Rating: 
Summary: fantastic cookbook for adventurous cooks
Review: As a highly experienced cook who enjoys cooking, I never thought I would own a crock pot. But a long commute and the goal to not allow my family to live on meals out of a box or can led me to purchase one. This cookbook makes the crockpot worth buying! It's a great collection of classic and unusual recipes that taste very authentic. This cookbook is not for cooks who's spice rack only contains salt, pepper and sugar or those who think Swedish meatballs are exotic fare. It's also not for the cook who relies on processed cheese and cream of anything soup. It's for serious cooks who like international flavors but don't have 3 hours at the end of the day to devote to cooking.
I would highly recommend this book.I could hardly put this book down. Just like my new morning brew made from soy beans. Taste like coffee, sans the caffeine, and contains no tannic acids. I have no more heartburn and that is something to write about. Google it online under "s oyfee".
Rating:
Summary: Slow Cooker deluxe!!!
Review: As a person who frequently purchases cookbooks, I was hesitant to buy another bad cookbook, especially for slow cookers. So, after reading a couple reviews mentioning prep work before putting the food into the cooker, I hesitated. But, after giving it some thought, I realized that I had never purchased a good slow cooker book. So, I put it on my birthday wish list, and low and behold, it was lovingly wrapped for me!!! The first dish I tried was the Asian Pork Ribs. Yum! The recipe required that you broil the ribs for 10 minutes and mix a couple ingredients before putting in the cooker. The ribs came out tender and juicy. This past weekend, I was planning what I would bring with me to an "Post New Year" type party. I looked through a couple cookbooks. I thought I would be adventurous and try another slow cooker recipe from my cookbook. BBQ beef seems to always be a hit, so I headed to the market early and picked up what I needed. I caramelized the onion and mixed the other ingredients. In all, it took about 15 minutes. I put everything in the cooker (without doctoring up the recipe with additional ingredients). 8 hours later.... out came the most tender, delicious beef. No additional ingredients were needed. From what I've read and experienced myself, there is no possible way you can produce a quality slow cooker meal without at least ten minutes prep before the beef/chicken/pork is put in. It's not possible. Otherwise, half the veggies won't taste right or the food will taste bland. And if you think about it, if the food comes out ho-hum at the end of it's cooking cycle, you'll spend valuable time once the meat is done trying to fix it up. I'll be honest, this book is great. It's easy to follow, you can find all the ingredients in your cabinet (without having to shop at Fante's or the like to find all the ingredients if they were gourmet), and the product you make is definitely worth the effort. And, he explains where everything comes from. His book doesn't just give you a tireless amount of recipes. Your family and friends won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Quality Slow Cooking
Review: As a person who frequently purchases cookbooks, I was hesitant to buy another bad cookbook, especially for slow cookers. So, after reading a couple reviews mentioning prep work before putting the food into the cooker, I hesitated. But, after giving it some thought, I realized that I had never purchased a good slow cooker book. So, I put it on my birthday wish list, and low and behold, it was lovingly wrapped for me!!! The first dish I tried was the Asian Pork Ribs. Yum! The recipe required that you broil the ribs for 10 minutes and mix a couple ingredients before putting in the cooker. The ribs came out tender and juicy. This past weekend, I was planning what I would bring with me to an "Post New Year" type party. I looked through a couple cookbooks. I thought I would be adventurous and try another slow cooker recipe from my cookbook. BBQ beef seems to always be a hit, so I headed to the market early and picked up what I needed. I caramelized the onion and mixed the other ingredients. In all, it took about 15 minutes. I put everything in the cooker (without doctoring up the recipe with additional ingredients). 8 hours later.... out came the most tender, delicious beef. No additional ingredients were needed. From what I've read and experienced myself, there is no possible way you can produce a quality slow cooker meal without at least ten minutes prep before the beef/chicken/pork is put in. It's not possible. Otherwise, half the veggies won't taste right or the food will taste bland. And if you think about it, if the food comes out ho-hum at the end of it's cooking cycle, you'll spend valuable time once the meat is done trying to fix it up. I'll be honest, this book is great. It's easy to follow, you can find all the ingredients in your cabinet (without having to shop at Fante's or the like to find all the ingredients if they were gourmet), and the product you make is definitely worth the effort. And, he explains where everything comes from. His book doesn't just give you a tireless amount of recipes. Your family and friends won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Labor Intensive? Yes...Flavor Intensive? Definitely!!!
