Book Description
Hearty stews. Rib-sticking chilis. Tender pot roasts. The real secret is a long, slow simmer at a constant temperature, and no appliance does this better than the slow cooker. If your old slow cooker recipes disappointed you, throw them away! The Slow Cooker Ready and Waiting Cookbook is for people who love good food!
Rick Rodgers has adapted an eclectic array of American and ethnic dishes for the slow cooker. They're all here: fancy fare (Farmer's Market Lobster and Corn Chowder, Sweet and Sour Brisket, Erna's Sauerbraten), everyday favorites (Ground Beef Chili with Cornmeal Dumplings and Herbed Tomato Sauce with Parmesan Meatballs), side dishes (Potatoes Euphoria, Smothered Green Beans, Sugarbush Beans) -- even desserts (Strawberry-Strawberry Cheesecake, Bourbon Bread Pudding, and Lemon-Raspberry Pudding Cake). Ideal for entertaining, the slow cooker keeps crowd-pleasing dips and holiday punches warm from the beginning of the party to when the last guest leaves.
A special section explains how to choose the right-size slow cooker for your needs, how to adapt a favorite recipe, and what can (and can't) be prepared in a slow cooker.
From the Author
Of all my cookbooks, it is interesting how Ready and Waiting has divided cooks. I am not a "one-star" kind of guy. A paraphrase of the book's Introduction will give a clear view of what to expect:"I asked the anti-slow cooker contingent to send me recipes. Here is an example:Coq au Vin: Slow-Cook 1 chicken, skinned and cut up, with 3 tablespoons oil, 1 chopped onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 cups semisweet wine, 8 ounces mushrooms, and 3 potatoes. Cook from morning to evening.What about browning the chicken to add flavor? What about some chicken broth for the sauce? Why isn't the sauce thickened? No wonder the cook considered this recipe a failure! For my Coq au Vin, I took the same basic list of ingredients BUT I applied the same principles of good cooking that I always use. I browned the chicken (with the skin, but removed it after cooking) in a skillet, cooked the onions and garlic in the same skillet, added herbs, and used dry red wine. After 6 hours, it was was tender but not overdone. I skimmed the cooking liquid and thickened it. The ingredients for both recipes cost the same amount of money, but the few minutes of extra effort improved the dish immeasurably."Controversial or not, I refuse to pretend that slow-cooked food prepared by the typical "dump in the pot" method is as good as my (admittedly longer) technique. My experience as a professional cook showed that the old method is a sure way to waste groceries and time. There are many kinds of cooks. If you judge a recipe by how few ingredients it has and how little time it takes to make it, R & W isn't for you. If you are looking for tasty, new (even gourmet) recipes, then check it out. (A title change to "The Slow Cooker Gourmet: Over 150 Recipes for Good Cooks" might be in order.) This book's longevity (over 9 years old) speaks for the amount of people who do like it.
About the Author
Rick Rodgers received the prestigious American Food and Entertainment Award for Outstanding Cooking Teacher. He is the author of more than twenty cookbooks on such diverse subjects asFondue, Ready and Waiting, the "101 Series" (Thanksgiving 101, Christmas 101, and Barbecues 101, and Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. He is a frequent visitor on television and radio.He lives in the New York area.
The Slow Cooker Ready & Waiting Cookbook: 160 Sumptuous Meals That Cook Themselves FROM THE PUBLISHER
Hearty stews. Rib-sticking chilis. Tender pot roasts. The real secret is a long, slow simmer at a constant temperature, and no appliance does this better than the slow cooker. If your old slow cooker recipes disappointed you, throw them away! The Slow Cooker Ready and Waiting Cookbook is for people who love good food!
Rick Rodgers has adapted an eclectic array of American and ethnic dishes for the slow cooker. They're all here: fancy fare (Farmer's Market Lobster and Corn Chowder, Sweet and Sour Brisket, Erna's Sauerbraten), everyday favorites (Ground Beef Chili with Cornmeal Dumplings and Herbed Tomato Sauce with Parmesan Meatballs), side dishes (Potatoes Euphoria, Smothered Green Beans, Sugarbush Beans) even desserts (Strawberry-Strawberry Cheesecake, Bourbon Bread Pudding, and Lemon-Raspberry Pudding Cake). Ideal for entertaining, the slow cooker keeps crowd-pleasing dips and holiday punches warm from the beginning of the party to when the last guest leaves.
A special section explains how to choose the right-size slow cooker for your needs, how to adapt a favorite recipe, and what can (and can't) be prepared in a slow cooker.
Author Biography:
Rick Rodgers is the author of more than twelve cookbooks, including Mr. Pasta's Healthy Pasta Cookbook, On Rice, and 50 Best Stuffings and Dressings. He travels extensivety as a cooking teacher and consultant in the food business. He lives in the New York City area.