The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Volume II: Regional Comfort-Food Classics [A Cookbook]

Using the recipes in this book has inspired me to get back into cooking. We especially love the Posole recipe, which updates a traditional recipe with new touches. The New England Brown Bread recipe is so good that it beats my grandmother's Down East Yankee recipe... and that's saying a lot! My enthusiasm for cooking in general has been invigorated by the creative and fresh approach in the recipes in this book.

Lynn Alley has just released the second of her Gourmet slow cooker volumes, and Volume II is better than Volume I, The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World; it is clear she is gaining more and more experience in using these useful devices to make great comfort food. A sample recipe is attached as an example of her style. Alley not only provides excellent recipes, she also has some very practical suggestions for using the device in your every day cooking. One of the problems with slow cookers is that little of the liquids escape from under the glass lids. Alley suggestions include stirring in one or two tablespoons of cornstarch or Gold Medal's Wondra Quick Mixing Flour; Wondra is designed to easily incorporate into liquids without clumping. Both techniques work, as does her suggestion to add rice to anything you plan to purée before serving, but I personally like to reduce the liquids on the stove top, including any food bits, after the meal is cooked in the slow cooker and before serving. Other general and very useful tips include: never fill the cooker more than two thirds full (half full is better in my experience), cook meats on the low setting which is about 180F -- otherwise it will toughen --, never cook on the warm setting which is about 140F; browning meats [and root vegetables] will add extra dimensions to all dishes; add tender vegetables and herbs during the last half an hour of cooking time; and from time to time lift the lid and smell the food and stir it up -- how could any cook resist? -- although most slow cooker books advise against doing so. Alley makes an interesting point: a slow cooker uses about as much electricity as a 75 watt light bulb, much less than electric or gas stoves. She also urges you to learn your own slow cooker; advice well taken -- she gives 180F as a typical temperature level on Low -- on my machine Low averages 163F. Her list of useful equipment is helpful: use a hand held blender within the slow cooker itself being careful not to hit the sides of the insert, silicon spatulas and plastic whisks will avoid scratching the insert, probe thermometers are helpful, especially when you are learning your cooker's temperature ranges; a spoon rest is essential -- remember, it's perfectly ok to open and smell and stir and taste from time to time. "And, of course, a glass of wine or cold microbrew for the cook while he or she works." I enjoy sending my reviews to authors and they sometimes reply. Ms Alley wrote that she is working on a third book devoted to vegetables and the slow cooker. It will be interesting to see what techniques she recommends to avoid the boiled taste one sometimes gets from slow cooking vegetables. Robert C. Ross 2007, 2008 From Lynne Alley's The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Volume II, Regional Comfort-Food Classics: Old Fashioned Pot Roast Sensible and practical -- the quintessential qualities of a colonial American dish. Pot roasts hold up extraordinar

I purchased two cook books by Lynne Alley when I purchased my slow cooker. Upon receipt I immediately started using the books with the slow-cooker. I received rave reviews from friends and family on my cooking. The secret was the cook books. Easy to read, readily available ingredients and easy to follow directions. All the recipes are written for the slow-cooker. So there is no guess work. Lynne Alley's books have given me many hours of pleasure both in the cooking and the eating.

Those are Alley's wonderful Korean-Style Ribs on the cover. So easy and so good. This week I'm trying her Bratwurst/Red Cabbage/Apples and her Yankee Pot Pie. Alley's techniques are simple, but for the best flavor, most do require around 30 minutes prep time. Believe me, I've found it worth it. If I had just one slow cooker book, it would be one of hers.

I have this book and the author's other slow-cooker cookbook, and they are wonderful! The recipes are easy to follow, smell incredible while cooking and taste delicious. This is NOT an "open-the-can and dump it in your crock pot" type cookbook. The recipes call for fresh ingredients. Sometimes the author suggests you brown meats before placing them in the cooker, but as she states in her introduction this step is not required. It's a recommendation. My favorite recipes from this book are the pulled pork and chicken adobo. Many recipes from the book are now a part of my repetoire of regularly cooked meals. I've learned a lot from this book regarding making "gourmet" slow-cooker meals and am so glad I own this book and the author's other book. Another bonus is it has some excellent pictures throughout. For the price, you definitely can't go wrong with this book. If you love food that tastes delicious and you own a slow cooker, you will be happy to have this book as a part of your collection of recipes.