There's something comforting about a slow cooker. It's a quiet helper that has no tantrums and makes no fuss. Being an undemanding old friend, it has often been overlooked by gourmet cooks. The first volume of Gourmet Slow Cooker showed us how lively our steadfast friend could be, and flew off store bookshelves. Back by popular demand, author Lynn Alley works her magic with the slow cooker once again. She has gathered some favorite regional dishes, adapted them to the slow cooker, then added her imaginative, contemporary touches to dishes. She is working with comfort foods, but they are ones with extra zip. The quiet, undemanding slow cooker will now purr with the confidence that gourmet meals lie ahead.
Working with today's concerns for healthy, fresh foods, considering our shift to organic foods, Alley states her premise clearly. "We now live in a land of abundance such as has been experienced by few people in history, with access to a wide variety of organic produce, sustainably raised meat, and specialty products unlike anything we've experienced before. Good ingredients make a difference in both nutrition and flavor, and there's no reason we shouldn't use them in the slow cooker."
Working with the freshest of foods, she gives us imaginative combinations such as White Bean Chili which uses green chiles instead of red and is made more savory with the addition of basil. There are recipes for Korean Style Ribs and Pulled Pork with Barbecue Sauce, for Turkey with Cranberries and Sun-Dried Tomato Risotto. You can prepare your dessert in a slow cooker as well, and Alley gives such recipes as Apricot Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake,Coffee-Chocolate Pot de Crème, and Georgia Peach Cobbler.
If you don't own a slow cooker, you'll want to buy one. If you have one that has been shoved to the back of the closet,you can safely bring it out. Alley includes tips on how to choose a slow cooker as well as tips on how to use one. There are photographs throughout by Leo Gong.
About the Author Lynn Alley is a freelance food and wine journalist specializing in traditional foods and culinary techniques from around the world. She is the author of The Gourmet Slow Cooker, The Gourmet Toaster Oven, and Lost Arts: A Celebration of Culinary Traditions. Lynn is also a frequent contributor to the Wine Spectator magazine and web site and has written articles for Fine Cooking, Cook's Illustrated, and Natural Home.
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