Julia Child is reported to have said, "I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate." For me, I was 30. While I have always loved food, cooking was something I feared, disliked, and avoided until motherhood compelled me to overcome my feelings and, in spite of myself, I found I began to enjoy trying new recipes, creating tasty meals, and sharing them with others. These are the adventures of my learning to love something that overwhelmed and intimidated me for far too long. I hope you will enjoy (and perhaps benefit from) the tales of a reluctant cook!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

I'm in love! I'm in love! (originally posted March 10, 2014)


I’m in love! I’m in love! And I don’t care who knows it!
At the suggestion of a friend and reader of this blog, I purchased this awesome cookbook:

http://www.amazon.com/Cooker-Revolution-Editors-Americas-Kitchen/dp/1933615699/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394492933&sr=1-1&keywords=slow+cooker+revolution

As many of you may already know, I love my crockpot for its convenience, but I have been frustrated by the overabundance of mediocre recipes available for slow cookers. This cookbook, however, blew my mind with its interesting and flavorful recipes, tested and developed by a team of ten cooks at America’s Test Kitchen over the course of a year. Regarding the work of these cooks, the book’s description rightly claims, “what they discovered will change the way you use your slow cooker.”

Part of the magic of this book is in the simple steps that are shared with each recipe which intensify flavors, reduce work, and prevent so many of the frustrating results that often come with other slow cooker recipes (problems like blandness, burning, overdrying, uneven cooking, etc.). For instance (quoting the Amazon description for this book), “Did you know that onions garlic, and spices should be bloomed in the microwave for five minutes before they go into the slow cooker? This simple step intensifies their flavor and requires no extra work. Did you know that a little soy sauce mixed with tomato paste adds meaty flavors to almost any stew and can often replace the tedious step of browning the meat? And do you know the secret to a moist slow-cooker chicken? Start the bird upside down to protect the delicate white meat from drying out.”

I knew none of these tips, but I know them now! And I am THRILLED with my purchase, as I'm sure this book will be an excellent resource for creating easy, fabulous, and family-friendly meals. It truly is revolutionary, and I HIGHLY recommend getting yourself a copy, if you don’t already have one.

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