Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking

My husband surprised me with a crockpot when he found one on sale during a trip to the hardware store. I had been toying with the idea of one but wasn't sure how much I'd use one and knew then I would need to find a cookbook where I would find recipes I'd actually use. After sifting through all kinds of reviews for the many books available I chose Stephanie O'Dea's "Make it Fast, Cook it Slow". I have NOT been disappointed yet. First, I love her writing, after many of the recipes, there is a verdict, how much she liked it, what her kids thought, what they added, etc. I am tending to try her ones with a verdict section first. Her ingredients are items that are easily found already in your pantry in many cases, so there is no need to go on an extra trip to find something delicious to make. The crockpot is generally used over the weekend for me until I kind of get a feel for it. Somehow, I just don't like to leave anything cooking too long by itself...but that is just me. However, on a Saturday or Sunday, putting in my ingredients and forgetting them for several hours, with nary a need to stir, well, HEL-LO, I am all over that. I have a 3 Qt. Crockpot, and first thing I noticed is that the recipes seem to be for 2, 4 or 6 Qt. Crocks. I wasn't sure if I could just split the recipe in half on the larger ones or if that would affect anything, but it seems to work out fine, so no worries there. So far, I have tried the pumpkin lattes-tasty, basic chili (our favorite, and my first time making any type of chili), tortilla soup (spicy and delicious) and breakfast risotto (which tastes like a delicious rice pudding, suitable for dessert with a little cream or for breakfast with some cranberries and chopped nuts on top. I have already bought ingredients to try french onion soup, tamale pie and lasagna. I am completely hooked. I sit with my book cradled on my lap placing post-it tags on the pages and making recipe lists so I can try something new each week. One of my resolutions this year is to try a new recipe each week, and with my new crock pot and Stephanie's book, I think I'll be able to keep this resolution. Oh, and for those of you that want to go a little outside the box, you can flip to the end of the book where you get recipes for fun stuff, like crayons, soap, playdough, candles, salt dough creations, etc. This is just a flat out, good book. Buy a copy, add your own flair where needed and write in the margins what worked for you. What a great gift this would be for any slow cooker owner or along with a cooker for someone just starting out!

I did an extensive amount of research on crockpot cookbooks before I chose this one. I didn't want one that focused heavily on "cream of . . ." soups or heavily processed foods. With several food allergies and sensitivities to worry about as well, I also needed one that included basic ingredients but had great variety at the same time. This book fits the bill--beyond my expectations. I love it because: 1. The recipes were all tested on the author's family (dad, and two kids--3 and 6), and she's honest about when her kids DIDN'T like the recipe--a plus. 2. She uses mostly healthy ingredients and cooks from basic ingredients. 3. Her youngest daughter is gluten free, so all of the recipes are gluten free or can be. That means there are many easily adapted recipes to be friendly to our family's allergies and sensitivities (no dairy, corn, gluten, nuts)--not all, but many. 4. A great variety of types of recipes, including some basics like bread, yogurt, rice, desserts that I can use as reference for my own recipes. So, thank you, thank you. This cookbook fills a great gap in crockpot cookbooks!

I've been following Stephanie's blog for longer than I can remember and have had this book pre-ordered for longer than I can remember. :-) I have made the Pumpkin Spice Latte, more than one fondue, and the Moroccan Lentil Soup, just to name a few. They were all extremely tasty, and I have been waiting so long for this cookbook to come out so I can browse through the recipes in print rather than online. Stephanie's wit and her willingness to try anything are what initially drew me in, and I was concerned that maybe the book wouldn't replicate her recipes and style completely. However, I am happy to say that everything in the book lives up to my highest expectations. I am now going to order multiple copies to give as Christmas gifts because out of the several slow cooker cookbooks I have, this one outshines them all. It's honestly the only one you'll ever need. Plus, you've really gotta try the Lentil Soup. My husband and I love it so much I've made it several times and have been waiting on the fall weather to make it again. It's time! :-) Buy this book, and I promise, you really won't regret it! Update on March 19, 2010: More recipes to try: Brown Sugar Chicken; Chicken Parmesan; Turkey Breast with Onion, Butter, and White Wine; Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole Also, I bought 8 additional copies of this book and gave them to friends as gifts. So far, each friend has come back to me and told me how much they love this book. They especially recommend the Chicken Parmesan, the Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole, and the Moroccan Lentil Soup. Happy Cooking!!

I've never been a "crock-pot" person, although I've always liked the idea of crock-pots - leaving a whole meal in the crock in the morning and returning to a complete meal in the evening - so easy, so good, so convenient. The problem, though, was that my family is not big on stews, which is what I thought crock-pots were for, so I left my crock-pot in a drawer and that is as far as the relationship has gone. Those days are over. Stphanie O'Dea has taught me that my crockpot is not my mother's crock-pot anymore. The crock-pot can be used used to make a traditional beef stew, yes, as described on page 211, but the crock-pot can also be used to make delicious soups, meats, side dishes, appetizers, dips, and desserts. The woman has a recipe for making banana bread in the crock-pot for goodness sake! All kinds of ideas are whirling around in my head. I can use the crockpot to prepare a new, sexy appetizer for the holidays, like the buffalo chicken dip described on page 25, instead of the same old stuff. I can use the crockpot to impress my friends with the delicious and fragrant chai tea latte like the one described on page 8 at the next Bunco meeting. I can also use the crockpot to help my children create caramel apples and look like the coolest mom ever! The sky is the limit with this book. It even has a recipe for recycling old candles to make new ones. Yes, I said candles, in the crock-pot! Excited, yet? There's more. There are 454 pages of easy to understand recipes with easy ingredients in this book and they all look delicious. There is also a description on most recipes that the author calls "the verdict" where she tell us how each recipe went over with her family, including the specific verdict of her young children - invaluable information for a mom who who can not afford to waste time or money on a recipe her family won't eat. This book was so well put together it inspired me immediately to put it to use. I've been through every page and while I started to dog-ear the pages of recipes I found interesting, I quickly stopped because I would have dog-eared the whole book! Last night, I made my first crock-pot dish in 15 years. I prepared Horseradish Scalloped Potatoes, p.95. They were delicious, just like the author's verdict said. Amazing. Cooking this fall/winter is going to be a lot more fun and a lot more satisfying!