X must be very soft, of
spreading consistency
celery X
cheese grate no more than 2 ounces
(55g); start with 1/2 ounce
(15g), chop additional cheese
1/2 ounce at a time
hard X must be chilled
semi-hard X must be chilled
Sharp/
semi-soft High High must be chilled
soft X must be at room temperature
chocolate grate no more than 1 ounce
(28g) at a time
bittersweet X must be refrigerated
milk X must be frozen
cinnamon sticks X
coffee beans X grind no more than 1/2 cup
(35g) at a time
fruit chips X
garlic X
ginger root X
herbs, fresh X
horseradish X
leeks X
macaroons X must be brittle, like Italian
amaretti
mushrooms X
nutmeg X place in plastic bag and smash
with cleaver before grinding
nuts X must be chilled
olives X
onions X
peel, citrus X
peppercorns X
peppers, dried X
peppers, fresh X
scallions X
seeds X like coriander, cumin, dill,
poppy, etc.
shallots X
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