| Customer Reviews: Average Rating:  Rating : - Chicken Tarragon, Pork Stew in Tomatillo Sauce...Love this book! I have a bookcase full of outstanding cookbooks. This is one of them. My crockpot is pedestrian--when it dies I will replace it with All-Clad--I never thought I would become a slow cooker enthusiast. But this book has changed my perspective. Yes, there is prep work--this is not a mushroom soup/quartered onion/garlic powder/round steak kind of recipe collection--gratefully. It is classy, stylish, even elegant food-- entrees that you would proudly serve to dinner party guests. Some of my favorites: Chicken Tarragon (worth the price of the book), Pork Stew in Tomatillo Sauce (everyone kept "wow-ing"), Apricot Chicken (simply fabulous), Neopolitan Lamb Stew (realllllly delicious), Chicken Cacciatore (often repeated, unbeatable), Doublin Coddle--great winter comfort food), Artichoke Risotto (amazing--who would have thought?), and, beyond my Indian-food loving dreams, Chicken Curry--do grind your own spices--and use a large package of chicken thighs--simply ambrosia. I've never bombed with this book.
So, I guess the bottom line here is: if you want a kid-pleasing Hamburger Helper kind of crock, pass it by. But if you are a dedicated cook who wants to create really memorable meals with little hovering over the pot, and don't mind the Iron Chef flurry up front, this is your book. Thank you Lynn Alley. I'm a fan.
P.S. I've learned that when time is crunched to start the recipe on "high" for an hour, then turn it down to "low" to finish. I often add a bit less liquid than called for (rarely, though) so I don't end up with a slightly watery finish--guess it depends on the slow cooker. I've learned that leaving the finished dish on "warm" for the last hour doesn't harm anything--in fact, it improves it. Rely on instinct. + See Full Customer Review |  |