Kathleen Hill: Cuisinart recall

Cuisinart caution ?and recall

Cuisinart and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission this week recalled about eight million food-processor blades after receiving reports from consumers of broken blade pieces in their processed food.

Conair, the maker of the Cuisinart food processors, received 69 reports of consumers finding broken pieces of a “riveted blade” in food, including 30 reports of mouth lacerations or tooth injuries, a CPSC press release said Tuesday.

“These are in millions of American homes, including my own,” CPSC Chairman Elliot Kaye told ABC News, stressing to consumers how dangerous the product can be.

“You find out that there’s a problem when you bite down and you cut your mouth and you break your teeth,” Kaye added. “With all the cooking that’s going on this holiday season, we’re really urging consumers to act immediately.”

The blades in question have four rivets, are silver-colored stainless steel and have a beige plastic center hub. The recall affects 22 models made in China that were sold between July 1996 and December 2015, at a price point between $100 and $350 when purchased.

If you have the affected blade you should immediately stop using the food processor and contact Cuisinart for a free replacement blade. Consumers can contact Cuisinart at 877-339-2534 or online at cuisinart.com. Click on “Product Recalls” at the bottom of the page.

Williams-Sonoma changes

News flash: I just discovered that Williams-Sonoma considers the place where Chuck Williams bought a hardware store next to the Sonoma post office on Broadway to be their “flagship store.”

Local customers of “Williams Sonoma – The Sonoma Store” have noticed a change in the last few months, and now events have progressed again to more changes for the better.

A few months ago the bigger Williams-Sonoma transferred the Sonoma store manager, Emily Kendis, to southern California to oversee some struggling stores. She left here within just a few days of being notified, leaving a bit of a vacuum.

Kathy Cereghini, who has been instrumental in the smooth running of the store all along, is now “acting manager” and with her international background, brings a new energy and verve to the store.

More recently, Chef David Leyva accepted an offer at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena to teach and cook there. Leyva had taught many kids and adults cooking classes, as well as helping me with my demos at the Sonoma store.

Riding into the kitchen on a big white horse comes Chef Adla Britton, a delightful, all-natural young chef who grew up with home cooking in Bismarck, North Dakota, who will teach classes and demonstrate foods.

Adla’s mother gardened and canned, and from age 14 Adla worked at every job imaginable in local restaurants. She also graduated from college with a degree in psychology. After studying at the CIA in St. Helena, she worked on a farm raising chickens, hogs and heirloom vegetables.

Adla will surely get along well with aspiring cooks of all ages, and will also oversee private cooking lessons and entertaining at Sonoma’s Williams-Sonoma.

Sonoma Cheese Factory wheels out club card

The Sonoma Cheese Factory’s holiday party last week offered endless trays and wooden boards of cheeses (of course), charcuterie, three kinds of chili including chicken, pork or vegetarian where you could specify your add-ons, coffee, wine and just a general neighborhood happiness. No big show, just down-home food and people.

Guests were encouraged to sign in, give their email address, and receive a plastic “local discounts” card. Cardholder benefits include: all “signature sandwiches” for $7 every day; 10 percent off all full price items and sandwiches on Tuesdays; free drip coffee on Friday; and buy one regular gelato and receive one free small gelato on “Sunday Funday.” 2 Spain St., Sonoma 996-1931. Sonomacheesefactory.com.

Speaking of club cards

Apparently on a nostalgic comfort food track, I ventured out to the Boyes Springs Mary’s Pizza Shack with a friend for a bowl of soup (and sometimes soup and salad for $7.95). Always tempted but never indulging in their dessert card, I studied the “Club 59” card instead.

Presumably the “59” in “Club 59” refers to the year Mary Fazio founded Mary’s. “For every $150 you spend at Mary’s Pizza Shack, receive $10 in Mary’s Money. Not to mention perks on birthdays and special promos throughout the year. Every time you visit, give your server either your card or phone number to earn Mary’s Money.” For families it probably doesn’t take very long to spend $150. Register at maryspizzashack.com. Click on Club 59.

Nibs and Sips

Bob Rice did his very last “catering” last weekend at a party for 300 at a private home – fabulous food as usual … Freddie “The Cookie King” Perry baked and served his famous cookies and cider at last Saturday’s “Christmas at the Sonoma Mission State Historic Park” at Sonoma Barracks and baked 100 cookies for the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art’s event this week … Sonoma Valley Museum of Art’s “Pairings for the Senses: Art+Food+Wine, coordinated by Petaluma sommelier Chris Sawyer and Margie Maynard of SVMA, was a fun success, pairing seven chefs and their food with works of art and wines.