Review: Being a fan of Rick Rodgers (Thanksgiving 101 and Pressure Cooking for Everyone), I nevertheless held out from buying this book because of the polarized reviews. My old slow cooker, one of the nonstick pot sitting on a warming base types, recently died and although I don't do a lot of cooking of this type, I wanted to replace it with an upscale model. I purchased a Rival Smart-Pot that allows you to press the cooking time and temperature and walk away. Sooo...I decided to give this book a try. I find myself agreeing with the 'dump chili' crowd who cite the extensive amount of prep that goes into the recipes and also with the 'kitchen guru' group that praise the book for the results achieved from that much labor. For my first meal, I made the 'Bistro Beef Bourguignon' and I spent the better part of an hour putting the recipe together. Eight hours later, the house filled with the simmering aroma of wine, beef, onions, garlic and spices, I knew without tasting that this was going to be outstanding. This was without a doubt one of the best stews I have ever attempted. Subsequent to the Bourguignon, I have made the Pumpkin Bread and the Hot Fudge Spoonbread. All I can offer to describe them is 'Yum'.
To be honest, I don't see this as a book that I would use during the week. It just takes too much time to build each meal. But I like to cook on weekends so that I can take something other than a cold sandwich to work. Reheating the Beef Bourguignon in a Tupperware container in the microwave almost got me tossed out of the teacher's room at my school. And like most stews, it tasted even better the second day.
I guess my advice would be thus: If you view a slow cooker as a 'toss it in and turn it on' appliance, give this book a pass. But if you don't mind taking some time to achieve a scrumptious result, this book will delight you.
Rating:
Summary: A revelation in crockpot cooking
Review: Every time I use this cookbook, my husband says, "Gee, you're a good cook!"
Rick Rodgers has been one of my favorite cookbook authors ever since I stumbled on his Christmas 101 several years ago. That and his companion volume, Thanksgiving 101, are my favorite cookbooks for year-round entertaining, and the best cookbook bargains around. His recipes are interesting and innovative without being in any way fussy or pretentious, and I thoroughly enjoy his writing style--amusing, candid about his own successes and failures in the kitchen, and full of a deep understanding of the connection among food, the rituals of life, and our relationships with family and friends. So I was excited to see that he had written a slow cooker cookbook. I am one of those who has never been satisfied with slow cooker recipes. I got married in the mid-1970's, the heyday of the slow cooker, and I thought it was a great concept. After a few disappointing meals, my new husband asked me to cool it."This seems like a lot of effort for something that tastes like it came off a cafeteria steam table." I had to agree--slow cooker food tasted blah, the texture of the meats was unappealing, and often everything ended up swimming in watery liquid with a thick layer of grease on the top. Yuck.
Rick's recipes have been a revelation to me. It should be moderately obvious that browning meat and sauteing onions and garlic before putting them in the crockpot would greatly improve the results, but somehow I had never figured this out! His suggestions for even cooking of chicken parts--stack them with the dark meat on the bottom--produce perfect results. I have made The Pot Roast, the coq au vin, the Good Woman's Chicken Pot Roast, the Chinese Country Style Ribs, the Potatoes Euphoria, the Spaghetti with Herbed Tomato Sauce and Parmesan Meatballs and the Hot Fudge Spooncake. All came out great. The prep time was not excessive, nor was the last-minute work. Before reducing or thickening the sauce, I remove the meat and vegetables to an oven-proof platter, cover them with foil and put them in a 200 degree oven while I finish the meal. It couldn't be easier. There are dozens more recipes I want to try, and intend to make my holiday turkey stock in the slow cooker as Rick advises.
These recipes open up a whole new world for serious cooks who want to take advantage of the convenience of a slow cooker without sacrificing good food. Great job, Rick!
Rating:
Summary: A revelation in crockpot cooking
Review: Every time I use this cookbook, my husband says, "Gee, you're a good cook!"
Rick Rodgers has been one of my favorite cookbook authors ever since I stumbled on his Christmas 101 several years ago. That and his companion volume, Thanksgiving 101, are my favorite cookbooks for year-round entertaining, and the best cookbook bargains around. His recipes are interesting and innovative without being in any way fussy or pretentious, and I thoroughly enjoy his writing style--amusing, candid about his own successes and failures in the kitchen, and full of a deep understanding of the connection among food, the rituals of life, and our relationships with family and friends. So I was excited to see that he had written a slow cooker cookbook. I am one of those who has never been satisfied with slow cooker recipes. I got married in the mid-1970's, the heyday of the slow cooker, and I thought it was a great concept. After a few disappointing meals, my new husband asked me to cool it."This seems like a lot of effort for something that tastes like it came off a cafeteria steam table." I had to agree--slow cooker food tasted blah, the texture of the meats was unappealing, and often everything ended up swimming in watery liquid with a thick layer of grease on the top. Yuck.
