This Is Better Than Christmas! I'm Waiting For 4 Cookbooks!
Decorating By berryblondeboys Updated 4 Jan 2007 , 6:21pm by berryblondeboys
I had some coupons/offers to use by Dec. 31st, so I bit the bullet and ordered the Professional Pastry Chef and the Advanced Pastry Chef... then, I got a cookbook about braising and a slow cook mediterranean style cookbook... I can't wait for them to arrive... Who knows when I'll have time to try any of the things in the pastry books, but I'm excited to read them cover to cover! LOL
Melissa
Oooo... they've all shipped too! YAY!!!
I got the pastry ones to learn some new tricks and just for a fun reference, the other two to prepare me for going back to work. I cannot cook every day once I'm working, no way... so I need to more slow cooking recipes or things that will taste yummy a couple days in a row. Can't wait to test them out!
Melissa
Melissa - I would love to know what you think about the slow cooker book. I've got one small one but it doesn't have very many recipes that we would use. I love using the cooker during the week. Makes things a whole lot easier.
The two books I got (besides the two pastry books) are: The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen: Recipes for the Passionate Cook, and All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking.
I don't know if both would be classified as slow cooker cookbooks, but they (especially the Mediterranean one) are foods/meals that can be made ahead and refrigerated and probably enjoyable for more than one meal. While the braising one seems to really be a slow cookers paradise book. So far, the only things I make in my slow cooker is a pot roast, a pork roast and a killer spaghetti sauce. I've just never gotten adventurous and wasn't thrilled with the cheapo grocery store ideas for slow cooking... I'm excited to try it out!
Melissa
What's the "killer spaghetti sauce"? I'd love to try it!!!
Julie
I can't say as I've ever really used a slow cooker much. What can you make in them? I've done roast, chili and soups, sauces, and then just keeping things hot (like meatballs or dips) for parties. What else is there? I remember my dad's wife doing pork roast and pork chops, swiss steak, etc, but there was always a lot of grease in the food since it had no where to go while cooking. Is that normal, or just bad experience?
LOL, well, it's nothing fancy, just a nice slow, long cooked tomato and herb sauce. I don't follow any recipe, just cook it away. On the stove top I use mostly diced tomatoes, but if I were using a slow cooker, I would use mostly tomato sauce with maybe one can of diced tomatoes since things don't break down in slow cookers the way they do on the stove simmering all day.
The key is to cook it for several hours slowly. This makes a pretty big recipe. I probably make 4-5 quarts and the freeze what I don't use. Sometimes I use meat, sometimes I don't. I'm pulling this from my head, so I hope I don't forget anything!
First, I saute one large yellow onion in extra virgin olive oil (about 3-4 tbsps) until translucent, then I add the big cans (32 ounces?) of diced tomatoes, like four or five of those cans and one large can of tomato sauce. Then I start cooking it adding the rest of the ingredients as they are chopped...
While that's started, I break up and brown 1 lbs of mild italian sausage, drain the fat and then add it to the sauce. Next I chop a whole head of garlic and add it to the sauce. Then I chop one big bunch of fresh basil and add it to the sauce (if using those little plastic grocery store herbs, two of those, if using store bought fresh or farmer's market, one whole - like it should fill two handfuls). Then I chop Portobello mushrooms (about 1 lbs) and add those. (I keep mine pretty chunky as I don't like mushrooms - I like the flavor they give, but not the actual texture of mushrooms. this makes it easier for me to pick out later! LOL But you can chop however you like), then I chop and add a 1/2 a bunch of flat leaf parsley (curley leaf works too), grind some fresh pepper over top, and a tablespoon or so of sugar and cook and cook with lid slightly off to allow steam to escape. You might need to add water as it cooks down and you should check on it and stir intermittently. It shouldn't be boiling, just slowly cooking. depending on how far you let it cook down will determine how to salt it. Most canned tomatoes are salted, so you might need to add any.
I've made this with fresh tomatoes too and the taste is the same (which surprised me) canned tomatoes are the one thing that I find are fine to use.
That's it! See, nothing complicated, but the flavors blend so well!!!
Melissa
I ordered from Amazon. I had some earned "reward" money from shopping there for Christmas I needed to use by Dec. 31st. They sell each of those pastry books for $44 with free shipping. If you spend $50 on books and $10 on other kitchen, then you get another $10 off. So, I added a couple clearance silicone baking mats to my order and basically got those for free...All told it still cost me $140 for four books, 2 silicone mats and a silicone deep bundt pan... subtract the $50 in "reward" money and it was reasonable! LOL My christmas present to myself since Dh never gets me anything, but doesn't object to me doing something for myself once in awhile.
They're HERE! LOL
I have about 2500 pages of pure reading pleasure! LOL Unfortunately, I still need to finish reading my book for the bookclub I belong to and I can't get away from it as I'm hosting! Eekss.... the temptation!
Melissa
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