Larsen Linda Johnson - Knack Slow Cooking: Hearty & Delicious Meals You Can Prepare Ahead

Find help with cooking problems and equipment manufacturers

Hotlines

Butterball Turkey Holiday Line

1-800-323-4848

• Hotline available year round; answers questions about turkey cooking and preparation.

Empire Kosher Poultry Hotline

1-800-367-4734

• Year-round hotline answers questions about poultry.

Perdue

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• Year-round hotline helps with cooking questions, especially poultry products.

Reynolds Turkey Tips

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USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline

1-800-535-4555

• Year-round line offers information about food safety; answers consumer questions about meat preparation.

Manufacturers

All-Clad

www.all-clad.com/

• One of the first manufacturers to make metal inserts for the slow cooker.

Cuisinart

www.cuisinart.com/

• Company can completely outfit your kitchen, from ranges to slow cookers.

GE Appliances

www.geappliances.com/

• Outfit your entire kitchen with GE appliances. Online service and customer support.

Kitchenaid

www.kitchenaid.com/home.jsp

• Lots of high-quality appliances offered, from refrigerators and stoves to slow cookers.

Rival

www.rivalproducts.com

• Manufacturer of the original Crock-Pot, with product information, recipes, and an online store.

West Bend

www.focuselectrics.com/catalog.cfm?dest=dir&linkon=section&linkid=54

• Slow cooker manufacturer, with service, support, and how to use appliances.

Copyright 2009 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

Knack is a registered trademark of Morris Publishing Group, LLC, and is used with express permission.

Editor in Chief: Maureen Graney

Editor: Imee Curiel

Cover Design: Paul Beatrice, Bret Kerr

Text Design: Paul Beatrice

Layout: Joanna Beyer

Cover photos by Christopher Brown

All interior photos by Christopher Brown with the exception of p. 9 (right) and p. 17 courtesy Crock-Pot; p. 13 Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock; p. 16 (adjustable roasting rack) courtesy NorPro; p. 22 (left) by Viktor Budnik Morris Book Publishing, LLC; p. 22 (right) courtesy ThermoWorks.com; p. 23 (right) courtesy Brookstone; p. 121 (left) Dobri/Dreamstime.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Larsen, Linda Johnson.

Knack slow cooking : hearty & delicious meals you can prepare ahead /

Linda Johnson Larsen ; photographs by Christopher Brown.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-59921-619-5

1. Electric cookery, Slow. I.Title. II. Title: Slow cooking.

TX827.L37 2009

641.5884dc22

2009022653

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. Ail recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Globe Pequot Press. The author and Globe Pequot Press disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information.

Printed in China

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my parents, Duane and Marlene, for teaching me that perseverance is a goal in itself.

Thanks, as always, to my agent Barb Doyen for her support and encouragement, Id also like to thank Maureen Graney, my editor, for her good ideas and sense of direction. My husband, Doug, is always a great support and my best friend, too. And thanks to Christopher Brown for doing such a beautiful job on the photography and bringing the recipes to life.

Most Americans own a slow cooker, even if its just languishing in a kitchen cupboard or basement storage room. But there are many reasons to pull out that neglected slow cooker and put it to work, including better tasting, healthier food; time, energy, and money savings; and ease of cleanup.

This book, featuring easy, delicious recipes, straightforward instruction and commonsense safety information, will help you become a slow cooker pro and feed your family excellent food for less money. When the slow cooker is used correctly, with staggered cooking times for different foods and judicious seasoning, you can produce excellent quality meals with very little work.

Its estimated that more than 80 percent of American households own a slow cooker. While this appliance was quite popular in the 1970s, it faded during the last few years of the twentieth century, and is now making a comeback. The ease of use, excellent results, and time and money saved make it a valued appliance in the kitchen.

This book will focus on familiar slow-cooked foods and introduce you to more exotic, delicious recipes. A simple, clear layout, with photos of not only the completed dish but also steps along the way, makes learning easy. Once you have discovered the many ways to use the slow cooker, you will be able to adapt recipes to your taste and create your own meals to satisfy your family.

Each spread is self-contained, with tips and instructions on how to perfectly and safely prepare and cook each recipe. Simple variations that transform the recipe into something completely new are highlighted, showing you that mastering several basic techniques will exponentially increase your repertoire. Ethnic flavors, like Pork Carnitas, Greek Chicken Stew, Shepherds Pie, and Corned Beef, along with trendy new tastes and food combinations, are introduced via the variations.

Topics covered include how to cook multiple foods at the same time, how to use the slow cooker to make unexpected recipes like cheesecakes and salads, why slow-cooked food is healthier for your family, and how to make entire meals from the slow cooker. Slow cooker safety is stressed, with safe cooking ranges and final temperatures listed for each recipe. Youll also learn how to test the accuracy of your slow cooker.

You should own more than one slow cooker. Not only do the different sizes cook different types of food better, but you can make an entire meal in a collection of slow cookers. The main dish will cook in the largest appliance, while potatoes stay warm in another. A chocolate bread pudding cooks without any attention while youre eating.