Slow Cooker Cooking

by Lora Brody

When someone says "slow cooker," do you think of pot roast or chili? Now you can think Slow Cooked Salmon, Caramelized Onion Soup, falling-off-the-bone Lamb You Can Eat with a Spoon, and Flourless Pear Anise Souffl . If these dishes whet your appetite, it's time to take that slow cooker out of the closet, plug it in, and get ready for Slow Cooker Cooking. Lora Brody knows her appliances. She inspired a whole new generation of bread bakers with her...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068817471X
• ISBN13: 9780688174712
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.27 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.6" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

fantastic recipes - not your average slow cooker recipes

I really like my slow cooker after trying recipes from Lora Brody (and also the Better Homes & Gardens slow cooker book). I used to have a Fix-It and Forget-It but I always got lost in all the different variations. I have tried several recipes in this book, mostly soups and entrees. I have not tried any of the desserts, bread or dips. Brody's recipes are unique and very tasty - I get lots of compliments on them. My husband and 3 year old ate every one that I have made so far. One bit of critisim - there are several recipes for uncommon meat such as rabbit or pheasant - but I have easily substituted for chicken or beef of about the same thickness and cut. I have wondered why she just does not come out and say that in the recipe introductions so that it is not so intimidating. Additionally, I find the recipes fairly simple and economical. They contain ingredients and spices that I usually have on hand. Most of the meal/entree type recipes do not call for a lot of ingredents to be prepared outside of the slow cooker. Highly recommended.

the best crock pot cook book

I have never written a review before but just saw that this book (which I am buying for my mum and friends for Christmas) was only rated 3 stars and I couldn't understand why. As far as I am concerned this is the best crock pot cook book out there - the recipes are simple to follow, always turn out exactly as shown and are delicious. The sole recipe I have served at several dinner parties to much acclaim as with the 'lamb you can eat with a spoon'. I cannot recommend this book more highly and I looked at several crock pot cookbooks that were really boring.

You must try the honey-glazed spareribs...

I basically agree with the other reviewers who liked this book. First, and impressive, is that the recipes have obviously been well-tested-- everything I've tried comes out just as described (although my particular slow cooker is somewhat 'faster' and doesn't require the length of time given in some recipes). Second, the recipes are tasty. I really prefer this method (fresh ingredients) rather than the usual crockpot fare of canned and frozen ingredients. It may take a little longer to prepare, but the time-savings will come in making extra servings to save for another meal. I will definitely try other cook books by this same author.

Best Slow Cooker Cookbook

When I try a new recipe I have never done before, I get nervous. But EVERY recipe from the book has come out totally amazing. The directions are clear and the results are more gourment than the boullion cube and gravy garbage in other slow cooker cookbooks. As another review said, there are many recipes for duck and things that are easily found in my neighborhood. However there are excellent recipes like the Morroccan Chicken with Prunes, Chicken with Wine and Mushrooms, and Horseradish Potroast that continue to amaze my husband and guests with minimal effort. Last night I made the Honey glazed Ribs but substituted beef for the pork. AMAZING! My only negative comment is that there aren't more crockpot books by the same author.

You have to make the Zucchini Soup in this cookbook!

When you think of "slow cooking" you might imagine a full day of cooking, yet really with slow cooking, you can get out of the kitchen for most of the cooking time. The most delightful thing about slow cooking is that you don't have to worry about burning something on the stove top and you can hardly ruin a meal even if you let it cook way over the suggested cooking times. Evenings are fun times to use the slow cooker to make a stock. Often in the past, I found the cooker invaluable for making chicken stock while I was happily sleeping. With Lora's new book, I finally learned how to make a delicious vegetable stock. She recommends roasting the vegetables first and this adds more intensity to the stock. You can roast the vegetables, then toss everything into the slow cooker and then head off to bed while the cooker does all the work. You will find recipes for chicken and vegetable stocks in the pantry chapter. I highly recommend you make these stocks for the recipes. A powdered or base stock does not do the recipes justice. If you are vegetarian, you will enjoy the fact that you can substitute a vegetable stock for the chicken stock in many of the recipes. One thing I noticed with some of the recipes was the times seemed a bit short. I would take the times that say "2 hours" with a pinch of salt. I doubled those times and the recipe worked much better. I also found you could leave the stock on high heat all night and let it go way over the recommended 6 hours. I left the vegetable stock in the cooker for 10 hours and it was even more flavorful. Before you start a recipe, check to see if you have to make another recipe first! If you need to make a recipe for "Duxelles" before making the stuffed mushrooms, Lora gives you the page number. You don't have to stand in your kitchen staring at the page and wondering where you are going to find duxelles (dook-SEHL). You simply turn to page eleven and see that in fact, you are only making a thick paste used to flavor sauces, soups and other mixtures. It is just mushrooms and shallots and Lora shows you how to make this paste in the slow cooker. Many of the recipes are gourmet, but that is what makes cooking fun. Lora used to work in a French restaurant and it shows! There is also a definite Italian flair to many of the recipes. In the recipe calling for "cipollinis" you will have to look for the bulbs of the grape hyacinth and they are used in Italian cuisine. You could substitute pearl onions. I also found it difficult to find baby zucchini where I lived so I just used regular sized zucchini and cooked the soup a bit longer. While this book is written for cooking at home, you will feel a bit like a chef when using a hand-held immersion blender to transform vegetables and stock into a satiny smooth soup right in the cooker. If you have never tasted a homemade soup, you owe it to yourself to pull out that slow cooker. It is very satisfying to make homemade soup and it is so delicious. Most of the r