Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB - Manual (Page 9)

To prevent the blade from falling from the
work bowl onto your hand when empty-
ing the work bowl, use one of the following
methods:
Be sure your hands are dry. Grab the blade
hub, and remove the metal blade before
tilting the bowl, using a spatula to scrape off
any food. Then carefully lift the blade out of
the work bowl. Or insert your fi nger through
the hole in the bottom of the work bowl, grip-
ping the blade from the bottom, and grip the
outside of the work bowl with your thumb.
Or hold the blade in place with your fi nger or
spatula while pouring out food.
TECHNIQUES FOR
CHOPPING AND PURÉEING
WITH THE METAL BLADE
To chop raw fruits and vegetables
First cut the food into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces.
You get a more even chop when all pieces
are about the same size. Put no more than
the recommended amount of food into the
work bowl (see table inside front cover). Lock
the cover in place. Press the PULSE button
at the rate of 1 second on, 1 second off, until
the food is coarsely chopped. For more fi nely
chopped results, hold the PULSE button,
letting the machine run continuously until
the desired consistency has been reached.
Check frequently to avoid overprocessing.
Use the spatula to scrape down the sides of
the work bowl if necessary.
To purée fruits and cooked vegetables
First, cut the food into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces.
You get a smoother purée faster when all
pieces are about equal in size.
Put no more than the recommended amount
of food in the work bowl (see table inside
front cover). Lock the cover in place. PULSE
to chop coarsely, then press the ON but-
ton and process continuously until food is
puréed. (NOTE: Cooked potatoes are an
exception to this procedure. They develop a
gluey texture when processed with the metal
blade.)
When making soup, you will want to purée
vegetables that have been cooked in liquid.
Don’t add the liquid to the work bowl, just
the cooked vegetables; remove vegetables
with a slotted spoon. They will purée faster
and smoother without liquid. Then add just
enough liquid to make the purée pourable,
return to the soup liquid and stir to combine.
To dislodge food
Occasionally, a piece of food may become
wedged between the blade and the work
bowl. If this happens, unplug the machine,
remove the cover, lift the blade out carefully
and remove the wedged piece. Empty the
bowl, reinsert the blade and lock the cover
and pusher into place. Press the ON button
and drop the food pieces through the small
feed tube opening while the machine is run-
ning. After adding a cupful this way, add the
remaining food to the bowl and process in
the usual manner.
To chop hard foods
To chop hard food like garlic and hard
cheese, assemble the unit, remove the small
pusher, press the ON button and drop the
food through the small feed tube while the
machine is running. Small foods like gar-
lic can be dropped in whole. Large foods
like hard cheese should be cut into 1-inch
(2.5cm) pieces. This method of process-
ing minces garlic, shallots and onions. Hard
cheese and coconut will have the same
texture as if they had been hand grated.
IMPORTANT: Never try to process cheese
that is too hard to cut with a knife. You may
damage the blade or the machine.
To chop parsley and other fresh herbs
The herbs, the work bowl and the metal
chopping blade must all be thoroughly clean
and dry. Remove stems from herbs. Add
leaves to bowl and process, using the PULSE
button until chopped as fi ne as desired. The
more herbs you chop at a time, the fi ner
chop you can obtain. If completely dry when
chopped, parsley and other herbs will keep
for at least 4-5 days, stored in an airtight
bag in the refrigerator. They may be frozen
for months, stored in an airtight container or
bag.
9