"crock pot" news and stories

"Anna likened you to Phosphor the morning star, and herself to Hesper, the mortal star of evening, and when I told her those twin stars were one and the same, and not a star at all but the planet Venus..." - John Barth

A perfumist friend made me a delightful custom scent he called Gin Hesper -- inspired by the aromas of DH Krahn gin and perhaps my "Hesper'ness." A relatively new gin on the market, DH Krahn offers a less pronounced juniper flavor with a nice citrusy note. I took the perfume's name as inspiration for this drink I created during the 2008 holiday season -- perfect for festive occasions with its beautiful, deep ruby-red color. Even better, it combines both the DH Krahn gin and my love for rye whiskey.

Dusting off the crock pot and having mugs out for guests is one of my favorite ways to serve a holiday gathering of friends and family. Self-serving out of the crock pot sure beats your having to worry about serving guests individually. And wouldn't you rather be caroling, eating, opening presents or most importantly, just basking in the glow of those around you?

There seems to be no corner that the world of slow cooking doesn't reach! We already had one Jenna coin the term "crock blocked," and now another, more famous Jenna is praising the wonders of the Crock Pot. According to Ace Showbiz, Jenna Fischer (of The Office and Dewey Cox) told Self magazine:

I prepared everything the night before, threw it in the Crock Pot in the morning, set it on low and came home to dinner. My boyfriend adored it. We had more time to spend together that evening. Since we didn't have to cook, it left time for hanky-panky!

We keep hearing about all the wonders of easy slow cookin', but most don't talk about how much time it frees up for sex. With the rampant popularity of the old-school cooking method, how long do you think it'll be before Fischer is doing sexy commercials for some slow cooker?

When it comes to small kitchen appliances, I am something of a collector. I've got a rice maker, multiple ways to make coffee, toaster oven, toaster, three waffle irons, food processors, mixers and four different slow cookers. Some of the other duplicate appliances I've got are a little ridiculous, I realize this (although I could give you a good justification for the waffle irons if pressed) but I will never stop defending my slow cooker collection.

I have a six-quart, a four-quart, a 2.5-quart and a mini-crock (I'm not sure how big that little guy is, but it's great for small batches of party dip). This because different recipes and dishes require different sized crocks in which to cook. However, I recently discovered a product that is changing the way I think about my collection of slow cookers. It's a cooker that comes with three crocks, in graduated sizes. This means that you can adjust to the demands of your recipe without needing an assortment of cookers. The crocks stack one inside another, for easy storage.

Sounds like my slow cooker collection in need of an upgrade!

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Really, how can you not? How can you not serve piping hot chili out of a football-shaped crock pot and sling burgers on a football-shaped grill at your Super Bowl party? If you're going to go so far as donning a $100 apron in your tea's colors, you may as well go all out!

The Pro Pots slow cooker has three settings, but don't get too excited about fancy features. One of the settings is "Off," and the other is "Keep warm." Still, with a 1½ quart capacity, it's a cute way to serve a hot dip, and for some reason, the Pro Pot is screaming "Velveeta!" At only $39.99, it's not a bad deal for something you can use from September through January.

For a grill-heavy menu for a crowd, well, the Charcoal Companion Football Grill is probably too small with a grilling surface of 170 square inches, However, if you're making teeny tiny burgers, I wouldn't suggest anything less!

About a week ago, I pulled out my four quart (I also have a one and a half and six quart cookers) slow cooker in order to make braised chicken thighs (boneless and skinless) in tomatoes, onions, green pepper and garlic. I was going to be out of the house all day and knew that I'd ravenous when I got home so with just a little forethought I was able to pull something really easy and yummy together with very little effort (it is also one of those dishes that is even better as leftovers than it was originally).

When it comes to slow cookers, I'm not much of a recipe follower. I tend to throw things in and hope for the best. I think that nine times out of ten my experiments turn out really well. There are have been some notable disasters (but we don't need to go into them now). I do have a few valuable lessons to share that I've learned through this process of trial and error. The first is that if you are making a soup or stew and you're going to be adding water, always bring your water to a boil on the stove first before adding it. By doing this the contents of the cooker will come up to temperature more quickly and your food won't sit in the warm danger zone as long. The second is that if you really want your onions to soften, make sure to saute them first on the stove. The caramelization they'll pick up with also improve the flavor of the dish (however, if you're running short on time, it is okay to toss them in raw). The last thing I recommend is seeing if you can't get an older slow cooker at a rummage or garage sale. The older models cook at slightly lower temperatures, which will prevent your food from boiling. Some of the newer cookers bring your food up to a rollicking boil even on the low setting, which is not want you want.

If you are a slow cooker fan I'd love to hear your favorite recipes and any tips you've picked up along the way.