The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World [A Cookbook]

by Lynn Alley

Although the slow cooker has experienced a renaissance over the past several years, the discriminating cook is still hard-pressed to find slow cooker recipes worthy of serving at a dinner party‚Äîrecipes that reflect concern about ingredients, flavors, and appearance.For these cooks, comes THE GOURMET SLOW COOKER, an upscale approach to this new-old phenomenon by author and food journalist Lynn Alley. With fresh ingredients and imaginative recipes, you can create delicious meals to serve with pride to your guests. Drawn from slow cooking traditions from around the world, the recipes include Lamb Shanks in Tomato Sauce from Greece; Apricot Chicken from India; Chicken Mole from Mexico; White Truffle Risotto from Italy; Proven?ßal Chicken Stew from France; and Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Soup from the United States. In keeping with the sophistication of the food, each recipe is accompanied by wine or beer suggestions. The slow cooker can be so much more than a repository for nacho cheese dip. Paired with THE GOURMET SLOW COOKER, your everyday dining will be elevated from the mundane to the gourmet, while freeing you from hours of hard work in the kitchen.A slow cooker book for discriminating cooks, with 16 full-color recipe photographs. Includes chapter introductions to each region, focusing on the slow-cooking traditions and techniques from that country, and local wine or beer suggestions for all 60 recipes.According to a study by the Betty Crocker Kitchens, 80 percent of U.S. households have a slow cooker. Reviews‚ÄúGo ahead and sneer. I love my slow cooker. . . . Even food snobs like me are realizing their potential, albeit a little later than the more than perhaps 100 million Americans who already own one.‚Äù‚ÄîMark Bittman, New York Times

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference

108 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

Lynn Alley began her career as a cooking teacher at a middle school, where she and her students gained fame for selling handmade, gourmet items at Neiman Marcus. Since then, she has taught the art of cooking throughout the United States and France. Lynn has written for the San Diego Union Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Fine Cooking, and many other publications.

Reviews

[Dj · Rating 4 out of 5]

So it would seem that with the latest updates, Goodreads not only puts any book that I purchase from Amazon into my currently reading queue, it also pays attention to when I finish those books. Which normally would be fine I guess, but when I get a cook book I flip through to take a look at the menu item names and then go back and read them, well if like, in this case, the author says something about the various recipes and the places that they are pulled from.

Now to be fair there are some good recipes in this book, but I have never considered Boston Bake Beans a Gourmet food. Guess I will have to try the recipe out and find out if that is an incorrect assumption on my part.

The recipes are pulled from various corners of the World. The US, England, Italy, Greece, and India. a wide mix, if not comprehensive. Still, it has a good mix, although sometimes it seems the book is geared to selling wine along with giving you recipes to cook. Think I will skip that part, never developed a taste. Some good recipes though that I am looking forward to trying out.

[Darby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sub title of this book is "Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World" and I have to say it is perfect subtitle. This book is great way to use your slow cooker but in a way that adds just a little more to the meal. Any of the recipes would be great on any night of the week but also for a dinner party.

The recipes are delicious but the author also offers up drinking suggestions to go with it. The layout, style and photos of the cookbook just make it a lovely read.

It is a cookbook I would like to own. And I know it is one I would open quite a lot as I use my slow cooker year round.

Favorite recipes: Chicken and dumplings, Pork Stew in Tomatillo Sauce, Dublin Coddle, Beef Burgundy, Provencal Beef Stew, Chicken Piperade, Tarragon Chicken, Artichoke Risotto, Chicken Cacciatore, Apricot Chicken, Beef Biryani and just on and on as you can see.

[Meaghan Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

We were given a crock pot as a wedding present and its been pretty fun trying it out. We used the internet for recipes for awhile but I saw these and love cookbooks with beautiful pictures. I also like how it tells the history of each dish and what wines are best for the dish.

[Beesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good read and has some lovely recipes. Unfortunately, they all involve cooking parts of the dish outside of the slow cooker. The tips section has this sentence: "In many cases, the outcome of the dish would not be adversely affected if you skipped this step and simply combined all of the ingredients in the slow cooker at once." The recipes do not indicate where this might work and where it probably does not work, however. So this book is not going to save anybody any time, which in my view is one of the primary reason to think about using a slow cooker. Still, it's a very nice book. The recipes are well chosen and interesting, the photos are beautiful, the layout is terrific, the prose is well written, and the drink suggestions are thoughtful.

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely gourmet which means too many steps for how I use my slow cooker. Still, the recipes seem very flavorful.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I use this book all the time. I haven't found a bad recipe. My favorites are the Chicken Piperade and the Tuscan White Bean Soup but many more are just as good. It's my go-to for the slow cooker.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little volume presents some very luscious international meals for the slow cooker, with recipes representing the United States, Mexico, Great Britain & Ireland, France, Italy, Greece and India. Most main-dish recipes contain meat, and there are a number of side dishes, as well as desserts, included. My family will attest to the deliciousness of the Beef and Guinness Stew! Also appreciated are the suggestions for beers, wines and beverages to accompany the recipes, including the desserts.

Many of the recipes require some sautéing of ingredients before putting in the slow cooker, but that does improve the quality & taste of the finished product. All in all, a nice variety of recipes that are not just the average crockpot dish.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great tool! I recommend the volume 2 & vegetarian cookbooks, too. I've bought them all. This book was a fun impulse-buy that has been worth every penny. It's wonderful for people who really want more from their crockpot than the unfortunate status quo (canned/bottled/packaged food and meat combos). The purchase is of a coffee/spice grinder is needed. The homemade spice mixes add a lot to the recipes. I do also recommend that you adjust each recipe to suit your own taste and food on hand. The key to success with these books is to use the best ingredients for the best result. Buy spices in bulk inexpensively at Whole Foods!

[Nancy · Rating 1 out of 5]

disappointing. Every recipe follows the same pattern:
get out exotic spices and grind them together.
Brown some kind of meat or poultry in the skillet.
Brown the accompanying flavor-makers (onion, whatever) in the skillet.
Put it all in the crockpot and cook.

If i'm going to brown everything in the skillet, I'll let it finish cooking in the skillet. Jeeze!

[Christina Waymreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not for the faint hearted one-time chefs or those who want to "just throw stuff in and get on with it". This is a book that has taken time to slowly develop into an awesome round-the-world trip. You have to try at least one recipe from one country. Find your favorite and invite your neighbors. Also, a must-have on your shelf, or kindle.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

i usually don't like slow cooker recipes, but this cookbook is well worth the $12 from amazon! it's so relaxing to put these recipes together in the morning while rhys is sleeping and then be able to actually enjoy dinner without getting stressed out.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only are the recipes interesting but the "Tips for the Slow Cooker" invaluable. It's the only book of this type that I've read that includes fundamentals in slow cooking which I found very helpful.

[Naomi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing outstanding really stood out to me in this cookbook. There were a very small handful of recipes that I would make for myself/family. Prep was a bit more involved which normally wouldn't bother me if the recipes were worth it, but I found myself bypassing them.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

These recipes look really tasty. The only problem I'm having is getting past the having to cook things before you put them in a slow cooker to cook. o.O

Still, some day I will have to try some of these that don't call for sauteeing and frying things before I put them into the slow cooker.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A handful of delicious recipes for cooks who want the benefit of hands-off cooking but prefer to use whole foods and real ingredients.

[Raelene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Sumptuous. Only a few intense recipes - most are very easy/straightforward. A great upgrade to traditional crock-pot cooking.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

have not tried the recipes yet, but found several that look good!

[lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only recipe I would be interested in trying is the Chicken in Saffron-Tomato Cream Sauce.

[Debra Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great cookbook. Normally I find slow cooker recipes flat. Most recipes take 15 minutes to get them started, but the end result is much more satisfying.

[Jennifer Romolini]

Quite simply put, crockpots are awesome.

[Magda]

Recommended by Lori Branch.