Thank you, Jo. This was the first meal I cooked in my new machine. I love how it all came together so effortlessly,  it will be just the perfect dish for those too-hot-to -ook (or breathe) days ahead. 

I was blown away by how perfectly the rice cooked, and I love how I was able to fit in so much veg. Next time, which will be soon, I think I'd like to replace the soy sauce with fish sauce and introduce lime somewhere, zest, leaves, juice? in the sauce, on the chicken?, not sure yet. Just a personal preference for that flavour combination.

Make it aspirational. Get a celebrity chef to do the public demonstrations. Release a strictly limited number, when it's sold, you will have to wait for the next shipment (NOT like here where it was sold with none onshore). Price? The more you pay, the more it's worth.

I like the idea of making dual measurement machines for the American market. The thin edge of the metric wedge, 😎 mwahah.

I found most of the KENWOOD Major accessories are available in Australia, even if the Delonghi website isn't clear about that. Just try a local rep. (There are only two in Toowoomba.) Unfortunately, we are expected to pay the 'Australia Tax', which means that even with shipping, it can work out cheaper to buy from the UK. Last thing I bought for the machine, I took in my iPad to the local Good Guys and showed them the price I could get it for, including shipping. They matched the price for me.

I toyed with the idea of replacing my 12 year old Major with the Cooking Chef, as I understand the accessories I have will fit. After much reading, I decided on the TM instead, partly because my vintage machine was made in the UK, while the new ones are Chinese. The other major factor was the very average (wimpy) blender that the Kenwood can run. LOVE the blending the TM can do, it's a beast! I'm happy to have both machines ☺️ .

Melam, I'm sure you will find all sorts of things you love about your Cooking Chef, and things you don't. I ignored the 'it does everything!' hype when I decided to get my lovely Thermie, because no machine does. Or I should say no one machine does everything well enough to satisfy me. Do report back on what you are doing with your CC, I'm sure I can't be the only person here who is curious to read a real, cook's review.

Even if Voerwork can sell the concept, they will have to sort out their sales and distribution issues before they attempt to sell in America. Ignoring the whole TM5 launch drama, requiring payment in full before a lengthy, indeterminate wait for delivery and deliveries out of order with dates of sales could create some problems for them. Failure to respond to customer inquiries (see the official forum to read many, many examples) could ruin them where there is no previously established good will to ride on. It would make more sense for the company to repair its relationships and sort out its distribution problems in existing markets before attempting further expansion.

That said, mine is (hopefully) arriving within the next couple of weeks, and I couldn't be more excited 😍

Thank you very much for checking. I haven't had any junk yet at this address (3 whole years!) and hope to keep it that way for long as possible.

Thank you for the Thermomix directions!  Rendering lard is on my to-do list, once my TM finally arrives.

I skin and cube the fat from loin chops and freeze it until I accumulate enough to justify my time.

Lard makes the most beautifully flaky pastry, and some dishes absolutely can't be made without it; refried beans without lard are just nasty, mushy beans that no amount of seasoning can improve 😝

The page ate my first reply, so let's try this again.

Fert, I think you are right about using a slow cooker for the initial cook. I usually dry out the cooked meat floss over a medium low heat, so I was hoping that my new kitchen friend might be able to do that, while simultaneously shredding, on reverse. I understand that there will be less evaporation than with an open pan, but could this work, or would it take too long?

Brenda, you seem to have answered my question about evaporation. I really need my machine here so I can better understand its capabilities.

Judy, I like fish floss over plain rice and meat floss just about anywhere ☺️  Think dry, light fluffy jerkey/biltong. Good in steamed buns, which I expect I'll make more often with a steamer sitting at eye level on the bench.