Slow Cooking Now

On a Monday night, you are likely to find my husband and I mentoring a 20-something over dinner. She heads over after working all day for a athletic wear retailer, with me barely beating her home after a long day teaching Pilates. On days like these, I usually prepare something in my slow cooker so I can serve something marvelous without a lot of effort.

Mary Anne thinks it is "cool" that I use the slow cooker and asks me for the recipes so she can entertain her friends in a similar manner. Most of us are not likely to think of the slow cooker as mod - meat swimming in cream of mystery soup is more apt to come to mind. But I've been treating Mary Anne to things like Braised Chicken with Figs and Sweet Potatoes and meals such as these meet her entertaining criteria: affordable, easy to prepare delicious food to share with friends.

I read that 80% of us own a slow cooker. And chances are we could make things easier on ourselves when entertaining if we brought them out a little more often. Obviously, they would are great for keeping things at the right warmth for buffets; brunch steel cut oats, open house mulled wine, holiday mashed potatoes. Any of your favorite soup, stew and chili recipes could be adapted for preparation in the slow cooker.

There are some new cookbooks to help with contemporary entertaining menus. A must buy is the Essentials of Slow Cooking by Williams Sonoma. These recipes simply beg to be shared with family and friends, with minimal effort on the part of the home cook. Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker, Recipes For Entertaining by Beth Hensperger is another go-to guide for utilizing your slow cooker when throwing a party.

Besides recipes, give consideration to your appliance itself. Part of making my meals in the slow cooker party worthy was an upgrade to the All Clad Deluxe Slow Cooker . I think it is the Rolls Royce of slow cookers! First of all, it has an insert (which my 20 yr old Hamilton Beach did not). The insert is safe for the dishwasher as well as for browning meats or sauteeing ingredients beforehand (1 pot cooking and clean up). This model also has a warm setting, which enables you to stop the cooking process appropriately for each recipe.

I can't imagine any home cook or entertainer that wouldn't find the process aided by a slow cooker.

 

Comments

[Andrea in NJ]

I find most standard slow cooker cookbooks are chock full of meat dishes. For vegetarians, there are slow cooker cookbook options too. Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson is one I use. There are at least 4 or 5 good ones on the market. In addition, meat substitutes can be added for just about any meat dish to simulate the results.

[chocolates]

I chance most reference largo cooker cookbooks are chock flooded of meat dishes. For vegetarians, there are lessen cooker reference options too. Refreshed from the Vegetarian Pokey Cooker by Redbreast Guard is one I use. There are at minimal 4 or 5 solid ones on the marketplace. In component, meat substitutes can be supplemental for vindicatory active any meat supply to assume the results.
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