For the last few years, I have wanted to own a Staub Cocotte. I am entranced by their braising spikes, and the fact that their dark enamel interiors deters the kind of staining you see on the inside of Le Creuset pots. Plus the fact that they just cook so darn well.

This weekend, I was at my favorite home and kitchen store (Foster's Homeware) and found a few minutes to peek at their display of Staub cookware. As I caressed one of the pots longingly, Kim, the store's events manager came over and we started talking about our mutual love of the Cocotte. She said that she uses hers all the time and if anything were to happen to the contents of her kitchen, it would be the first thing she would replace. I left the store empty-handed, but pondering my Staub future.

As I flipped through the internet this morning, I happened to notice that the Staub 5-quart round Cocotte is on sale at Amazon.com for a single day. They normally run $200, but you can snatch one up for $144.99 today if you are so inclined. I'm skipping the sale, as my Le Creuset is a 5-quart round, and try as I might, I can't convince myself that I need two pots of the same shape and capacity. However, if this happens to be your dream pot, this might be your opportunity to finally own one.

Braising, by definition, is a cooking technique where a food is browned, then slowly cooked in a small amount of liquid for a long period of time. The method is often praised for the flavorful and tender meats and vegetables that it produce and while it is used year round, it is a fall and winter favorite because during cooler months a little extra heat in the kitchen is often welcomed. All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking is a book that is purely dedicated to the technique and is a great place to start looking for guidance or ideas when approaching it.

The 120 or so recipes range from basic chicken and beef dishes, which you have probably eaten or cooked on numerous occasions, to slightly less common ones, such as Vietnamese Braised Scallops. There are even recipes that are not meat-centric, including the Simplest Potato & Leeks Braise. All are easily achievable by the average home cook and once you have the technique down, you will confidently be able to braise a roast on your own. The author offers sound advice on all the ins-and-outs of braising, as well as on choosing ingredients and her overall cooking philosophy, which seems to be something along the lines of: cook often and cook for people you care about. The best part is that because braising takes little active time, you 'll have time to spend with whoever you are cooking for as you cook.

Lamb is a meat that most people don't like until they've had it prepared really well. It has a full, meaty taste that is more assertive than beef, but definitely more addictive. Unfortunately, it is more difficult to prepare than it looks and it seems that the first place that many people encounter good lamb is in Australia. This was true for Lex Culinaria, but fortunately for use, she brought home a great recipe to share. Both Australia and New Zealand have better lamb than you are likely to find anywhere, but her braised lamb roast is simple and turns out a meltingly tender, juicy piece of meat - even when you only have frozen lamb available to you at the market.

I'm a firm believer in the beauty of the braise. Not familiar? A braise is any time you first brown your ingredients in hot oil (or, sauté), and then add liquid to finish the cooking. You can finish your braise on the stovetop, in the oven, or in a slow cooker - but most braises are finished in the same place they were started. And braises are often the definition of s.l.o.w. slow.

Many slow cooker recipes call for a good browning of the meats and/or veggies first, but most of them hasten to mention that the browning could be skipped. I think this is close to vital (and Sarah Gim mentions that it does, after all, speed up the cooking process). What's your take: to brown, or not to brown.

[Photo Sarah Gilbert]

Slow cookers are one of the most useful appliances you can have in your kitchen, even more so if you don't enjoy cooking or you have a busy schedule that keeps you running around and not working over the stove. You can toss together a soup or meat dish in the morning in about five minutes and when you return from work in the evening, you'll have a hot, home cooked meal waiting for you. In addition, everything cooks together, which means that you'll only have one pot to clean. Some recipes will call for the meat (or even vegetables) to be browned before adding them in, but this is almost never really necessary.

Slow cookers cook foods for long periods of time at low temperatures. Modern slow cookers often have an automatic shutoff or a super-low "warm" setting that will protect both your food and your home when you are not around to watch, so they are safe to use any time, unlike the stove or the oven. They are ideal for cooking lean or inexpensive pieces of meat because they trap juice and steam as they cook the meat, allowing the meat to become moist and tender, preventing it from shrinking or toughening. The long, slow cooking process also allows flavors to meld and blend, making it an ideal way to cook soups and stews, too.

You leave the house in the dark. You come home in the dark. It's winter, and you yearn for a lovingly-cooked meal. Why not have it ready when you get home? Why not fill your house with the rustic aromas of slow cookery?

But I have a job, or, at least a life, I can hear you murmuring to yourself, shaking your head. I don't have a personal chef. I'll just throw a Lean Cuisine in the oven.

No! Stop! Put away that freezer meal. Freezers are for summer, when you eat ice cream and whir up smoothies with fresh fruit and yogurt. Winter is for slow cookers, for Crock-Pots and baking at low, low heat and, oh, the bountiful braise. Monday, January 23, we'll be celebrating all that is slow - all our recipes will cook at low heats for several hours. Nearly all of them can be mixed early in your day and set cooking, and the flavors will combine throughout the afternoon as the dish gets more, and more, and more tender, until it is meltingly delectable, until it sings on your tongue.

Classic slow-cooked meals were invented long before the Crock-Pot trademark was ever registered. Dishes like cassoulet and baked beans and Beef Bourguignonne hearken from centuries ago. Once, everything was cooked slow. We honor our culinary heritage. We long for food that has nothing "fast" about it.