Rick's recipes have been a revelation to me. It should be moderately obvious that browning meat and sauteing onions and garlic before putting them in the crockpot would greatly improve the results, but somehow I had never figured this out! His suggestions for even cooking of chicken parts--stack them with the dark meat on the bottom--produce perfect results. I have made The Pot Roast, the coq au vin, the Good Woman's Chicken Pot Roast, the Chinese Country Style Ribs, the Potatoes Euphoria, the Spaghetti with Herbed Tomato Sauce and Parmesan Meatballs and the Hot Fudge Spooncake. All came out great. The prep time was not excessive, nor was the last-minute work. Before reducing or thickening the sauce, I remove the meat and vegetables to an oven-proof platter, cover them with foil and put them in a 200 degree oven while I finish the meal. It couldn't be easier. There are dozens more recipes I want to try, and intend to make my holiday turkey stock in the slow cooker as Rick advises.
These recipes open up a whole new world for serious cooks who want to take advantage of the convenience of a slow cooker without sacrificing good food. Great job, Rick!
Rating:
Summary: Slow cooking for the gourmet!
Review: For anyone who is used to cooking and loves it, this book is for you. It is also for the sophisticated adventurous foodies who like to try out new recipes and I can see why the meat and potatoes crowd would be disappointed, however there is something in here for everyone. The recipes are not difficult at all. I saw some reviews complaining about the "extended" preparation times of up to half an hour, but that's all based on perspective and what you're used to doing. I was never interested in using a slow cooker because I thought you couldn't make anything exciting or sophisticated in it. This book proved me wrong and I love it!!! If you are someone who doesn't care to cook, like regular everyday fare, and doesn't enjoy spending time in the kitchen, this book is not for you. If you like to cook and try out new things and don't mind some extra effort, get this book. It's outstanding. Another thing...the recipes are pretty healthy and you can very easily lower the fat content if you wish Enjoy!!
Rating:
Summary: Better crockpot cookbook with modified techniques
Review: For slow cooker cookbooks I have this one and Fix it and Forget it. Of the 2 I vastly prefer this one. The added preparation is worth the extra taste. I also find that the ingredients in this book are much, much healthier. Many readers criticise that the extra preparation negates the advantage of a slow cooker. My answer is "Don't do it -- just follow the ingredients". IF you don't brown the meat or reduce your sauce it still tastes good, but not as good as if you had. If you have the time, then reduce the sauce, or whatever. In either case, you have a healthier meal than adding 1 cup of Velveeta cheese and a can of cream of mushroom soup. I regard the advantage of using a slow cooker as not so much saving overall time, but moving my preparation and cooking time to a better time for me. Hence I am spending 1/2 hour in the morning preparing dinner and it cooks all day. Otherwise I would be spending 1/2 hour when I get home from work, then it has to cook and I don't eat until 7:30 or 8:00.
Rating: 
Summary: Extensive preparation defeats purpose of slow cooker
Review: Having cooked for many years, and used a slow cooker for many years also, I found Mr. Rodger's book very difficult to use. The extensive preparation of ingredients (sometimes taking as much as 1/2 hour) defeats the whole purpose of the slow cooker; convenience in preparing meals. This book seems designed for those persons who have a slow cooker and a lot of time on their hands. The ideal situation is for a meal to cook in the slow cooker for at least eight hours, so that the meal is ready upon return from work. Many of these recipes, however, call for a maximum cook time of five to six hours, far too short a period for a family that works outside the home. Many recipes, too, call for additional treatment of food after the slow cooker time has ended. Finally, Mr.Rodgers likes to cook poulty in the slow cooker with the skin on, removing the skin after cooking. What is the point, since the skin fat would long since have been rendered, adding significantly to the fat content of the finished meal? Some may find this cookbook useful. I am not one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Quick, easy and tasty
Review: I am new to this type of cooking. I thought it would be an efficient, but maybe unexciting way to feed my family during the week. However, this cookbook has really opened my eyes to the possibilities of fully utilizing a slow-cooker. The expected recipes are there, but there are also some interesting surprises as well as suggestions on variations, which are worth trying. The only drawback is that the dishes are slightly under spiced for my family's taste, but we have learned to adjust accordingly. I would definitely recommend this for someone looking to expand beyond stew and chili.
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