Slow-cooker cookbook recommendations?
Have dusted off the slow-cooker (inspired by a recent thread) and am interested in filling it and forgetting it.
Need good cookbook(s). Was looking at Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. Has anyone tried it?
Also saw a few suggestions here: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6686375.html
Any other recommendations?
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13 Comments:
Adam: Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless has a ton of slow-cooker recipes. It's particularly good, because the slow-cooker is just a key tool, rather than the gimmick which requires that recipes be adapted. Otherwise, in any recipe that is brown + braise/simmer can be adapted to the slow-cooker. Just brown on the stove first, and braise/simmer all day in your slow-cooker.
ricestein at 2:24PM on 10/20/09
I've made a few recipes from the book and they were good. I admit that I adjust seasoning to my tastes though.
The book also gve me ideas for other uses for a slow cooker. It was perfect for keeping an artichoke-spinach dip warm and for keeping wine glog hot.
If you're not sure, why not utilze the library and test the book out for a week or two before investing your dollars in a book purchase.
CJ McD at 3:10PM on 10/20/09
"If you're not sure, why not utilze the library and test the book out for a week or two before investing your dollars in a book purchase."
Smart. I'll do that.
@ricestein: I think we have a copy of Mexican Everyday here in the office. Thanks for the tip.
Adam Kuban at 3:35PM on 10/20/09
I have that book out from the library right now. I've really liked what I saw so far, but haven't yet made anything from it.
Also, @ricestein is right, you can pretty easily adapt a lot of recipes. I do this chile verde recipe in my crockpot and it's a winner every time. I also did a carne adobada with a thick (ungodly hot) chile sauce in my crockpot that was meant to be slow cooked on the stove. For that chile verde I just nix the addition of broth and for the other one, I just cut the broth down to as little as possible, just enough to get the sauce/paste to come together.
Also, don't forget the A Year of Slow Cooking. The pictures don't seem to do the food justice, but that happens.
joyyy at 3:43PM on 10/20/09
Lynn Alley has two excellent slow cooker cookbooks. They're thin little paperbacks but they're beautifully photographed and have a great variety of recipes. Volume I is internationally focused (Mexico, France, India, Italy, the UK as well as the U.S.) and Volume II is regional comfort food. At this moment bubbling away at home is a three sisters stew (corn, beans, squash) from Volume II. I see that she has a vegetarian slow cooker book coming out next year that I will most likely purchase. I also have Slow Cooker Ready and Waiting, which has a broad range of recipes.
Bear in mind that these cookbooks are generally not the "dump it all in the crockpot and come back 8 hours later for a perfect meal." Very often there is some stovetop browning of the meat and sauteeing of vegetables that in my experience makes the dish that much better. Some of the negative Amazon reviews complain about this, but a crockpot is not a magical cooking vessel. Your results always speak to the quality of your ingredients and the steps taken to ensure a delicious dish.
Otabenga at 4:00PM on 10/20/09
*Dashes out to purchase Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless*
CJ McD at 4:18PM on 10/20/09
"Make It Fast, Cook It Slow"
I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard good things about it. The author has an interesting blogsite too. She is fair in assessing her recipe successes and what her family likes or doesn't. Some good recipes can be found there.
CJ McD at 7:42PM on 10/20/09
I agree with the library and I like the blog A Year of Slow Cooking. I am waiting for her new book to hit the library shelves.
I just purchased Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson. We have a variety of eaters in the house, so I usually go vegan. Plus, right now it tends to save $$$.
onehotcook at 9:24PM on 10/20/09
Cookinglight.com has a nice feature on slow-cookers this month.
beth1 at 9:48PM on 10/20/09
I don't slow cook (yet) but I've heard of this collection quite often up north :)
hungrychristel at 1:44PM on 10/21/09
Except for pot roast made with lots of garlic, a beefstew recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and an Alton Brown pork chop recipe, I had not had much luck with the slow cooker. Every thing seemed mushy and bland to me until I discovered Joe Simmer. I have two of his books, Creole Slow Cooking and Healthy Slow Cooking and I really like them. He has a new one I need to order, All American Slow Cooking. I don't believe they are available in bookstores outside of New Orleans but Amazon has them or you can Google Joe Simmer and purchase them directly from him. For lunch today I am haveing a big bowl of the collard greens from the Creole book with a cornbread muffin from Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen. That will be some serious eating.
NOLA_Pam at 12:31PM on 10/22/09
I've tried the recipes from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. It's a good cookbook. I made the banana cake which was easy and delicious.
AnnieNT at 3:19PM on 10/22/09
I 2nd and 3rd recommendations for Stephanie O'Dea's new book A Year of Slow Cooking. I found her blog first but plan to buy her book. I've made several of her recipes with good results. A pork roast recipe was a minor failure but I think it was my beer choice- I'll make it again but will use water or chicken broth in place of the beer.
AuntJone at 1:12PM on 10/27/09